“The term intermedia implies fluidity and simultaneity of roles. When art is only one of several possible functions a situation may have, it loses its privileged status and becomes, so to speak, a lowercase attribute…We are not used to thinking like this, all at once, or nonhierarchically, but the intermedialist does it naturally. Context rather than category. Flow rather than work of art.” (Allan Kaprow)
Course Description & Objectives
The terms “intermedia” and “transmedia” refer to the ways contemporary art blurs the lines between and among traditional and new media, process and product, and art and life. In this course, you will get an integrated introduction into the possibilities for contemporary artistic production and be encouraged to develop mobility among a range of media in order to make imaginative, innovative, and socially relevant artwork. The course will emphasize both making and meaning in contemporary artwork and provide a foundation in contemporary art practice and theory. Meaningful content and concept is as important as technical mastery and sophisticated finish. Accordingly, this is not a technical class, and as upper-division students you should come with competency in at least one of the following areas: video, digital photography, web design, or sound editing. However, collaborative work will be possible, software tutorials will be offered regularly, and experimentation with non-software-based projects and performance will be encouraged. By the end of the semester, you will:
- Understand contemporary intermedia artwork and relevant theory.
- Demonstrate skills of formal and content analysis for intermedia artwork
- Learn to speak critically about your own work and the work of others
- Produce three original intermedia art projects as well as complete smaller assignments, readings, and a short paper.
- Share at least one original work of art with the larger campus community.
Image credits (left to right): Francis Alys, Ant Farm, Natalie Jerimijenko, William Pope L.