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Academic Catalog 2019-2020 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Courses
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Studio for Interrelated Media |
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MPSM204 Lighting for Events and Installations 3 cr.
This course will explore the use of theatrical and commercial lighting, dimming and control units. The class will visit professional installations to learn the hardware and safety practices from working technicians. Students will design and build their own class projects.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
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MPSM205 Stagecraft & Technical Production 3 cr.
This course aims to demystify basic lighting, rigging, sound and staging practices. Technical workshops will be conducted during class time where students work in teams to complete assignments. Demonstrations and lectures also include site planning, power distribution, and safety in the workspace. Students will prepare and present their own personal projects using the class as crew and SIM’s technology.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
Fall
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MPSM207 Beat Research 3 cr.
This is a studio course about electronic music and culture. Students explore the techniques of sampling, sequencing and drum programming using current music making software including Reason and Ableton Live. Most assignments involve the creation of music/sound but we also address techniques of video production and performance.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
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MPSM209 Light as a Sculptural Element 3 cr.
To explore light as a sculptural element in art making, this class will focus primarily on the application of light as a transformative medium in all visual art practices. The class will examine the works of artists such as Thomas Wilfred, James Turrell, Ann Hamilton, Won Ju Lim, Diana Thater, Wolfgang Laib, Cai Guo-Qiang, Robert Irwin, Shirin Neshat, Bill Viola, Olafur Eliasson and many others. This course is designed to familiarize the student with a wide variation of art practices and to encourage a sense of discovery in relation to the medium of light and in everyday observations.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
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MPSM211 Interrelated Media Practice 3 cr.
This is a critique studio course where students
produce and present interrelated media artworks in
progress and/or in final form. The course is
closely modeled after the Studio for Interrelated
Media Major Studio course, but with a smaller
class size. Additionally, rotating faculty also
present emerging topics related to interrelated
media for discussion and exploration. For SIM
Majors, this course provides a more intimate
setting to work through artworks in progress. For
Non-majors, it is an opportunity to expand one’s
artistic practice, interact with artists from
other disciplines, and refine public speaking
skills. There is no prerequisite and it is an open
elective.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
Fall/Spring
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MPSM221 Interdisciplinary Video 3cr
This is a studio course in which students learn
the basics of video production - from shooting to
editing to the use of effects and finally
publishing/screening final works. The class
explores the inclusion of video in installations,
live performance, and other experimental
applications. The contemporary practice of video
production is presented within the historical
context of the moving image from silent films up
to the modern Youtube era. Additionally,
introductory video mapping technologies and video
sound techniques are presented. The course
combines lectures, demonstrations, workshops,
visiting artists, and both collaborative and
individual assignments.
Hybrid Studio Critique
Undergraduate Elective
Every Other Fall
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MPSM222 We Are Pirates! : Appropriation, Decomposition and Interrelated Media 3cr
Appropriation, modification and trafficking of
imagesacross networks, systems and digital
devices have become a mass ritual of contemporary
social participation. While large media
conglomerates
make professional use of post production tools
for editing and enhancing each and every image to
which we are exposed daily, a large sector of
the population responds to this environment of
saturation by appropriating and trafficking
memes, video, animation and amateur photography.
Where do artists and designers fit within this
exchange?
What are the creative tools involved in the
market of piracy and uncreativity? Who owns the
images and cultural products we share everyday?
Students in this class explore the basics of
design fundamentals through a series of
decompositional exercises devoted to learning the
digital tools involved in the manipulation of
existing media, along with a
series of lectures and readings on piracy,
originality and contemporary
art and design practices. The class aims to stir
the imagination of the group and invite students
to embrace piracy as a learning process where
applications for digital production appear as
critical tools with a potential to respond to
their mere commercial use.
Hybrid Studio Critique
Fall
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MPSM272 Sound Performance 3 cr.
Students will learn elements of sound performance, technical considerations including vocal techniques, content development and presentational context. Students present live sound pieces on a weekly basis.
Critique
All College Elective
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MPSM273 Intro to Sound Studio 3 cr.
Students will learn principles of electroacoustic and digital sound processing, including audio recording, editing, mixing, and signal processing techniques. Students are required to present “live” or recorded sound pieces. Sound studio includes analog and digital synthesis, analog and digital recording and editing systems, signal processors. Weekly assignments. Fall term only.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
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MPSM276 Studio for Interrelated Media/Major Studio 3 cr.
Sophomore Major Studio. This is a studio class in which individuals and groups present and discuss work in media of their choice such as audio, video, computer, performance, publishing, and production of events that interrelate media. Each week, student presentations of work are organized into performances and exhibitions produced by students who select, schedule and technically support the presentation. (SIM276, 376, 476)
Prerequisites: SIM majors only. Take two semesters of this course.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
Departmental Requirement
Fall
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MPSM277 The Moving Body 3 cr.
Movement is basic to all life, from the atomic to the astronomic level. This course explores the human body as an instrument for making art in space and time. Students will practice various physical disciplines based on contemporary dance techniques, yoga, and contact improvisation for example. They will be encouraged to observe movement in the world around them as source material. Students will work individually and in groups to create their own movement pieces. In-depth critiques, discussion, and revision of works will reinforce the importance of process in this class. Students will complete several short assignments as well as one final movement project of their own choosing. This course will also consider sound, objects, and environments in relation to movement. Students will be encouraged to make direct relations between their principal fields of artistic interest and time-based performance. Some readings and video will be included to introduce students to the various forms that movement has taken in twentieth century live art.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
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MPSM307 On the Spot 3 cr.
As human beings, we carry with us precious instruments for expression - the body and the voice. This course explores perception - looking and listening - as a tool for making instantaneous performance choices. We will work through a series of improvisational techniques from concepts of “action theater” to contact improvisation. Students will work individually, in duets, and in groups to explore gesture, space, time, energy, intention and the voice. We will experiment with the voice by “sounding” as well as by speaking. The course may also consider objects and environments in relation to performance. Students will be encouraged to make direct relations between their principal fields of artistic interest and time-based, improvisational performance. Some readings and video may be included to introduce students to the various forms that improvisation has taken in twenty-first century live art.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
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MPSM311 Elec.Projects/Artists/Digital 3 cr.
This course introduces students to computer interfaces for connecting interactive sculpture,
performance and installation with software. Course content includes microcontrollers,
electrical sensors, custom-made circuits and programming. No previous programming experience is
necessary.
Prerequisites: MPSM-310 strongly advised but not required.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
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MPSM313X Beat Research II 3 cr.
This course is designed for students who have already taken Beat Research I and wish to continue making art in a community of Beatmakers and electronic musicians. Emphasis will be on critiques, the sharing of advanced techniques and the organizing of media for presentation outside of the class (audio CD, video DVD, live performance etc)
Prerequisites: MPSM207
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
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MPSM317 Event Planning and Production II 3 cr.
This is the second semester of a year-long course. This course is for those that are actively involved in organizing and producing events and exhibitions throughout the year. However the emphasis is on events that are complex enough that they require at least a year to plan. It is required for Eventworks producers and Godine Family gallery managers. Students will meet with the instructor one-on-one throughout the semester, additionally the class will meet periodically as a group to discuss general production issues. It is also open to those not involved in Eventworks or Godine Gallery but that have another event(s) in mind. By permission of instructor. This is a one-year long course.
Prerequisites: MPSM 319X Event Planning and Production
Lecture/Seminar
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MPSM336 Events Planning and Production 3 cr.
This course is for those that are actively involved in organizing and producing events and exhibitions throughout the year. It is required for Eventworks Producers and Godine Family Gallery Managers. Students will meet with the instructor one on one throughout the semester, additionally the class will meet periodically as a group to discuss general production issues. It is also open to those not involved in Eventworks or Godine Gallery but that have another event (s) in mind.
Prerequisites: by permission of instructor
Hybrid Studio/Critique
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MPSM337 Electronic Projects for Artists 3 cr.
The purpose of this studio course is to provide skills and information that will be useful for artists who use electronic devices in their artworks.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
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MPSM338 Adv.Techniques/Sound Pro 3cr.
This is a sound production course offering advanced experience in sound recording and studio
techniques. Students will have the opportunity to work with multi-track recording, signal
processing, mastering techniques and surround sound production. Both the technical and
aesthetic aspects of creating sound works for a variety of mediums including music production,
sound art, installation and sound for moving image will be covered. Students will produce and
critique their work in the both the SIM Sound Studio, Design and Media Center and with the
Pozen surround sound systems. The course will included tutorials, individual exercises, group
projects, and guests from the sound production field.
Prerequisites: MPSM273
Spring Only
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MPSM342 Methods & Design/Art Exhibition 3 cr.
In this course, students will be guided through
the design/build fundamentals of installing an
art exhibit, preparing artwork for installation
and the construction methods used in producing
exhibitions. Students will have the opportunity
to learn new skills that can be applied to
preparing and installing their own artwork. The
course, which takes place in a classroom and
gallery setting, will start with an introduction
to the fundamentals (hardware, tools,
understanding basic floor plans, construction,
fabrication, sustainable materials, shipping,
lighting and basic A/V installation) followed by
a study of concept and design processes (exhibit
design, curation, registration), installation
procedures and finally, install/de-install a
professional exhibit at MassArt’s Bakalar and
Paine Galleries.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
Fall/Spring
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MPSM345 Internet Culture & Technology 3 cr.
This course will explore topics related to
artists’ use of the Internet as a medium for
creative production and distribution. Lectures
and discussions will cover topics relevant to
artists’ work on the Web including: social media,
the free software movement, censorship, humor,
streaming media, Net Neutrality, tele- robotics,
programming and web- based multimedia. Techniques
for creating web content will be demonstrated
using commercial and free software. Some examples
will involve writing code, but no previous
programming experience is assumed. All students
will be required to create a website as a final
project and after being given options, they will
be free to choose methods and content most
appropriate for their own process in the creation
of work.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
Fall
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MPSM346 Interdisciplinary Projects in Sustainability 3 cr.
Sustainable art and design focuses on how to leave our future more just,healthy and
environmentally stable than it is today. Through careful consideration of
materials,lifecycles,subjects, audiences,economies,and many other aspects of
daily life, we will imagine and make projects that address significant issues resulting from
environmental impacts on human and animal societies. Open to students from all departments,
this course focuses on developing projects in nterdisciplinary studio settings that address
issues of sustainability on our campus,in our city,and in the larger global context. Research
practices,collaboration and charrette forms will be explored through a series of assignments
leading up to a half semester independent project.
Through readings,field trips,studio vosots and critique,we will learn about revolutionary
projects in sustainability in design and art fields today. Open to juniors and seniors, this
class will allow students to work in the medium of their choice while focusing on research and
development in the area of sustainability.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
Undergraduate Elective
Spring
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MPSM349 Performance, Art & Politics 3 cr.
In this studio course, students will be introduced to historical examples of politically-engaged performance art as a context for creating their own work. This will include the creation of original performance art works by adapting techniques which were developed by the Czech Underground which built a platform for the artists-run “Velvet Revolution” of 1989. For students without experience in video, the course will also introduce the basic tools and principles of video production.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
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MPSM357 Experimental Ensembles 3cr.
Experimental Ensembles is an opportunity for students to collaborate in significant ways on
works that involve various groupings of student ensembles engaging in collective actions that are
both performance and non-performance based. The class explores the artistic practice of
conducting, composition, and collaboration along-side the experience of following the
direction of others in order to create an artwork that has a public impact. Students will have to
the opportunity to use each other as actors, agents, units, and parts of their creative vision
in varied environments and alternative spaces. Topics included the examination of historical
works that have emerged from: the Fluxus art movement; happenings of the ‘60s; performative
installation; live choral-based configurations; experiments with sound, light, motion, site, and
performance; as well as, alternative genres such as live cinema. An ensemble can be a Flash mob, a
gathering of organized movements and soundings on a park walk, mobile sculptural elements, or a
series of instructions that a group or public is asked to follow. We will work in large ensembles
and also experiment with smaller forms within the group.
Undergraduate Elective
Fall and Spring
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MPSM358 Immersive Media - AR/VR 3cr
Immersive media and the Landscapes of Augmented &
Virtual Reality
In this course, students have the opportunity to
survey the current state of augmented and virtual
reality tools and applications. The ever-changing
landscape of augmented and virtual reality offers
artists uncharted territory in artistic expression
and the opportunity to create a new artistic
language. This course provides a review of the
theory, history, and development of both AR and VR
while exploring the artist’s potential within
these mediums. Students are expected to make work
using video mapping, smart phone AR, and to
participate in VR sessions. The course includes
several visiting artists and professionals in the
field.
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge in video production.
Studio
Spring
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MPSM361 Investigations in Expanded Cinema 3cr
Expanded cinema can describe a film, video,
multi-media performance or an immersive
environment that extends the boundaries of filmic
concepts. In this course we explore elements of
light, motion, materiality, and sound to create
works that extend beyond the traditional cinematic
relationship between the audience and the screen
by considering the variables of space,
architecture, sculptural forms, and viewer
relationship. The course investigates how pre
cinematic forms can inform the post cinematic.
Much of our investigations focus on approaches to
physical installation that extend the notion of
the frame into multidimensional environments using
light, space, and architecture - concepts that can
also be applied to creating simulation media with
virtual and augmented reality technology.
Readings, research, and discussion will be an
integral aspect of this course. We also touch on
themes such as Post Cinema, Media Archaeology,
Time Space Compression, and Post Continuity. This
course is designed to familiarize the student with
a wide variation of art practices related to
contemporary installation and immersive notions of
art.
Hybrid Studio Critique
Fall
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MPSM376 Studio for Interrelated Media 3 cr.
This is a year long studio class in which individuals and groups present and discuss work in media of their choice such as audio, video, computer, performance, publishing, and production of events that interrelate media. Each week, student presentations of work are organized into performances and exhibitions produced by students who select, schedule and technically support the presentation. (SIM276, 376, 476)
Prerequisites: 6 credits of MPSM 276
Hybrid Studio/Critique
Departmental Requirement
Fall
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MPSM392 SIM Course Assistantship
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MPSM399 SIM Independent Study
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MPSM402 Art, Life and Money 3 cr.
This course is targeted towards soon-to-graduate art students who are thinking about the practicalities of continuing life as in independent artist after art school. Throughout the semester students will meet graduates of the Studio for Interrelated Media as well as others pursuing unconventional artistic paths. Through discussion, presentations and field trips, issues surrounding the realistic struggles of maintaining life as an independent artist alongside the celebration of such a choice will be explored. The course will attempt to demystify tax responsibilities, non-profit organization opportunities, and grant-writing. Students will interview artists as well as research methods for balancing art, life and money after school. Students will also practice writing their artist statement and resume and create a personal five year plan using any media.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
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MPSM404 City, Site and Public Practice 3cr.
This course explores examples of contemporary “social practice”, its historical precedents, and
current scholarly dialog on the topic. Social practice refers to the field of contemporary art
practice that moves between art and life. Often, it is created in communities and spaces
unaffiliated with traditional cultural institution and is frequently driven by an effort
towards social change. The projects are usually collaborations with practitioners from many
disciplines, are site-specific, and success depends on long-range planning and team
management. In this class, student will have the opportunity to design and model their own
socially-engaged, site-specific projects informed by the content of the course. The class will
include visiting artists, site visits, and assignments designed to give students access to
venues outside of their comfort zone. [Previously Titled Site and Social Engagement]
Undergraduate Elective
Fall Only
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MPSM404 Site and Social Engagement 3
This course explores examples of contemporary “social practice”, its historical precedents, and current scholarly dialog on the topic. Social
practice refers to the field of contemporary art practice that moves between art and life. Often, it is created in communities and spaces
unaffiliated with traditional cultural institution and is frequently driven by an effort towards social change. The projects are usually
collaborations with practitioners from many disciplines, are site-specific, and success depends on long-range planning and team
management. In this class, student will have the opportunity to design and model their own socially-engaged, site-specific projects informed
by the content of the course. The class will include visiting artists, site visits, and assignments designed to give students access to
venues outside of their comfort zone.
Studio Hybrid
Undergraduate Elective
Fall
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MPSM405 Publications: Print, Digital,PostDigital 3cr.
The rise of digital publishing, online media platforms, and mobile devices has radically altered the way we look at information, art and culture, while inspiring new uses and interpretations of print media. Artists and cultural producers everywhere are actively experimenting with alternative print and publishing practices that evoke analogue memories, critically document the present, or reformulate the future of the medium. These contemporary practices examine media sustainability, propose mediated participation and configure new social spaces for the dissemination and interchange of ideas.
In this context we will initiate our studies. This class proposes a collaborative studio environment in which we will investigate various printmaking techniques, examine the history of the medium, observe and critique its current state, and experiment with the different forms that compose the expanded field of contemporary print. Through studio and post-studio projects
students are asked to propose and discover alternative approaches to printmaking, cultural production and social engagement, while discussing issues of authorship, piracy,
reproduction, dissemination, interchange, and participation. [Formerly Titled: Expanded Print Media]
Undergraduate Elective
Spring Only
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MPSM406 Contemporary Art Issues 3cr
Students explore issues of theory, interpretation and criticism of contemporary art, focusing on developments since 1980. Contemporary and
historical readings along with in-class discussion and group presentations provide a basis for critically understanding one’s own
artistic practice in relation to other artists, as well as the culture at large. Students are exposed to writings, interviews, and artworks
representing marginalized populations and ideas often overlooked in mainstream historical sources. Throughout the semester, students
practice research and critical writing skills by observing and writing about the work on display throughout the campus as well as in galleries and
museums in Boston. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to experiment with methods for presenting and disseminating their writing.
Hybrid Studio Critique
Undergraduate Elective
Fall
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MPSM407 Advance Video Techniques 3cr
In this course students explore the latest
developments and possibilities in video image and
sound capture, editing, and screening. The
course explains the finer points of several types
of cameras and accessories accessible for student
use in the Studio for Interrelated Media
department equipment collection. Guests bring
workshops and demos of the cutting edge
applications in VR, immersive media and augmented
reality. Practical applications of video
documentation are taught via hands-on
collaborative projects documenting art projects
on campus. This is an advanced course for
students that already have some video skills in
place.
Prerequisites: This is an advanced course for
students that already have some video skills in
place.
Hybrid Studio Critique
Instructor’s Discretion
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MPSM408 Intensive Performance Art Studio 3cr
In this class, students develop and deepen ways
performance art fits into their practice. Through
class exercises, assignments, and personal
research, students investigate audience -
performer relationships, site-specificity, working
with extended duration, body awareness, risk
management, personae work, delegated performance
approaches, and documentation strategies.
Approaching performance art through a visual arts
lens, we investigate the history and contemporary
climate around the medium’s inclusion and/or
exclusion from institutional art contexts, public
space, and artist-run initiatives. Students
complete readings, writing assignments, follow a
course blog, and attend local art
exhibitions/events during the semester that will
be discussed in class. This course includes
guest-artist presentations, guest critics, and
significant student-led studio time. Students are
required to present works in progress and
developed pieces throughout the semester. Our
efforts culminate into a final event where
students share developed live works with the
public. In addition to exhibiting their own works,
students collaborate in the organization,
promotion, and documentation of this event.
Prerequisites: MPSM216 Performance Art Fundamentals or MPSM307 On the Spot
or Instructor Permission
Hybrid Studio Critique
Spring
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MPSM409 Mining Meaning 3cr
This class focuses on the development of artistic
practice and individualized research through
multiple lenses. During the course, students are
expected to create project based works through
multi-faceted approaches to research. The course
examines Practice-based Research which is a form
of research that aims to advance knowledge partly
by means of practice. Students will be introduced
to the writings of Donna Haraway, Vilem Flusser,
Oscar Wilde, James Baldwin, Juhani Pallasmaa,
Kumagusu Minakakta, Theaster Gates, William
Kentridge, Susan Sontag, and many others.
Discussion, in-depth reading and written analysis
regarding contemporary issues in art are a
fundamental component of the course.
Hybrid Studio Critique
Spring
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MPSM476 Studio for Interrelated Media 3 cr.
This is a year long studio class in which individuals and groups present and discuss work in media of their choice such as audio, video, computer, performance, publishing, and production of events that interrelate media. Each week, student presentations of work are organized into performances and exhibitions produced by students who select, schedule and technically support the presentation. (SIM276, 376, 476)
Prerequisites: 6 credits of MPSM376
Hybrid Studio/Critique
Departmental Requirement
Fall
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