Free Early Renaissance Architecture in Italy: from Alberti to Bramante class Sapienz Universita di Roma

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Early Renaissance Architecture in Italy: from Alberti to Bramante

Francesco Paolo Fiore

Through some of the most celebrated examples of the early Renaissance architecture and the most important statements of the early Renaissance theories, the course will examine problems of the architectural spaces, technology and forms looking to the antiquity in the XV century in Italy.

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Next Session:

Date to be announced (6 weeks long)

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Workload: 2-4 hours/week 

 

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About the Course

Early Renaissance Architecture in Italy: from Alberti to Bramante

When Leon Battista Alberti completed his treatise about architecture around 1452, his initial study of texts and monuments of Antiquity was based on mathematics and geometry as a reflection of nature, with a belief that architecture was a part of a man's civil duty.

This attitude would condition the architectural principles of the early Renaissance and architects did not apply themselves to textual imitations of individual antique monuments. In Florence, they preferred to accept and articulate the rational “system” of Brunelleschi, either transforming it, like Alberti, or breaking with it in a return to tradition, like Michelozzo. In north and south Italy, the battle between innovation and resistance was increasing in strength and substance because it not only encompassed immediate questions of decorative language  (antique forms and architectural orders) but also the problems of conceiving and constructing an architecture that could replace the gothic structural membering with the continuous masonry of the Antiquity. At first, the new decoration was frequently adapted to the existing architectural system, and only later did it find a partner in the different spatial and structural conceptions that descended from Florentine exempla. The tendency to see norms and models in antique architecture, which must be rigidly replicated, first affirmed itself at the beginning of the XVI century in Rome.

Through some of the most celebrated examples of the early Renaissance architecture and the most important statements of the early Renaissance theories, the course will examine problems of the architectural spaces, technology and forms in the XV century in Italy, from Leon Battista Alberti’s to Francesco di Giorgio’s and Bramante’s proposals.

FAQ

Will I get a statement of accomplishment after completing this class?

Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a statement of accomplishment signed by the instructor.

About the Instructor

Francesco Paolo FioreSapienza University of Rome

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Categories: 
Humanities 
Arts

To sign up  https://www.coursera.org/account/signup

For course info https://www.coursera.org/course/renaissancearchitect

Free Comic Book and Graphic Novel class at Univ of Colorado Boulder

 Check it out! I believe that university and college education should be available to all who want it. Let me know how this is.

(I am not affiliated with this class, I do not receive compensation for this referral.)

Comic Books and Graphic Novels

William Kuskin

Comic books have arrived! "Comic Books and Graphic Novels" presents a survey of the comic book canon and of the major graphic novels in circulation today. Its governing question is simple: by what terms can we discuss comic books as literary art? In pursuit of that question it develops a theory of literary reading and time itself.

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Next Session:

Date to be announced

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Workload: 4-5 hours/week 

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About the Course

The comic book pamphlet developed as an independent literary form in the 1930s and early 1940s and has been a favorite of adolescent enthusiasts and cult devotees ever since. Recently, it has entered into a process of transformation, moving from a species of pulp fiction on the margins of children’s literature to an autonomous genre, one Will Eisner labeled the graphic novel. This transformation has been noted in such literary venues as the New York Times and the New Yorker, as well as in an increasing number of university classrooms and bookstore shelves.

“Comic books and Graphic Novels” presents a survey of the history of American comics and a review of major graphic novels circulating in the U. S. today. It is focused on three main points. First, it argues that as comics develop in concert with, and participate in literary culture, they should be considered literature. Second, it reasons that such a designation forces us to redefine our concept of literature itself. Finally, it explore this transformative literary world by arguing that comics have much to teach us about ourselves.

About the Instructor

William KuskinUniversity of Colorado Boulder

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Categories: 
Humanities 
Arts

For more info https://www.coursera.org/course/comics

To sign up https://www.coursera.org/account/signup

Free "Live!:A History of Art for Artists,Animators and Gamers CALARTS

This is an upcoming art class. Check it out! I believe that university and college education should be available to all who want it. Let me know how this is.

(I am not affiliated with this class, I do not receive compensation for this referral.)

Live!: A History of Art for Artists, Animators and Gamers

Jeannene Przyblyski

Explore art history from the artist's perspective. Learn how contemporary artists, animators and gamers work from the art of the past as part of their creative process, while building your own skills in visual analysis and creative and critical thinking.

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Next Session:

October 2013 (8 weeks long)

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Workload: 3-5 hours/week 

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About the Course

This course approaches the questions of “art” and “history” from the perspective of contemporary makers of art (sculpture, painting, photography, performance, installation and more), animators (whether character/story-based or experimental) and gamers, asking how artists actively make a history for their own practices by thinking about the creative process as a “conversation” with a wide range of art from the past.  Why are ground-breaking artists so often historically-minded (and yet tend to break all the rules of conventional history-telling)?  How do animators themselves “write” the largely unwritten history of their art through quotation, transposition and mash-ups?  Why should contemporary gamers look at classical painting anyway?

This course will combine short video lectures/interviews and interactive quizzes with independent, peer-reviewed sketchbook and field work (suggested visits to local museums, film viewings, etc.).  It is intended to give the student a background in a wide range of visual practices and a greater familiarity with techniques of historical analysis.  It will help to build skills in visual analysis, and will also provide insight into the creative culture of CalArts, where a certain portion of these art histories have been made in the first place.

Recommended Background

Some college-level experience in the arts and humanities will be helpful.  And the more the student is willing to complement classwork with independent looking and thinking about art, animation and video games (as well as comic books and graphic novels, film, etc.), the more they will get out of the class.  Remember:  Art is an ongoing process and art practice can't end in the classroom, wherever that classroom might be.

Course Format

This class will consist of video lectures (about 10 minutes in length) combined with video interviews with guest artists and virtual "field trips" to artist studios and workplaces, museums and galleries.  Lectures will focus on key topics, including "story," "character," "language," "time," "dimensionality," "novelty," etc., exposing students to a wide range of art from around the world.  Students will be required to keep a sketchbook, complete "looking, thinking and making" assignments for peer assessment.  A final exam will test comprehension of key concepts.

FAQ

Will I get a Statement of Accomplishment after completing this class?

Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor.

What resources will I need for this class?

You will need an internet connection, a 9x12 sketchbook and materials of your choice (pencil, pens, photos and other collage materials), a camera or other digital image recorder, and time enough to look, read and think.  Each student will be encouraged to make use of local resources, including museums, galleries and libraries.  Selected readings will be available for free.  An optional reading lists will suggest books for purchase.

Why should I take this class?

Visual media is all around us--it's as much our "real world" as is our physical surroundings.  As an artist, you need to understand how looking at and responding to art is a critical part of the creative process.  As a member of the media sphere, it's important to be a critical viewer.  Otherwise, you're just being "sold."

About the Instructor

Jeannene PrzyblyskiCalifornia Institute of the Arts

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Categories: 
Humanities 
Music, Film, and Audio
Arts

For more info - https://www.coursera.org/course/livearthistory
To sign up - https://www.coursera.org/account/signup

"Creating Site-Specific Dance and Performance Works at CALARTS 10-13 free class

This is an upcoming art class. Check it out! I believe that university and college education should be available to all who want it. Let me know how this is.

(I am not affiliated with this class, I do not receive compensation for this referral.)
For more info https://www.coursera.org/course/sitedance

To sign up https://www.coursera.org/account/signup

Creating Site-Specific Dance and Performance Works

Stephan Koplowitz

This course will look into the process of creating live site-specific choreography/performance works from conception, production to performance. Site-specific dance/performance is work created in response to a particular place, site, inspired by its architecture/design, the history and current use.

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Next Session:

October 2013 (5 weeks long)

Sign Up

Workload: 4-5 hours/week 

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About the Course

This course will look into the process of creating live site-specific choreography/performance works from conception, production to performance. Site-specific dance/performance is work created in response to a particular place, site, inspired by its architecture/design, the history and current use. We will investigate urban, architectural and environmental inspired site projects ranging from large-scale to small (guerrilla) style productions. We will delineate definitions of site-specificity, and look across the history of the field, focusing primarily on dance.

Specific techniques and approaches towards generating site inspired choreography, developed over the last 25 years by site artist Stephan Koplowitz will be introduced. Aspects of navigating technical issues (lighting, sound, media) including a primer on producing (budgeting, obtaining permissions, insurance, fundraising, audience/event design) will also be covered. 

Course Syllabus

Syllabus for Creating Site Specific Dance and Performance Works

Week 1: History and Context

A brief historical overview of the field of site-specific performance/dance. 

What is site-specific performance/dance? A look at the range of site work and how environment, space and intention influences the artist’s and audience’s experience.

Week 2: Starting the Process

Overview of the production process and the first creative decisions: selecting a site, designing the event, creating a budget, getting permissions, everything that needs to be done before you start your first rehearsal.

Week 3: Working from the Outside In: Conception and Creative Planning:

Elements that influence creation: site/physical inventory, history, current use and current perceptions.

Week 4: Creating Content

Methods of generating content inspired by the site: creating a specific movement vocabulary, text, visuals, and sound.

Week 5: Creative and Production Challenges

Working on site and off site; finding the right balance. A look at issues when making work for urban and natural environments: site adaptive vs. site specific; working with collaborators (composers, costume, lighting, media and sound designers); finding the right method of promoting and marketing your site performance; and documentation, a brief over-view of options with video and still photography.

Recommended Background

This course is designed for anyone interested in learning about site-specific dance and performance and how to create performance works outside of the proscenium stage. Prior site-specific experience in dance or theater is not required but prior experience in creating dance, theater or performance is recommended.

Suggested Readings

Site Dance : Choreographers and the Lure of Alternative Spaces, Edited by Melanie Kloetzel and Carolyn Pavlik, University Press of Florida.

This text is not required for the course but recommended to anyone interested in created site-specific works. 

FAQ

Will I get a Statement of Accomplishment after completing this class?

Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor.

What resources will I need for this class?

For this course, all you need is an Internet connection, the time to look at recommended links and the chance to investigate real sites and locations in response to assignments

What are some things I'll learn by taking this class?

The process of conceiving of site-specific work will alter your view of the environment around you, you'll find new inspiration to make art and you'll learn a specific methodology towards making performance works inspired by site. You'll also learn how to distinguish between different forms of site performance and make informed choices when working within this format. 

About the Instructor

Stephan KoplowitzCalifornia Institute of the Arts

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Categories: 
Arts

Free Introduction to Programming for Digital Artists at CALARTS 10/13

Here is a class from Vanderbilt University. Check it out! I believe that university and college education should be available to everyone. Let me know how this is.

(I am not affiliated with this class, I do not receive compensation for this referral.)

https://www.coursera.org/account/signup

Introduction to Programming for Digital Artists

Ajay Kapur

This course provides a complete introduction to programming for digital musicians and artists, in the real-time multimedia language ChucK. Rich with practical examples and pointers to additional web resources, it can be understood by novices wishing to learn to program interactive arts systems.

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Next Session:

October 2013 (9 weeks long)

Sign Up

Workload: 2-4 hours/week 

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About the Course

The course, lecture, and examples build on each other to teach the fundamentals of programming in general (logic, loops, functions, objects, classes) and also deals with advanced topics including multi-threading, events and signals.  Throughout the course, students create meaningful and rewarding expressive digital “instruments” that make sound and music in direct response to program logic.  The ChucK language provides precise high-level control over time, audio computation, and user interface elements (track pad, joysticks, etc.).  ChucK is used (unknowingly in most cases, via SMule Apps) by millions of users throughout the world, and is the backbone of dozens of academic programs and laptop orchestras.  Learning to program using ChucK, through the musical examples provided in this course, will prepare students to program in C++, Java, and other languages. There will be special guest lectures from creators of the ChucK language, Dr. Ge Wang (Stanford University) and Dr. Perry R. Cook (Princeton University).

Course Syllabus

WEEK 0: Introduction

0.1 Interaction Design

0.2 New Musical Instruments

0.3 Why do Digital Artists need to learn how to program?

0.4 Why Open source?

0.5 Why ChucK?

WEEK 1: Basics: Sound, Waves, and ChucK Programming

1.1 Introduction to Sound

1.2 Programming Basics

1.3 Timing

1.4 Control Structures

1.5 Example: Making Sound with Oscillators

WEEK 2: Libraries and Arrays

2.1 Libraries

2.2 Arrays

2.3 Example: Playing a Melody

WEEK 3: WaveTable Synthesis & Sound File Manipulation

3.1 Wavetable Synthesis

3.2 SndBuf

3.3 Example: Making a Sequencer

WEEK 4: Functions

4.1 Declaration

4.2 Advanced Techniques

4.3 Example: Making Chords

WEEK 5: Unit Generators

5.1 Global Special Unit Generators

5.2 Signal Generators:

5.3 Oscillators

5.4 Gain

5.5 FM and Filter Based Synthesis

5.6 Physical Models

5.7 Audio Effects

5.8 Filters

5.9 Envelopes

5.10 Example: Create a Band

WEEK 6: Multi-Threading and Concurrency

6.1 Parallel Processing, Concurrency

6.2 Machine Commands

6.3 A Software Architecture

6.4 Sporking

6.5 Example: Synchronization

WEEK 7: Objects and Classes

7.1 Objects

7.2 Classes

7.3 Example: Build a Smart Mandolin Player

WEEK 8: Polling vs. Events

8.1 Polling

8.2 Events

8.3 Common HCI Input Devices

8.4 Example: Play a Flute with your Keyboard

FAQ

Will I get a Statement of Accomplishment after completing this class?

Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor.

About the Instructor

Ajay KapurCalifornia Institute of the Arts

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Categories: 
Computer Science: Software Engineering
Music, Film, and Audio
Arts