Void, Archive, Network is part studio, part methods course, and part reading seminar that will attempt to build towards a poetics and politics of the digital archive. We will push against the notion that an archive is a static collection of isolated pieces, but rather a living system of objects with distinct lineages; physical and digital infrastructure that supports and restricts; and people who maintain, activate, and respond. Readings will focus on permaculture, techno-criticism, and archival theory. Using a subject of study based on your choosing, we will provide different methods for extrapolation. Throughout the course, we will exercise antinostalgia and build archives as a way to complicate our accepted histories.
The structure of this course is based on expansion and contraction. We begin with a void. Expand this into a trail. Condense this into a packet. Expand this into a site. Like prompts, projects are nouns and verbs. Projects are projective. See projects...
The content of this course is based on archival politics. Each week, we will address one reading that examines the ambiguity of archiving in a contemporary context, the problems with varying distribution methods, the platforms that collect our information, the inequity embedded in Western taxonomic structures, grassroots community archives, among others. See library...
This class is intended for those with a working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. We will do very few technical tutorials in this class. Rosa McElheny and I will have joint workshops for JavaScript and alternative CMSs in the middle of the semester.
With each prompt, aim to transform your project, altering its meaning and/or its function through choices concerning content, material, visual form, language and sequence. Your decisions are not neutral. Be prepared to articulate why you have compiled this particular collection and its relationship to a larger social context.
As a class, we will create a group agreement that addresses respect and etiquette in the classroom. Students will be responsible for maintaining this standard throughout the semester. We are very lucky to have a representative group of students with different backgrounds and cultures. With this comes varying amounts of privilege and awareness, so it is important that we practice patience and empathy in the classroom. We must all continuously learn, be open to criticism, develop a consciousness about these discrepancies, and actively seek equity and allyship in the classroom and beyond.
Each project will include a selection of readings and references that will be assigned on a weekly basis. You will be required to write a response, to be completed by midnight before class. These responses will be reviewed and discussed but not graded. For class readings and google-docs for reading responses, please see the class site.
Reading responses should include:
— summary
— quotes
— critique
— 3 questions
Each meeting will include one or more of the following:
The various endeavors of the course will demonstrate your abilities in the areas below. You’ll be evaluated for demonstrated growth over the semester in your ability to: examine and describe own and others’ creative work; experiment conceptually and formally in pursuit of design objectives; use familiar and new design tools, materials and methods dictated by individual projects; investigate and analyze existing and new interest areas for creative work.
Grades will be assigned according to the rubric below and will factor into the course grade as follows:
— P1: Void (5%)
— P2: Trail (15%)
— P3: Package (25%)
— P4: Site (35%)
— Kiosk (10%)
— Class attendance, reading discussion, and participation in class critiques (10%)
At the end of the semester, you'll send me an archive of your projects in the form of written descriptions and documentation. View instructions
The primary mission of Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is to facilitate individual accommodations for all students with disabilities throughout the entire University, and by so doing, work to remove physical and attitudinal barriers, which may prevent their full participation in the University community. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act guide much of our work.
For more information, visit Student Accessibility Services
Don't plagiarize. Give credit. Remember: citations are a form of generosity. For more, visit Yale's Academic Integrity Policy.
From Academic Integrity at MIT, "Writing Code"
“Writing code is similar to academic writing in that when you use or adapt code developed by someone else as part of your project, you must cite your source. However, instead of quoting or paraphrasing a source, you include an inline comment in the code. These comments not only ensure you are giving proper credit, but help with code understanding and debugging.”
Please bring your laptop to class. Please considerate of your fellow classmates; don't use your device while somebody is presenting their work.
On your computer, we'll use several programs. For text editing, I recommend Visual Studio Code (vscode), Atom, or Sublime. We will use Github to host our websites. Each person will purchase a domain name and hosting. You might want to use other programs for mocking up or generating content for your sites, including Photoshop, InDesign, Sketch, Premiere, Audacity, etc. I'd also like to encourage thinking outside of websites, including projection, videos, mobile apps, etc.
Attendance is essential. Three or more absences will result in a failing grade. Three or more late arrivals (more than 10 minutes late) equals an absence. If you absolutely must miss class, email me and copy Bryant in advance.