"The process of preparing programs for a digital computer is especially attractive, not only because it can be economically and scientifically rewarding, but also because it can be an aesthetic experience much like composing poetry or music."
– Donald Knuth

"This may sound paradoxical, but the machine, which is thought to be cold and inhuman, can help to realize what is most subjective, unattainable, and profound in a human being."
– Vera Molnar

CREATIVE PROGRAMMING 1

:arrow_down: Jump right to the Course Calendar :arrow_down:

In this class, we will explore the computer as a tool capable of powerful creative possibility, not via pre-built software, but instead by writing code ourselves. We will look at the basic structures and affordances of code as inspiration for making artworks, as a tool capable of creating things that would be impossible by hand, and as a fallible system that encapsulates our cultural and personal biases.

During the course of the semester, you’ll learn how to write code for a variety of visual projects, including images, animations, and interactive work. We’ll primarily be using p5.js that was originally developed by Lauren McCarthy and is an offshoot of Processing (which turns twenty years old this year!). p5.js is a toolkit created specifically for artists and designers build on the Javascript programming language and features a really easy-to-use online code editor.

Along the way, we’ll also look at historical and contemporary figures in the arts and computer science who have shaped how we use computers as creative tools, and we’ll explore code from a critical, humanistic perspective.

See the syllabus PDF for course policies, grading, etc.

FORMAT

This semester we're finally back together in person! Our class time will be spent together critiquing your homework projects, covering technical material, introducing new assignments, looking at examples, group ideation and feedback exercises, and work time. Attendance will be taken at the start of class every week.

Because we will cover a lot of material this semester and because this course will be both rigorous and thorough, it’s really important that you stay on top of your coursework.

:warning: Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at all! Better to ask a question than be unsure of something.

COURSE CALENDAR

Please note this is subject to change. Be sure to check Canvas, this page, and your email regularly. Homework and readings are listed for the days they are assigned.

Topics noted with ⊨ symbol are short explorations of topics that jump off from or surround programming in a creative context; the symbol ⊨ is used in the field of logic to mean that an idea semantically entails another