modifications to rtp

Author: zach lieberman

recreatingthepast-spring2020.md

@@ -29,13 +29,15 @@ slides:
 
 ### Class Description
 
-In Recreating the Past, we will study computational art from the past decades and recreate these works with contemporary techniques to gain aesthetic, analytical and technical knowledge. The class is led by artist and SFPC co-founder Zach Lieberman, and will be offered online for the first time. For each class, we investigate a different set of artists that have created work with software (either through code or algorithmic processes) and then recreate their artworks from scratch, discussing their approaches and tools, as well as poetic underpinnings. By recreating historic works, we also investigate what modern tools and approaches have to offer. In addition, we will also look at broader examples of what the artwork teaches us about algorithmic approaches and conceptual explorations. For example, seminal works like Camille Utterback and Romy Achituv's "Text Rain" can be used as a starting point for discussing computer vision-based interaction. The class will focus on the building blocks of media art and generative design practice, such as algorithmic composition, typography, imaging, computer vision, audio analysis / synthesis, and interaction design. 
+In Recreating the Past, we will study computational art from the past decades and recreate these works with contemporary techniques to gain aesthetic, analytical and technical knowledge. The class is led by artist and SFPC co-founder Zach Lieberman, and will be offered online for the first time. 
+
+For each class, we investigate a different set of artists that have created work with software (either through code or algorithmic processes) and then recreate their artworks from scratch, discussing their approaches and tools, as well as poetic underpinnings. By recreating historic works, we also investigate what modern tools and approaches have to offer. In addition, we will also look at broader examples of what the artwork teaches us about algorithmic approaches and conceptual explorations. For example, seminal works like Camille Utterback and Romy Achituv's "Text Rain" can be used as a starting point for discussing computer vision-based interaction. The class will focus on the building blocks of media art and generative design practice, such as algorithmic composition, typography, imaging, computer vision, audio analysis / synthesis, and interaction design. 
 
 Students will be encouraged to begin a practice of generative visual sketching in whatever medium they feel comfortable in and share their process amongst the cohort. Class examples will be prepared in openFrameworks which is written in C++ and built on top of OpenGL. Although the assignments will be required to be completed via coding, the class is open to a variety of skill and experience levels. The lead teacher and teaching assistant will help to get you up to speed. Students are expected to have basic knowledge of coding and familiarity with using variables, functions, control structures. If you are a beginner, we recommend you take SFPC Coding Bootcamp before applying for this class. 
 
-### Syllabus 
+### Topics 
 
-Here are examples of some of the artists / works / ideas we will be exploring:
+Here are examples of some of the artists / works / ideas we will be exploring across the ten weeks paired with the technical topics we will discuss.  Each week we will explore an individual or pair of artists/designers and examine their work and process in detail. 
 
 - Chaos and Order (Vera Molnar)
 - Animation and Harmony (John Whitney)
@@ -46,19 +48,21 @@ Here are examples of some of the artists / works / ideas we will be exploring:
 - Body (Camille Utterback and Romy Achituv / Myron Krueger)
 - Glitch / Deformation  (Rosa Menkman / Steina and Woody Vasulka)
 
+A more detailed syllabus will be shared in class with specific readings and assignments. 
+
 ![](/static/img/recreating/recreatingthepast2.png) 
 
 ### From our students
 
-"now, being months after taking this course, I think back on RTP often because the works we recreated are *so* relevant to the designs we see in our everyday walk down the street or strut through an exhibit. I look at fonts and typography and placement on posters. I analyze digital aesthetic structures with a more informed eye because I learned the how/what/why of appreciating the past. RTP gave me technical tools to learn how to appreciate the bedrock of the future - our past." Oceane Boulais (MIT) 
+"now, being months after taking this course, I think back on RTP often because the works we recreated are *so* relevant to the designs we see in our everyday walk down the street or strut through an exhibit. I look at fonts and typography and placement on posters. I analyze digital aesthetic structures with a more informed eye because I learned the how/what/why of appreciating the past. RTP gave me technical tools to learn how to appreciate the bedrock of the future - our past." *Oceane Boulais (MIT)*
 
-"RTP is a great class with a strong workshop vibe. Using past works as a basis for creating new pieces is liberating, and it's gratifying to see all the pieces come together as an output of this journey! Zach's teaching style is refreshing as it blends discussions about different artistic perspectives with some practical coding tips to help us materialize our ideas." Joanne Leong (MIT)
+"RTP is a great class with a strong workshop vibe. Using past works as a basis for creating new pieces is liberating, and it's gratifying to see all the pieces come together as an output of this journey! Zach's teaching style is refreshing as it blends discussions about different artistic perspectives with some practical coding tips to help us materialize our ideas." *Joanne Leong (MIT)*
 
-"Yes, Recreating The Past taught me a lot about coding. But for me, it’s value as an art history class, as an exercise in the importance of archiving, preservation, and curation, felt like a home I’d always been searching for. History is not a passive subject you simply consume, but an active form, something you “do,” and this was one of the only classes I’ve ever been in that seemed to not only understand that, but revel in it.” Max Neely Cohen (SFPC)
+"Yes, Recreating The Past taught me a lot about coding. But for me, it’s value as an art history class, as an exercise in the importance of archiving, preservation, and curation, felt like a home I’d always been searching for. History is not a passive subject you simply consume, but an active form, something you “do,” and this was one of the only classes I’ve ever been in that seemed to not only understand that, but revel in it.” *Max Neely Cohen (SFPC)*
 
-"I loved it! It was the most balanced class in the course, with enough theory and history to make the practice more enjoyable.I particularly like the title of the class. It’s a way of saying something else. It could have been called “code”, but the name talks a lot about other things." Javier De Azkue (SFPC)
+"I loved it!  enough theory and history to make the practice more enjoyable.I particularly like the title of the class. It’s a way of saying something else. It could have been called “code”, but the name talks a lot about other things." *Javier De Azkue (SFPC)*
 
-“In Recreating the Past, I learned to look closely at works of art in a way that I had never done before. It was an engaging introduction to the history of computational art that helped orient my search for more inspiration in the space. Most importantly, RTP reminded me of the creative possibility of mathematical and algorithmic thinking in the context of art.” Bomani Oseni McClendon  (SFPC)
+“In Recreating the Past, I learned to look closely at works of art in a way that I had never done before. It was an engaging introduction to the history of computational art that helped orient my search for more inspiration in the space. Most importantly, RTP reminded me of the creative possibility of mathematical and algorithmic thinking in the context of art.”  *Bomani Oseni McClendon  (SFPC)*
 
 ### How do I know if this class is right for me?
 
@@ -68,7 +72,7 @@ This class is right for you if:
 - You have access to a computer that can run [openFrameworks](https://openframeworks.cc)
 - You are interested in learning the craft of creative coding 
 - You enjoy researching / learning about how artists work
-- You agree with SFPC Code of Conduct  
+- You agree with [SFPC Code of Conduct](https://github.com/SFPC/codeofconduct)  
 - You enjoy working with others 
 
 This class is not right for you if: 
@@ -79,11 +83,15 @@ This class is not right for you if:
 
 ![](/static/img/recreating/recreatingthepast3.png) 
 
+![](/static/img/recreating/slide1.jpg) 
+
+
+
 ### How will this class work online?
 
 The class will be taught for 2 hours weekly with an additional ½ hour to 1 hr or asynchronous content which includes short lectures and code explanations. The homework will take additional time per week depending on the complexity of the artwork being recreated (Estimated 1-4 hours / week). In addition the teacher and TA will each offer 2 hours of office hour support, at a scheduled time TBD throughout the week.  We will use github, dropbox paper, and slack as our primary tools with zoom used for the class meetings and TA hours. Recordings of the live portions of each class will be archived and shared with participants for a limited time. 
 
-![](/static/img/recreating/zach-lieberman.jpg) 
+![](/static/img/recreating/slide4.jpg) 
 
 ### Instructors