Intro to Interactive Graphics

I had my first class in Golan Levin's Fundamentals of Interactive Graphics course last night. It's taught through the art department, with a strong programming component. Here's the description:

This course is an introduction to the use of computer programming as an expressive visual tool. It is a "studio art course in computer science," in which the objective is art and design, but the medium is software. Rigorous exercises in the Proce55ing flavor of Java will develop the basic vocabulary of constructs that govern static, dynamic, and interactive graphics. Topics include the computational manipulation of: point, line and shape; texture, value and color; time, change and motion; reactivity, connectivity and feedback. Students will become familiar with basic software algorithms, computational geometry, digital signal filtering, kinematic simulation, and the application of these techniques to aesthetic issues in interaction design.

We'll be learning Processing to create works of art and design. But it's not just using the computer to make art: it's using the computer as the medium of art. It's not a computer graphics class; it's rather about responsiveness, creating pieces that respond to human actions and operate in cultural and aesthetic spheres.

Despite its brutal time period (6:30-9:30 pm), this could be a really fascinating and challenging class.

Originally posted on Wednesday, September 8, 2004