Postinternet Art
- Spring 2021
Additional Details:
Writing on his blog “Post Internet” between 2009 and 2010, the writer Gene McHugh defined the “post-internet” as a condition in which “the Internet is less a novelty and more a banality," a description that has only become more accurate in the past decade. Today, there is arguably no technology more banal, more ubiquitous, and more necessary than the internet. Nor have there ever been more journalistic, scientific, and cultural analysis of how the internet is transforming society, by changing the way we think and behave, work and consume, date and love, read and write, learn and talk, eat and dress, watch movies and TV, even vote. If the internet has changed everything, including how we see the world, then its presence must also be felt in the realm of art. The internet's influence on art is obvious in art that is actually made online—works that are typically called internet art or net art. But how has the internet influenced art made offline, for instance, traditional mediums like paintings and sculptures? Furthermore, what new mediums and styles have evolved in response to the internet’s infiltration of all aspects of daily life? And what does it mean to call a work of art "post-internet," especially if it doesn't actually live online?
This is a studio and discussion-based class in which students are introduced to making art on, and in dialog with, the Internet. The class examines historical and recent examples of Internet Art, as well as the emergence of Postinternet aesthetics.
Faculty
James Coupe [coupe@uw.edu]
Class Meetings and Attendance
Classes will meet online via Zoom, at the regularly scheduled time. A link to the zoom meeting will be emailed to all students ahead of class, and also published on the class calendar.Your ability to contribute to a group discussion is a key learning goal for the class. Absence from class will impact your ability to participate in discussion, generate insights, develop new skills, and receive immediate feedback to your contributions. If you will miss a class, you must email the instructor in advance.
Assignments
There are four homework assignments and a final. Attendance at the final session is mandatory. Your grade will break down as described in the section below.
Grading
Grading of all assignments will be based upon the quality of concept, experimentation, work ethic and realisation. The overall class grade will be broken down as follows:
- Participation: 25% (including in-class participation / reading / discussion)
- Homeworks: 40% (10% each)
- Final project: 35%
Any missed assignments will lower your grade significantly, so it is VERY important that all work is completed. Everything in the class builds on previous work, so do not fall behind. Late work will not be accepted.