PHYS 495/ARTS 499 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Course Description
This class is an interdisciplinary seminar/laboratory of creativity exploring through the lenses of art and physics. Group discussions, sharing, and critiques, along with lectures and hands-on exercises in communication, physics, and visual art, will help us achieve the goals below.
The goals of this class are to:
- Develop a brave and critical space to imagine otherwise and develop research questions.
- Understand the disciplinary methodologies used by scientists and visual artists.
- Articulate proposals and ideas that are legible across the arts and sciences.
- Explore interdisciplinarity, collaboration, and creativity.
- Learn from each other and take ownership of our creative forces.
- Produce collaborative and independently generated creative projects, informed by research, that aim to communicate either (i) a physics concept in a radically new artistic way, or (ii) an element of the human experience through physics-inspired metaphor.
Students completing this course will be able to:
- Define and recognize creative processes and apply methods to activate their own imagination and innovation skills.
- Explain and implement the iterative process both in the Arts and in the Physics.
- Design, develop, and produce creative projects that synthesize visual art and physics.
- Communicate about their creative art in writing and orally to their intended audience.
- Evaluate their own projects and that of their peers.
Course requirements
Attendance
Attendance is required at all class sessions. Class begins at 9:00 am, and goes to 11:40am with a 10-minute break at the mid-point. Failure to be present and prepared to work or meet by 9:00 am will count as a tardy. 3 tardies equal one absence. Students are allowed 1 absence without penalty. Each absence beyond 1 will result in a full letter drop in the student’s grade for the course. If a student arrives late, it is their responsibility to contact the professors to have their absence changed to a tardy.
Please email us if you are going to be absent. Students are expected to respectfully participate in class activities and to attend public events and lectures listed on the syllabus calendar. If you are unable to attend an event or lecture, an alternative assignment will be provided.
Creative projects require different types of labor and amounts of time than many other academic courses. Plan to spend at least 12 hours a week on guided and self-directed learning activities. Once a learning activity is available to you, successful students begin them early and connect with other students for quick questions and feedback.
Where You Can Work
You can complete work beyond the class in Art + Design (A+D) room XXX in Flag Hall, your private studio (apartment, bedroom, etc.). If you plan to use the School’s facilities (easels, palette tables, sinks, and storage) in A+D XXX in Flag Hall, you must not remove easels, tables, and other equipment. If classroom equipment needs refilling, servicing, or replacing just send a note through Lab/Studio/Classroom Support (it is easy).
Course Components
All students are required to participate in all course components. Credit is granted in each course component. All course components are subject to the Academic Integrity Policy.
The 15-week duration (1 semester) of the class will be divided into 3 integrated phases:
(i) The gathering (3 weeks)
During the gathering, students will concurrently explore, experiment and learn about topics related to art and physics through lectures, engaged dialogue, and activities to stimulate creativity. During this phase, the students will also decide on their group structure and brainstorm ideas for their exhibition.
(ii) The sandbox (4+1 weeks)
In the sandbox phase, students will iteratively develop their ideas through drawing and three-dimensional prototyping and modeling for their final body of work. On week 9, the students will present a proposal that describes the concept for the exhibition of their body of work. This proposal must be commensurate with the 5-weeks of time allotted to develop the final exhibition.
(iii) The castle (4+1 weeks)
In the castle phase, students will realize their concepts into a physical body of work. This body of work may consist of a single project or a series of related gestures. The format of the body of work can include various art forms, including visual, multimedia, performance, etc.
(iv) Exhibition and reflection (1+1 weeks)
In the final exhibition and reflection phase, the body of work developed during the castle phase will be exhibited in a public space on campus (tbd) and we will reflect on experiences learnt in class.
This course covers a large amount of material in physics, art and communication. Concepts tend to build upon previous course concepts, and thus, mastery of previous material is essential. This is the student's responsibility. In order to succeed, the student must not fallbehind.
Academic Integrity
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Student Code should also be considered as a part of this syllabus. Students should pay particular attention to Article 1, Part 4: Academic Integrity. Read the Code at the following URL: http://studentcode.illinois.edu/.
Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade. Every student is expected to review and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy: http://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1_part4_1-401.html. Ignorance is not an excuse for any academic dishonesty. It is your responsibility to read this policy to avoid any misunderstanding. Do not hesitate to ask the instructor(s) if you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or any other breach of academic integrity.
Infractions include, but are not limited to:
- cheating
- plagiarism
- fabrication
- academic interference
- computer-related infractions
- unauthorized use of university resources
- sale of class materials or notes
- facilitating infractions of academic integrity.
Violations of any of these rules will be sanctioned and reported to the student's home college.
All aspects of the course are covered by these rules, including: