Net.art and the Born Digital:
Internet Art Practice 1990-Present | AH 3690G/MCS 3690G/SA 3690B
Mondays 9:30am-12:30pm
Instructor: Imogen Clendinning
email: iwilso3@uwo.ca
January 12th agenda:
-> Lecture Internet History + Internet Art 1960s - 80s
-> Lab time: Introduction to HTML
Introduction
This hybrid course in Art History, Museum and Curatorial Studies, and Studio Arts combines an overview of Internet Art history from 1990-Present, and a studio-based component that encourages students to parse through the material qualities and conceptual framework of art that lives online. Beginning with a survey of net.art, Nasty Net forums, email chains and the disruptive virtual actions of artists working online in the 1990s, through to the pervasive influence of Silicon Valley and digital capitalism in contemporary Internet Art, this course will investigate how the accelerated evolution of the Internet has informed those making art online. Alongside a study of Internet Art history and contemporary practices, students will create two net-based projects. During the course, students will gain a knowledge of the history of Internet Art from 1990-present, as well as, an introduction to web coding, DIY website hosting, datamoshing and other hacker methodologies.
Screenshot of "hacking.art" website, 2022.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will gain:
-> the ability to articulate the history of Internet Art as a medium, and the ways in which The Internet has influenced postmodern and contemporary arts, including digital art, new media art and net.art from the 1970s to today.
->new technical skills in the creation of digital, new media and video art practices.
->Nuanced understanding of how the Internet and associated digital technologies have shaped the formation of artist movements and contemporary art between 1990 to present.
-> skills in the critical analysis and creation of their own digital art objects and a thorough understanding of the cultural movements, subcultures and dialogues taking place within Internet Art today.
Class structure:
-> Lectures on various themes in Internet Art history, terminology and art movements within Internet Art
-> Demonstrations and exercises in digital tools and techniques that touch on themes from our lectures and course readings
-> Discussions of assignd readings in class
-> Guest lecture with artist Cassie Packham
-> One group presentation ("net artist cosplay") and one independent presentation and critique
Upcoming agenda:
January 19th agenda:
-> Lecture on net.art 1990-2000
-> Discussion: Hito Steyerl, "In Defense of the Poor Image" + "Lets Talk Net Art," Josephine Bosma.
-> Lab time: More HTML including canvas
January 12: Computer Art 1960s-1980s +
Intro to HTML
today's agenda:
-> Lecture:
Computer Art (1960s - 1989) + Computer History
-> short break
-> Lab time: Introduction to HTML
-> Work session: Start work on your first Internet Experiment (HTML page) or continue designing
your digital sketchbook
last week:
-> introduced the course
-> review of assignments
->made our hotglue.me digital sketchbooks
next week:
-> lecture: net.art (1990-2000)
-> discussion of readings:
-"In Defence of the Poor Image," Hito Steyerl.
-"Let's Talk Net Art," Josephine Bosma,
Nettitudues
Readings are available at
our reading list page.
->tutorial: drawing in HTML
Introduction to HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
This is heading 1
My first paragraph.
a link to Telidon art
Links:
Images:
<!DOCTYPE html>
My first paragraph.
a link to Telidon art
![a snail]()
How to call images on hotglue with HTML:
1. drop your image into your digital sketchbook
2. click on the image, and click the bullseye icon
3. Copy and paste the name assigned to the image on hotglue
4. Paste that name into the src="location of photo"
Link to a GIF online:
1. Travel to
giphy website
2. choose which GIF you'd like to insert
3. Copy the link and paste it into the src="location of photo"
Some other formatting elements:
Making a CSS + style:
CSS stands for cascading style sheets. They can define layout of multiple pages at once. The CSS is how you control your background colour, the font you use on your website, font size, and so on. re are three ways to add CSS:
-Inline: using style= as an attribute in an element
-Internal: using style element with brackets in the head section of your html page
-External: using a link element to link to an external CSS file
Last week as we were building our hotglue sites, some folks noted that in hotglue, when you set an image as your background with this automatic tiling effect, which is something that you can preset in your CSS.
With CSS you can also add directions to stretch the image to fill the page. Here are some useful style preferences you can add that will help you customize your background.
-Background image: Adds an image to the background of your entire page, usually in a tile pattern
-Background color: sets the background colour of the page
Refer to
W3 for the colour names, or you can use a
HEX number if the preset colours aren't speaking to you
-font-family: sets your font- you can set a different font to belong to each of your elements, if you want your Headings in Courier and paragraph in verdana. See all of the available font families
here
-border creates a small line border around your element, and padding creates the space between the text and your border
This top preset will give you one image or gif that fills the entire background without stretching
This lower present will give one image stretched across the page, that will expand and contract to meet the size of the webpage window
Tiled Snail background, so many snails!
Much better! Just two snails!
*WORK SESSION*
go forth and explore the possibilities! Start by playing in the W3 Schools
Try It Yourself page
January 12:
net.art (1990 - 2000) + Discussion +
drawing in HTML
today's agenda:
-> Lecture:
Internet History + net.art (1990-2000)
-> Discussion: "Let's Talk Net Art," Josephine Bosma, and "In Defense of the Poor Image," Hito Steyerl
-> short break
-> Lab time: Draw in HTML, followed by work session on HTML Internet Experiment
upcoming deadlines:
-> Blog Post Response:
DUE January 23rd
-> Internet Experiment: HTML webpage
DUE January 26th
Drawing in HTML Canvas
canvas is an HTML element used to draw graphics using Javascript!
1. Navigate to
One Compiler website
Now we'll create the head and body of our HTML
2. Drawing a circle:
3. Drawing rectangles:
4. Drawing a Bezier Curve:
January 26:
GLITCH || FAILURE + GIMP workshop
today's agenda:
-> Lecture:
GLITCH || FAILURE
-> short break
-> Lab time: GIMP tutorial: make an altered GIF
upcoming deadlines:
-> Internet Experiment: HTML webpage
DUE TODAY
-> Internet Experiment: GIMP GIF
Due February 2nd
-> Blog Post Response: Glitch Feminism and A Hacker Manifesto
DUE February 6th
GIMP Workshop:
To upload your own video to GIMP: Click this box!
February 2:
The Hacker Class // Discussion // Datamosh workshop
today's agenda:
-> Lecture:
The Hacker Class
-> Discussion:
Glitch Feminism: A Manifesto, and
A Hacker Manifesto
-> Lab time: Datamosh tutorial
For instructions on how to datamosh and upload your Internet Experiment: Datamosh
CLICK HERE
upcoming deadlines:
-> Internet Experiment: GIMP Gif
DUE TODAY
-> Blog Post Response: Glitch Feminism and A Hacker Manifesto
DUE February 6th
-> net.art Cosplay - Proposal
DUE end of day February 9th
February 9:
Medium to Media // net.art Cosplay work session
today's agenda:
-> Lecture:
Medium to Media
-> net.art Cosplay assignment work session
upcoming deadlines:
-> Internet Experiment: Datamosh
DUE TODAY
-> net.art Cosplay - Proposal
DUE end of day today!
Harold Cohen, Stephanie and Friend, 1991. Image from MoMA.
February 23: net.art Cosplay game day
today's agenda:
-> net.art Cosplay games!
-> reflection and discussion (time permitting)
March 2nd: Digital Worlds
today's agenda:
-> Lecture:
A Thousand Eyes
-> Tutorial: How to make a 3d object in dust3d
American Artist, Security Theatre, 2023. Image from the artist's website.
Internet Experiment #4:
AR environment using dust3d and AR.js
EXAMPLE: on your phone in a browser window navigate to: borndigital.hotglue.me/artest3
March 9th: Digital Worlds
today's agenda:
-> Guest Artist Talk with MFA Cassie Packham
-> Lecture:
Digital Reworlding
-> Tutorial: How to make an Augmented Reality environment on a web browser using AR.js and A-frame
click here for tutorial notes
Cao Fei, Still image from RMB City, 2007. Image from Rhizome's Net Art Anthology.
Upcoming deadlines:
March 16th: Internet Experiment: 3d object + AR.js environment
March 20th: Blog Post Response: David M. Berry, "The Limitations of Computation," and Invisibilia podcast, "Raising Devandra."
March 16:
Ghost in the Machine
today's agenda:
-> lecture:
The Ghost in the Machine
-> ELIZA playthrough
->Discussion: David M. Berry's "The Limitations of Computation," and "Raising Devendra."
Lynn Hershman Leeman, Agent Ruby, 1998-present.
upcoming deadlines:
-> Internet Experiment: dust3d object + AR.js
DUE TODAY
-> Blog Post Response: The Limitations of Computation andRaising Devendra
DUE March 20th
-> Hacker Class Assignment - Proposal
DUE end of day March 23rd
March 16:
Non-Human Intelligence and Anti-AI Hacks
today's agenda:
->lecture:
Errors, Glitches and Hacks in AI Art: the grotesque, sublime, uncanny and more that human
-> Discussion: James Bridle,
Ways of Being
-> Work session for final projects
upcoming deadlines:
-> Hacker Class Assignment proposal - 300 words End of the day today
-> Blog Post Response: James Bridle Ways of Being March 27th
March 30:
Slow Internet
today's agenda:
->lecture:
Slow Internet: Digital Materiality & Energy Responsive Methodologies
-> Student Feedback
-> How to Make a Solar-Powered Web Server demonstration
Upcoming Deadlines:
-> Hacker Class final assignment
Due April 6th
Tegan Brain, Benedetta Piantella and Alex Nathanson, Screenshot of the Solar Protocol homepage, 2020-present.
April 6th:
End of term critiques +
Post-internet Post Mortem
today's agenda:
-> End of term critiques and presentations w/ snacks and coffee
-> break
->chill lecture + chatting:
Post-internet Postmortem: discourse, gossip, criticism
Image by Brad Troemel, 2020.
Calls for submissions & where to find your people re: internet art/media art
-> spaces/places: Forest City Gallery, InterAccess, Trinity Square Video, Factory Media Centre, Ed Video, Videopool, PAVED arts
-> events: ponyHAUS, Electric Eclectic, Currents New Media Festival