art & science: merging printmaking and...

ArtandScience:MergingPrintmakingandBiology CourseProposalSyllabus Page1of8

ARTS409H/BIOL409L:

Art&Science:MergingPrintmakingandBiologyFall2018,M/W11:15-2:00(lab)meincluded)(Alterna)ve)mepossible2:30-5:15) Loca%on:301HanesArtCenter(JohnCHenryPrintStudio)and214CokerHall(aBiologylab)

CourseDetails4credit-hourHonorscourse(3creditsinARTS,1inBIOL)

Studentsmustregisterforbothpartsofthecourse—ARTS409Hand

BIOL409L—theseareco-requisites.

Classcap:16

Prerequisites:(1)Eithera200-levelARTScourse ORBIOL201or202,and(2)Permissionofinstructors.

GeneralEducationRequirementsSatisfied:

• EE(ExperientialEducation)

• VP(VisualandPerformingArts)

Professors ARTS409HandBIOL409Larebothco-taughtbyprofessorsBethGrabowskifromStudioArtandBob

GoldsteinfromBiology:

BethGrabowski BobGoldstein

311AHanesArtCenter 616FordhamHall

[email protected] [email protected]

(919)274-5831 (919)843-8575

CourseDescription Thetitleofthisclass,ArtandScience,impliesanintersectionoftwodisciplines.Intrinsictobothisan

investmentincloseobservation,experimentationandvisualanalysis.Whileorganizedaround

meaningfulconnectionsbetweenartandscience,thecoursewillactivelyconsiderdisciplinary

differences,especiallywithregardtowhatconstitutescreativeandscientificresearch.

ARTS409HandBIOL409Lwillbringtogetherartmajorsandsciencemajorstolearntheoryandpractical

skillsinbothartandscience,andtomakeuseofthislearningtomakeartworksusingavarietyof

printmakingtechniques.Unitsinthiscourseareorganizedaccordingtotopicsinbiology.Asstudents

learnspecificbiologicalconceptsandpracticallabskills,theywillgatherandgeneratevisualinformation

andposequestionsthatarisefromscientificlooking.Thiswillbecomethesourcematerial(images,

processesandideas)forprintmakingprojects.

Intheprintstudio,thecoursewillintroducespecifictechnicalapproacheswithinthreecategoriesof

printmaking:intaglio(photogravure),relief(large-scalewoodcutand/orletterpress)andstencilprinting

(screen-printing).Studentswilllearnhowtomakeprintingmatrices(plate,blockorscreen),howto

printthesematricesandexploretheaffordancesofthesetechnicalskills(printstrategies)asunique

approachestoart-making.

GeorgiaTitcomb(UNC’14,Art/Biology)Beta-amyloidproteinLetterpress,electronmicroscopy,photography


Throughoutthecourse,studentswillengageinartisticideationtodevelopimagesthroughiteration

involvingtrialanderror,criticalandaestheticanalysis.Whilegeneratingideasandimagesforprojects,

weexpectstudentstolearnfromtheprofessors,fromeachother,andfromreading,abouttopicsin

bothartandscience.Weexpectstudentstoenjoychallengingthemselvesbyconsideringquestionsthat

arisefromthismerger:

Questionsinclude:• Whataretheintersectionsofbiologyandprintmaking?Whatnewideascanariseoutofthishybrid?

• Whatdoesitmeantothinklikeabiologistoraprintmaker?Howisthinkingforscienceorartdifferentthan/sameaseachother?Bothdisciplinesengageincreativethinking;howdoeseach

disciplineconsiderthisprocess?Howdowedefineoriginality?

• Howdoideasdevelopineachdiscipline,specificallywithregardtovisualanalysis?Howdophotography,graphicanalysisorvisualpresentationsofdatafunctionineachdiscipline?What

disciplinaryobjectivesmediateimagemanipulation?Howdoesaprintmakingmatrixtranslate

information?Whatthesimilaritiesanddifferencesofhowimagescommunicatescientificallyand

artistically?Whatarethedidacticandsubjectivedimensionsofimaging?Howdoesstyle,form,

scaleandcontextmediateunderstandingorinterpretation?

• Whatquestionsariseoutofusingscientificprocessandscientificimageryasaresourceforart-making?Whatquestionsandconsequencesarisefromrepurposingofscientificinformation

(imageryanddata)orprocess(microscopy,experimentation,etc.)towardartisticends?Wheredo

scientificandartisticframeworksoverlapanddepart?Whatistheroleofsubjectivity?Doesthis

informourunderstandingofscience?

• Howcanthetoolsandmethodsofonedisciplineshapetheunderstandingofaconceptintheotherdiscipline?Howcancuriosity,adaptivethinking,andrepurposingstrategiesbothwithineachdisciplineorborrowedfromtheotherrevealnewpossibilities?Canthinkingasanartistbenefitthe

processofresearchinscience,influencingforexamplethekindsofquestionsaskedinresearch,or

creativeexperimentaldesign?

CourseStructureTheclassisorganizedaroundaseriesofstudioprintmakingprojectsthatareinformedbyspecifictopicsin

biology.EachprojectbeginswithanimmersiveexperienceintheBiologylabandisprefacedbyreadings,

presentationsand/orexperiments.Studentswillbeexpectedtodevelopasolidunderstandingofthe

scientificideasthatwilllaterserveaspointsofdepartureorinterpretationintheart-makingprocess.

Learningwillcontinueintheprintmakingstudioasstudentsworkwiththesourcematerialgeneratedin

thelaboratoryexperiencetocreateimagesusingspecificprintmakingtechniques.Studentswillbefreeto

workwiththeresourceinformationinamyriadofways,includingadidacticaestheticapproachorone

thatmayinterpretorexpandonthescientificsource.Studentsareexpectedtocontributeby

collaborativelysharingideas,images,questions,strategies,andsolutions.

Eachprojectunitcomeswithanassignmentsheetoutliningreadings,materialsneeded,andadetailed

calendarforlabsessions,technicaldemos,workdaysandduedates.ThesewillbepostedontheSakai

siteattheconclusionoftheunitjustfinished.Studentsarerequiredtoaccessthissheetandreadit

thoroughlypriortotheclassthatbeginstheunit.Thefinalprojectofthesemesterasksstudentsto

engageinanactiveandguidedbutindividuallyfocusedinquiry.Thechallengewillbetothinkadaptively

aboutnotonlyscientificimagery,butalsopotentiallyaboutprocesses,toolsorresearchmethodologies

asawaytointerpretprintmakingprocesses.

Thesemesterculminateswithapublicexhibitionofoneormoreworksproducedduringthesemester.


ScheduleandLearningObjectives

Topic BiologyObjectives Printmaking/ArtObjectives

Biologicallearning

Labskills Art/aesthetictheory

PrintmakingSkills

Project 1

4 weeks

Microscopic worlds

Understand light, optics

microscopic life

biological diversity

biological pattern formation

Experiential learning, develop capacities:

Light microscopy

Building a microscope

Imaging living materials

Plankton tow

Photomicrography

Formal concepts (visual language)

Generative Matrix

Replication (multiple) & variant

Delay

Layers and Juxtaposition

The photographic voice

Photoshop

Intaglio printing (Photogravure)

Project 2

5 weeks

Biological motion Understand microscopic and macroscopic biological motion

Inertia, viscosity, Reynolds number governing biological motion

Experiential learning, develop capacities:

Time-lapse and high-speed recording of biological motion

Analyze: Data analysis and visualization using Image-J

Data visualization & interpretation/response back to analog forms

Structures to denote time in 2-d (Sequence, series, State-prints, juxtaposition, layering)

Screen printing

Layered printing

Relief printing

Woodcut and Letterpress

(Possible Steamroller project)

Project 3

6 weeks

Final project- student selected topic that brings two disciplines together – Science understanding determines artistic approach

Understand explored issues in depth, unique to each student, guided tutorial-style through relevant biological literature

Create images customized to project to use for matrices for art project

Adaptive tinkering: Repurposing image, process and/or structure for artistic end.

The modular print

Screen printing

Alternative matrices

Alternative inks

Alternative supports (printing on fabric, glass,

Print as means to another end (e.g. stop-motion animation, installation, book forms)

Wewillkeeptothisscheduleasmuchaswecanandwillnotifystudentsifchangesareunavoidable.


COURSELOGISTICS,REQUIREMENTS&EXPECTATIONS

InformationandCommunicationSakai:ThisclasshasaSakaisitethatcontainscoursedocuments(readings,technicalhandoutsand

informationalhandouts),linkstorelevantwebsitesandvideotutorials,andaforumfor

announcements.AllwrittenworkissubmittedinyourindividualDropboxfolderonSakai.

One-to-onecommunication:Giventhattheclasshas6contacthoursweekly,itisoftenpossibletocarveafewminutesoutduringlaborstudiotimeforsimplematters.Bothprofessorsareavailablefor

consultationindividuallyasneeded;pleasecontactthemdirectlytomakeanappointmentfor

outside-of-classconsultation

After-hoursemergencies:dial911forlife-threateningsituations.PrintStudio:ContactprintLabManager,BrianGardnerforallelse.Biologylab:ContactEH&Sforanyotherlabsafetyemergencies:

919-962-5507.

RequiredComponentsINTEGRATEDLAB/STUDIOPROJECTSThreeintegratedprojects(outlinedabove)providethestructuralbackboneofthecourse.

1. Thefirstproject,MicroscopicWorlds,introducesstudentstobothlaboratoryandstudio

environmentsandsetsupthequestionsthatwillgovernthesemesterinquiry.Particularemphasis

willbeplacesonthenatureofobservationandinterpretationofvisualinformation.

2. Thesecondprojectintroducesconceptsofbiologicalmotionandtimewithtwoadditionalformsof

printmaking.Thisprojectspecificallylooksattheaffordancesofprintmakingandartisticstructures

tosuggestmotion(andimplicitly,time).

3. Thefinalprojectturnsagreatdealofchoiceovertostudentsandasksthemtoapplyandexpandon

previouslearningofconceptand/ormethodology,towardaprojectoftheirowndesign.

READINGSStudentswillbeassignedreadingsfrombothscientificliteratureandartrelevanttoeachunit.In

particular,thefinalprojectdemandsanindependentinquiry,andreadingswillbeidentifiedrelevantto

theideasbeingexploredanddeveloped.

WRITINGCOMPONENTWorkinthisclasscarriesminimumof10pagesofwriting,distributedbetweenthethreeprojects.This

writingwillbeassessedfordemonstrationoflearningscientificconceptsandlabskillsforyourBIOL409L

grade,andtheremainingwritingandtheartwillbeassessedfordemonstratingyourlearningof

art/aesthetictheoryandskillsasacomponentofeachprojectgradeusedforARTS409H.

Thewritingfallsintotwobroadcategories;proposalandself-evaluation.

Proposals:Thesearebriefdocuments(1-2pages)thatidentifythepointsofdeparturefortheprojectat

hand.Theywillbeexpectedtodemonstratewhathasbeenlearnedaboutthescientifictopics,

includingtheoryandinsightsgleanedfromlaboratoryexperience.Theproposalconcludeswithhow

thisunderstandinginitiallyinformsorintriguestheartisticexploration.

Self-evaluationsAftereachprojectcritique,studentswillcompleteaself-evaluationform(availableon

Sakai.)Inadditiontorespondingtospecificquestionsontheformaimedattheunderstandingof


science,studentswillreflectonissuesrelevanttotheirinterpretationofthescienceusedtodevelop

imagesandtothedevelopmentofartisticvoice.

Procedureforsubmittingwrittenwork:AllwrittenworkmustbesubmittedtoindividualDropBoxfoldersonSakai.Sakairecordswhenitems

arepostedandthistime-stampdetermineswhetheritemshavebeensubmittedontime.Post-critique

self-evaluationsmustbesubmittedwithin3daysofthecritiqueforfullcredit.Lateevaluationsreceive

partialcredit.

EXHIBITION/PRESENTATIONInlieuofafinalexam,workproducedduringthesemesterwillbepresentedinapublicexhibition.We

willhaveacelebratoryopeningforthisevent,whichwillbeopentoeveryone.Duringtheopening(or

possiblyduringanotherpublically-scheduledevent),studentsmustbeavailabletoanswerquestions

abouttheirwork.Theexhibitionwillalsoprovidetheforumforafinalcritique,whichtakesplaceduring

thetimescheduledforthefinalexamforthecourse.Atthissession,studentswillmakebrief

presentationsoftheirfinalprojects.

PORTFOLIODOCUMENTATIONAllvisualworkproducedwillbedocumentedinadigitalportfolio,whichwillbesubmittedviatheSakai

DropBoxattheendofthesemester.Thisisrequiredbeforefinalgradescanbesubmitted.Missing

finale-portfolioswillearnanincompleteuntilsubmitted.

Attendance/Workload/ParticipationATTENDANCEPOLICYEveryoneisexpectedtoattendallclassmeetings,includingbiologylabsessions,studiopresentations

andtechnicaldemonstrationsandopenstudiotime.Attendanceisrecordedonadailysign-insheet.It

isyourresponsibilitytosigninontheattendancesheet.Thiswillbetheonlyrecordofyourattendance.Uptothreeabsencesmaybemadewithoutjeopardizingyourgrade,EXCEPTforcritiques,whichare

mandatory(seebelow).Furtherabsences–forwhateverreason–willloweryourfinalgradebyahalf-lettergradeperabsence.Saveyourabsencesforwhenyoureallyneedthemsuchasillness,

emergenciesorofficialabsencesforthingsliketeamsportsorjobinterviews.

CritiquesFormalcritiquesarescheduledattheconclusionofeachprojectassignment.Failureto

participateintheformalcritiquesWILLadverselyaffectyourcoursegrade.Ifyouhavesomeserious

problemorofficialreasonasdefinedbytheUNCAttendancePolicythatcausesyoutomissacritique

date,letusknowaboutit.Pleasediscussanypre-planned,unavoidableconflictforcritiquedates.If

yourreasonformissingacritiqueisnotoneoftheseofficiallysanctionedreasons,yourworkthatwas

dueforthecritiquewillbeconsideredlateandyourprojectgradewillbeaffected.

TIMECOMMITMENT Theaveragestudentspendsaminimumoffourhoursoutsideofclasseachweek.Exceptionalstudents

willoftenspend9hours(ormore)outsideofclasseachweek.

CLASSPREPAREDNESS&PARTICIPATION Inagreatclass,eachstudentisworkingatherorhispersonalbest,focusingontheintellectualand

creativepossibilitiesinherentinthediscipline.Anintenselab/studioenvironment–fullofhardworking

peopleeagertotrynewthingsandtoshareinsights–tendstobringoutthebestineveryone’swork.The

informationthatflowshereisnotone-directionalfromteachertostudent;eachpersonintheclasshas

aroleinandresponsibilitytowardmakingtheclassbetter.Inaclasslikethis,yourmostvaluable


feedbackwillusuallycometoyouviainformalconversationsandclassdiscussions.Toparticipatefully

meansmakingacommitmenttoyourcuriosityandsenseofexploration.

Tobepreciseaboutit,makesureyouareattendingtothesespecifics:

• Cometoclassprepared:homework(readings,preparatorywork,etc.)done,materialsonhand,

ideasinvisualform,andworkinprogress.

• Participateincritiqueswith(finished)workandvoice

• Cooperatewiththedemandsofacommunalshopandlab.Strivetobeawareoftheshopandlab

conditionsoutsideofyourownneeds;adopta“leaveitbetterthanIfoundit”attitudewithregard

toclean-up.

ANoteabouttheCreativeProcessaspartofPreparation

Weexpecttoseeevidenceofyourcreativeprocessthroughoutthesemester.Thecreativeprocesshas

severalparts:

Ideation Ideationisthegenerativestageoftheprocess.Ideationisdivergentthinking,whereyouareexploringarangeofpossibilitiesvisually(photographs,collectingsamples,thumbnailsketches,

models/prototypes,storyboards,conceptmapsetc.)andverbally(conversation,brainstormingwebs,

list-making…).Inthisclass,youwillbethinkingthroughsciencewithaneyetowardartisticapplication.

Whileinthelaboratoryorstudio,striveforameta-awarenessofyourownthinkingprocess–write

thingsdown,makesketchesoruseyourphonetechnologyforvoicememosorphotostoremember

things.Ultimatelyaimforacriticalmassof“stuff”–thisincludesimagery,text,materialandformal

options,andtechnicalapproaches–thatwillallowyoutoexplorenewcombinations.Usuallyfirstideas

representtheclichés(thelow-hangingfruitifyouwill).ToparaphraseLinusPauling,toreallyhave

goodideas,itisimportanttohavealotofideas.

Focus&IterationMovingfromdivergentthinkingyouwillintroducelimitstoprovideaframeworkfor

yourmostpromisingideas.Sometimesthisseguesnaturallyfromtheideationprocess,butitisoften

themostdifficultstepbecauseitmeansputtingothergoodideasasidewhenyoudon’tnecessarily

knowwhichideaisthemostpromising.Wallowinginindecisionisnotanoption;itisimportantto

commitandstart.Yourideacanfurtherevolveasyoubegintorealizeitsdetails.Youmighteven“fail,”

butyouwillalwayslearnsomething.

Thisactofcommitmentalsocontainsacomponentoffear.Fearoflookingsilly,ofgoingdownadead

end,ofnothavinga“good”ideathattheteacherwilllike…ifyouarehonestwithyourself,youknow

whatthesefearsmightbe.Sowhattodo?Thefactisthatbydefinition,creativeprocessesareabout

goingtosomethingunknown,sofearisalwayspartoftheequation.Thethingtoacknowledgeisthatfearwillbealongfortheride,butitdoesn’thavetodrive.

ExecutionGoodcrafttakestime.Guerilla(inthestealthofthenightjustbeforeacrit)printingrarely

givesyoutheopportunitytorecoverifmistakesoccur.Makingtheworkisreallyjustanextensionof

focus.Youmayfindthatyouhavefalsestarts,orthatclarityarisesasyouengagethework.

Sometimesyouactuallyfigureouthowyou“should”havedonesomethingafteryoufinish.Thisispar

forthecourseinanylearningexperience.Ifsomethingcomeseasily,iteithermeansthat:youare

brilliant,youdidn’tchallengeyourself,and/oryouhavetimeforanothervariation.Asyouunderstand

thestepsoftechnicalprocess,therearesometasksthatcanbedonealongsideearliersteps(that

mightnotdependonhavingfiguredoutanapproachcompletely).Sometimesthesemightbedefined

bytheprojectparameters.


Assessment/GradingThetwopartsoftheclass,ARTS409HandBIOL409L,bothusethefollowingpercentagestoarriveata

grade.Althoughthecourseexistsasanintegratedwhole,theARTScomponentfocusesonthe

assessmentoftheworkofart,andtheBIOLgradeprimarilyusesthewrittencomponentstodetermine

thefinalcoursegrade.

GradeBreakdown:Project#1............................................25%

Project#2............................................30%

Project#3............................................35%

Participation/Overallgrowth..............10%

Projectsandoverallassessmentwillbeaveragedaccordingtotheabovepercentages.Lettergradeswill

beassignedattheendofthesemesteronthetypical10-pointscale:90andaboveforA,80andabove

forB,70andaboveforC,60andaboveforD.ForgradesofAthroughC,plusandminusgradeswillbe

assignedfor3pointsoneithersideofeachborder(i.e.87tobelow90forB+,90tobelow93forA-,etc),

exceptthatAisthehighestpossiblegrade.Attendancemaybeamediatingfactor.Allgradesare

contingentonsubmissionofthefinale-Portfolioasdescribedpreviously.

Writtencomponents(proposalandself-evaluation)willbeassessedfordemonstratedevidenceof

scientificunderstanding.Aninitialreviewofproposalsallowscorrectionofanymisconceptionof

scientificunderstanding,whichshouldbeaddressedintheprojectself-evaluation.

ProjectGrades:Artworkproducedineachunitwillbesubjecttocritiqueandassessmentasprojectsare

due.Eachassignmentwillbegradedona100-pointnumberscale.Specificrubricswithpoint

valuationswillbeprovidedforeachassignment.Thewrittencomponentrelevanttothe

developmentoftheartworkwillbeacomponentoftheprojectgrade.

RevisionsOften,thecritiquesprovideusefulfeedbackthatenablesarevisionstrategy.Althoughnotrequired,studentsareencouragedtofollowuponfeedbackastimeallows.Ifyoudecidetorevise,the

original(ordocumentationoftheoriginal)alongwithastatementexplainingyourconceptofwhathas

improvedthesolutionmustaccompanyanyrevisions.Revisionsmaybesubmittedatanytimebefore

theendofthesemester.Anylateworkorworknotpreviouslysubmittedisnotallowableforrevision.

ParticipationandOverallGrowthThis10%componentofthegradeassessestheoveralltrajectoryof

workdoneintheclass.Formoststudents,thisisanopportunitytoaccountfordemonstrationof

understandingandinsightsthatoccuracrossthesemester,particularlyastechnicalskilldevelops

bothinthelabandtheprintstudio.Forinstance,printingtechniquemightimproveoverthecourse

ofthesemesterandthiscomponentofthegradeallowsacknowledgementofthatgrowtheven

thoughitmightnotbedemonstratedinaspecificassignment.Italsoreflectscommitmentto

enhancingtheoveralllearningexperienceasevidencedbypreparedness,andrelevantcontributions

todiscussionsandcritiques.

Yoursemester'sgradeisdependentonseveralvariables:• Overallgraspofkeytools,methods,andconceptsinthebiologylabandprintstudio.Sensitivity

towardstools,materials,andprocess.Demonstrationofincreasingability/transformationoverthe

spanofthesemester.

• Visualcomposition/design.Sensitivitytoplacementandvisualcontext,resolutionofvisual

elementsinprintedwork,perplexity,andinventivenesswithvisualpossibilities.


• Printingtechnique.Technicalexecution,controlandconsistencyofinking,registration,economyof

means,systematicthinking,respectformaterials,appropriatestandardofcraft.

• Conceptualization,developmentofideas.Depthandrangeofexperimentation,improvisational

responsethroughproofingandworkinsketchbook(useofmultiplicity,sequenceandvariationasa

meansoffurtheringideas)Understandingofandfollow-throughoncriticismsasreflectedin

subsequentwork.

• Participation/Performanceinclassandcritiques.Understandingofconceptspresentedinclassasreflectedinverbalarticulationandwrittenreflections.Attendance,punctuality(ontimetoclass,

projectsfinishedontime,self-evaluationssubmittedontime,)andperseverance.Effortto

understand,askquestions.Willingnesstotakerisksandpushoutofyourcomfortzone.

• Responsibility,Self-motivationandinvolvement,abilitytofocusandpaceyourselfconstructively,

abilitytocollaborateandgleaninsightsfromgroupendeavors,abilitytoidentifynewdirectionsfor

personalgrowth.Responsivenesstoagroupstudiosetting;contributiontothecommunal

responsibilitiesofthelab/shop.

• Goodwriting:Thoughtfulandwell-written(organizedandcheckedforgrammar,fragments&

spelling.)

• Independentinvestigationbeyondassignedwork,willingnesstoreworkandimproveprojects,

outsidereadings,outsideparallelprojects.

HonorCode

AllstudentsareexpectedtofollowtheguidelinesoftheUNChonorcode.Inparticular,studentsare

expectedtorefrainfrom"lying,cheating,orstealing"intheacademiccontext.Ifyouareunsureabout

whichactionsviolatethathonorcode,pleaseseeusorconsulthttps://studentconduct.unc.edu/

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