Course Schedule – Winter 2015

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AAD 199 — Art Meets Science: Making Visible the Invisible

Winter 2015 Course Schedule

Note: Updates may happen to this schedule throughout the term. All updates will be announced in class.

Week 1: Introduction to the Visual Discourse of Scientific Images

Day 1, Tuesday, January 6 —

Presentation/Discussion:

  • Overview course themes & topics, assignments, expectations.
  • What are scientific images? What is aesthetics? Why are they important? How do they intersect?
  • What are some specific examples or ways to think about these intersections?

Activities:

  • Opportunities to begin to get to build peer and teacher/student relationships as well as learn the variety of student interests in the class. – How do you know one another?
  • In-class reading/discussion activity of the Scientific American article, “Science-Art: don’t call it “Art” by Glendon Mellow (July 7, 2011) found at http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2011/07/07/science-art-dont-call-it-art/
  • Introduction to Describe, Analyze, Reflect, Connect (DARC) model critique.
  • Visit the Museum of Art to field practice the DARC model. This will be added to your student blog site on Thursday. (Report #1)

Assignments:

  1. Purchase course reading packet from the UO Duckstore.
  2. Acquire & bring a sketchbook/journal to all class sessions. You will submit your assignments on your UO Blog site; however, it is important to have a hands-on journal available to you for sketching, note taking, and reflective writing as you prepare to finalize posts for the blog site.
  3. Read Wilson’s chapter from Art + Science Now
  4. Write/Record Reading Response to Art + Science Now in your journal. Bring to class on Thursday. This will be added to your student blog site on Thursday. (Journal #1)
  1. Write & Post Report 1 on your blog site no later than 10am., Monday, January 12
  2. We suggest bringing a camera and/or video recorder for all class sessions as part of developing your journals.

 

Day 2, Thursday, January 8 – Guest: Kelsey Lunsmann, UO Information Services

NOTE: Meet in Proctor 42 from 10:30-11:50

Presentation/Discussion:

  • Reading Groups: Explore questions and responses to Art + Science Now. (Journal #2)
  • Large group discussion of chapter from Art + Science Now and journaling process.
  • Setting up UO Blogs portfolio/project sites for the seminar

Activities:

  • Setting up UO Blogs portfolio/project sites for the seminar
  • Complete practice posts. (Practice with Journal Entries 1 & 2 and Report 1)
  • Discuss article questions, comments, and interpretations.

Assignments:

  • Report 1 due on Tuesday, January 13– Bring a printed copy to class. This is your 1-2 page discussion of the painting you selected at the art museum on Monday. Do the following:
    1. Describe the artwork — What is the mood of the artwork? How does it make you feel? What initially draws you in to the painting or pulls you back from it? What movement and flow does it suggest? How does texture work? What aspects stand out to you? What do you like about the work? Dislike about it? What is the title of the work? Who created it? When was it created? Many other descriptors questions can be addressed here depending upon how you engaged with the artwork.
  • 2. Analyze the work in these two ways –
    • Information from the museum text panel and/or this link to the museum’s site for this exhibit: http://jsma.uoregon.edu/FarmingFoodFineArt
    • Another source you find regarding background of the work. This could be about the artist, Karla Chambers, about sustainable farming practices, about organic and other nutritional food movements, the style of acrylic painting, or another topic related to this artwork.

3. Reflect on your findings. Now that you have described the artwork conducted some preliminary research about the artwork, context, or other background information, share how your understanding of the work has altered, deepened, or developed in other ways.

4. Connect — Write about ways in which this artwork comments on one (1) aspect of contemporary society, a social or political movement, the geographic location in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, or other context of the setting in which this artwork exists. In many ways this leads to a specific argument that you may have about the work and its value or place in an exhibit setting such as this or as useful to discussion of contemporary life.

5. Reference list — include a reference list for all sources cited in the analysis section.

  • Journal 2 due by Monday, January 12, 10:00a.m. — Post your thoughts, questions, and ideas about the Art + Science Now chapter on your blog journal. The chapter cover looks like this but in black & white in your course packet: Art--Science_Now_coverThis gives you a chance to share your comments about the chapter and to experiment further with your blog.

 

Week 2: Visual & Scientific Literacy: What are science and visual literacy? What are they important?

Day 3, Tuesday, January 13 — Guests: Elly Vandegrift & Julie Mueller, UO Science Literacy Program

Presentation/Discussion:

  • Introduction to the Science Literacy Group
  • Introduction to multi-disciplinary, integrated approaches to the sciences
  • How are we taught to read & experiences images? What is visual literacy? How are we taught to learn & experience science through visual methods? How are images of science revised and represented in and for the public eye?
  • Discuss term project

Activities:

  • Science Pictionary!

Assignments:

  1. Review, Write/Record, & Post about the artists of interest to you from the list of sources found on our UO Blogs course site. Details of this activity are further outlined on our blog site. Look at a variety of possibilities. Narrow down your preferred artists to 2-3 selections to examine over the term. List the pros/cons of your interest in each artist within journal. Post this journal entry in your blog by class time on Thursday. (Journal #3)
  2. Finalize problem to explore + artist selection for term project. Use assignment guidelines posted here on our course site to explore why you are selecting this artist. Write a proposal (Report 2) for what you will explore about this artist/scientific topic during the term. Due next week, Tuesday, January 20.
  3. Read brief online article: Palmer, C. (2013, June 21). The art of science: Princeton scientists and engineers create a stunning collection of scientific images better suited for a gallery than a lab meeting. Retrieved from: http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/36123/title/The-Art-of-Science/
  4. Write/Record & Post Reading Response to Palmer (Journal #4). Address this one question only: What interested you and makes you want to know about similar work at the UO? Due no later than 10a.m., Thursday.

 

Day 4, Thursday, January 15—Guest: Dean Walton, Science Librarian

Presentation/Discussion:

  • Scientia Venustior/Charming Knowledge, and the visual representations and art forms that UO scientists have been creating.

Activities:

  • Hands-on practice observing and examining artistic images produced by scientists at the UO.
  • Considering ways that you might rate, evaluate, and exhibit such works.
  • Consider the importance of the UO Librarians involvement in such research and display opportunities related to research that supports the work of scientists on campus and beyond.

Assignments:

  1. Finalize worksheet and proposal on artist selection (Report 2). Due Tuesday, January 20. Please bring a copy to class as we will be referring to it directly during class time.
  2. Read 1) assigned chapter from The Emotional Life of Your Brain and 2) article by Marshall & D’Adamo’s “Art practice as research in the classroom”.
  3. Write/Record & Post Reading Response to “Art practice as research in the classroom” and The Emotional Life of Your Brain chapter (Journal #5). Include at least 1 aspect of each of the following from each article: something that a) highly interested you; b) confused you; c) you want to further study, or d) you want to further discuss with others. Due no later than 10a.m. Monday.

 

Week 3: A Holistic Picture: Creating with the Emotional and Rational Brain

Day 5, Tuesday, January 20 —

Presentation/Discussion:

  • Building on aspects of what we learned about visual and scientific literacy, this session will introduce basic aspects of storyboarding, displaying, and exhibiting. Considerations of architecture (physical flow), elements of design (visual flow), audience engagement. Choices within presentation for public display regarding concept, interaction, beauty, etc. Emphasis will be on student-selected artists.
  • Due today posted on blog + presented to class: Report 2: Artist Proposal
  • Introduce ways in which the First Year common reading (The Emotional Life of Your Brain) will be incorporated into the seminar.

Activities:

  • Practice ideas presented regarding complexity of design and information presentation process related to your artist selections and how their work can be applied for your storyboarding, personal creative display, and research through the term
  • Address questions about research sources/artists to date.
  • Discuss Creative Display 1
  • As a group, discuss initial impressions of The Emotional Life of Your Brain.

 

Assignments:

  1. Post questions for guest on Thursday regarding The Emotional Life of Your Brain and it’s application to research, creativity, art, and science. (Journal #6) Due no later than 8p.m. Wednesday.
  2. Continue working on research of sources, ideas, etc. regarding the artist for your project.
  3. Begin developing and creating ideas for display of research (Creative Display 1). Draft Due and Presented in Week 5.

 

Day 6, Thursday, January 22 – Guest: Lisa Freinkel, Professor of English/Comparative Literature & UO Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Studies

Presentation/Discussion:

  • The Emotional Life of Your Brain
  • Mindfulness and creativity
  • The brain and creativity
  • Mindfulness and conducting research

Activities:

  • Presenter selected leading of engagement with ideas from The Emotional Life of Your Brain based on her own work as a lay-ordained Zen Buddhist.

Assignments:

  1. Write/Record & Post 3 things: 1 that was new; 1 that will apply to your project, and 1 that you will apply in your life (Journal #7). Due no later than 10a.m. Monday.
  1. Read article by deCosta, http://scalar.usc.edu/anvc/feminist-anti-mooc/da-costa-reaching-the-limit
  1. Write/Record & Post Reading Response to deCosta (Journal #8) Due no later than 10a.m., Monday
  1. Continue working on research of sources, ideas, etc. regarding your artist for your project.

 

  1. Continue developing and creating ideas for display of research (Creative Display 1). Draft Due and Presented in Week 5.

 

Week 4: Creativity Across the Arts & Sciences

Day 7, Tuesday, January 27 – Guest: Richard Taylor, UO Professor of Physics, Psychology & Art

Meet at CAMCOR for today’s class session in the basement of the Lewis Integrated Sciences Building (directions on next page)

Directions to CAMCOR/Lokey Labs for class session: Enter Huestis Hall, proceed through two sets of double doors and go down stairs on left to the Lokey Labs. See interactive campus map to find directions to Huestis Hall: http://map.uoregon.edu/

Presentation/Discussion:

  • Introduction to Dr. Taylor’s work
  • Thinking from science and art to solve problems
  • How this approach helped to understand the work of Jackson Pollock
  • Q&A with Dr. Taylor

Activities:

Tour the CAMCOR labs

Assignments:

  1. Journal Entry: What did you learn from Dr. Taylor? What did you learn from visiting the labs? How will you apply these ideas and experiences to your term project? (Journal #9) Due no later than 10a.m. Thursday.
  1. Continue developing and creating ideas for display of research (Creative Display 1). Draft Due and Presented in Week 5.

 

Day 8, Thursday, January 29 – Guest: Mar Gonzales Palacios, AAA Reference Librarian

**Please bring your laptops/tablets for online searching using UO Library databases and search engines during this session.

Presentation topics/activities:

  • Learn how to conduct further research about artists, their work, and critiques of their work. Learn about types of sources and how to find and apply them.

Activities:

  • Address questions about research sources/artists/imagery to date.
  • Practice conducting research about your selected artist through library tools and resources.
  • Take notes and keep track of searches in your personal journal for later reference and support in developing your reports for the class. (Journal #10)

Assignments:

  1. Finalize draft display/process of research visualization (Creative Display 1). This shows your brainstorming, sketching, planning, developing ideas for display of research about your selected artist for the term. Bring to class for presentation and review by colleagues. Due Thursday, February 5.
  1. Begin developing Report 3 to present course colleagues and instructors.
  1. Continue working on research of sources, ideas, etc. regarding your artist for your project.

 

Week 5: Narrating Science, Visual, and Cultural Literacy

Day 9, Tuesday, February 3 – Framing the Story

Presentation/Discussion/Activities:

  • Explore storytelling/narrative within the frames of visual, scientific, cultural literacy. Include examples of sources, stories, exhibits, etc. such as Body of Light exhibit
  • What stories are the artists you have interest in telling?

Activities:

  • In-class discussion and practice of storytelling about the work your selected artists explore.
  • Hands-on building of the important cultural narratives your artists tell, how they tell it – and most importantly, how you tell it.

Assignments:

  • Midterm drafts (Creative Display 1) of projects ready to present

 

Day 10, Thursday, February 5 — Midterm Visualization Presentations

Presentation/Discussion/Activities:

  • Midterm presentations – Style of presentation will be determined by week three of the term and discussed in class.
  • Feedback provided by colleagues.

Assignments:

  1. Journal entry: What did you learn about your project through the midterm review? What are your projects strengths? Weaknesses? What are opportunities you can build on? What may be threatening to or risking the best outcomes for the project? (Journal #11). Due no later than 10a.m. Monday
  2. Read chapters and articles by Barilan, Sturken & Cartwright, Werbel
  3. Write/Record Reading Response to Barilan, Sturken & Cartwright, Werbal (Journal #12). Due no later than 10a.m. Monday
  4. Finalize Report 3 for Thursday, February 12

 

Week 6: Bodily Portraits

Day 11, Tuesday, February 10 —

Presentation/Discussion/Activities:

  • Theatres of Science
  • Cataloguing and Displaying the Body — BodyWorlds
  • Visible “Truths” in Portraits of the Body

Assignments:

  1. Finalize Report 3 for Thursday, February 12

 

Day 12, Thursday, February 12 – Guest: Sierra Dawson, Human Physiology

Presentation/Discussion/Activities:

  • Due today: Report 3 – This should be posted on your blog for the course and will be shared in class.
  • Challenges of learning physiology from cartoon-like images
  • Differences between “real” anatomy and “cartoon” anatomy
  • Gendered inaccuracies of “real” and “cartoon” anatomy

Assignments:

  1. Journal entry (Journal #13): What did you learn from Dr. Dawson? What did you learn from the stories and examples she shared? How will you apply these ideas to your term project? Due no later than 10a.m. Monday.
  2. Read 2 articles: one by Barbot, Tan & Grigorenko and the other by Dissanayake. These will be emailed to you.
  3. Write/Record and Post Reading Response to these articles in your blog. Due by 10a.m., Tuesday. What do you think about the proposals these authors make related to creativity as ability? Why? What about the notion of art as adaptive and for making special? (Journal #14)

 

 

Week 7: Creative Data Visualizations

Day 13, Tuesday, February 17 – Guest: Hannes Bend, UO/Oregon Arts Commission “Third Culture” artist

**Please bring laptops/tablets for this class session. We will likely meet in the Integrated Sciences Building but the room is yet to be determined.

Presentation/Discussion/Activities:

  • Data Visualizations in Neuroaesthetics
  • “Third Culture” merging of fields of art and sciences (See C.P.Snow & John Brockman, http://www.edge.org/documents/ThirdCulture/d-Contents.html)
  • UO research/Hannes Bend project, “Correlations between visual stimuli and brain states.”
  • Generating visual aesthetic objects

This project and related discussion also builds upon the work of fractal patterns introduced by our previous guest, Richard Taylor and is connected to Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy as introduced in The Emotional Life of Your Brain, visual patterning and stress reduction, and our prior guest, Lisa Freinkel.

Activities:

  • What are data visualizations and why are they important to scientists? artists? communication? decision-making?
  • An overview of some history of the division of arts and sciences and how “third culture” is working to reclaim their connectedness

Assignments:

  1. Journal entry: What was of interest to you in Hannes Bend’s presentation? What will you take away to apply to your term project? (Journal #15)
  1. Read: article by Rau in course packet
  1. Write/Record & Post your reading response for article by Rau (Journal #16)

 

Day 14, Thursday, February 19 —

Presentation/Discussion/Activities:

  1. Discuss Report 4 and Creative Display 2
  2. Data visualization
  3. Aesthetically successful data visualization
  4. This session will build on aspects of storyboarding, displaying, and exhibiting. Considerations of architecture (physical flow), elements of design (visual flow), audience engagement introduced earlier in the term. Choices within presentation for public display regarding concept, interaction, beauty, etc.

Assignments:

  1. Journal Entry: In what ways will you apply data visualization thinking and display tools to your final professional project? (Journal #17)
  1. Work on Report 4 (draft of final paper) and Creative Display 2 (draft of final creative project). Due Week 9.

 

 

Week 8: Microimaging

Day 15, Tuesday, February 24 —

Presentation/Discussion/Activities:

  • Gallery/Museum field trip TBD

Assignments:

  1. Journal Entry: In what ways will you apply aspects of ideas and experiences from our field trip today to your final professional project? (Journal #18)
  1. Read articles emailed to you in preparation for our guest, Gerri Ondrizek
  2. Also consider this supplemental reading: http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/deadlymedicine/ —
  3. Write/Record & Post Reading Response emailed articles. (Journal #19) Due no later than 10a.m. Tuesday.
  1. Continue work on Report 4 (draft of final paper) and Creative Display 2 (draft of final creative project). Due Tuesday, Week 9.

 

Day 16, Thursday, February 26 – Guest: Gerri Ondrizek, artist

Presentation/Discussion:

  • Thinking like an artist
  • Engaging with current issues of scientific and sociocultural concern

Activities:

  • Hands-on problem solving project to visualize genetic material based on Ondrizek’s recent JSMA exhibit, Shades of White, and talk, Eugenics to Genetics

Assignments:

  1. Journal Entry: How are you thinking like an artist in new ways? In what ways does Ondrizek’s work and the activity we did with her assist your thinking about your own project? (Journal #20)
  2. Finalize Creative Display 2 (draft of final creative project). Due Tuesday, March 3
  3. Finalize Report 4 (draft of final paper). Due Thursday, March 5.

 

 

Week 9: Bringing Art & Science Together

Day 17, Tuesday, March 3 –

Presentation/Discussion/Activities:

  • Due: Creative Display 2, Final Drafts presented
  • Colleague feedback provided
  • Self-Assessment conducted

Assignments:

  1. Journal entry: What did you learn about your project through this review and self-assessment? What are your project’s strengths? Weaknesses? What are opportunities you can build on? What may be threatening to or risking the best outcomes for the project? (Journal #21). Due no later than 10a.m. Monday

 

Day 18, Thursday, March 5 —

Presentation/Discussion/Activities:

  • Due: Report 4
  • Gallery/Museum field trip to the Museum of Natural & Cultural History, 1680 E. 15th Ave., between the UO Law School and Global Scholars Hall. — Please meet there.

Assignments:

  1. Journal Entry: In what ways will you apply aspects of ideas and experiences from our field trip today to your final professional project? (Journal #22)

 

 

Week 10: Exhibition Final Showcase, Future Discourse of Artistic Exhibition of Scientific Images

Day 19, Tuesday, March 10 —

Presentation/Discussion/Activities:

  • Active Work Session to finalize final projects.
  • Discussion and review of term.

Assignments:

  1. Finalize final project (final report and final display)

 

Day 20, Thursday, March 12 —

Presentation/Discussion/Activities:

  • Final projects on display for public view. (Style and format of presentation TBD by Week 7.)

Assignments:

  1. Final Journal entry: What did you learn about your project through the final display? What are your project’s strengths at this point? Weaknesses? What are opportunities you can build on if you would continue with this project? What may be threatening to or risking the best outcomes for the project? (Journal #23). Due no later than 10a.m. Monday of Finals Week.

 

Finals Week

No course meeting.