Assignment 5: Superflat

"Superflat" refers to various flattened forms in Japanese graphic art, animation, pop culture and fine arts, as well as the "shallow emptiness of Japanese consumer culture." A self-proclaimed art movement by Takashi Murakami, it was a successful piece of niche marketing, a branded art phenomenon designed for Western audiences. Often the works explore the consumerism and sexual fetishism that is prevalent in post-war Japanese culture. These works are an exploration of otaku* sexuality through grotesque and/or distorted images. Other works are more concerned with a fear of growing up. For example, Yoshitomo Nara’s work often features playful graffiti on old Japanese ukiyo-e executed in a childish manner. And some works focus on the structure and underlying desires that comprise otaku and overall post-war Japanese culture.

*Otaku is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests.

Make an artwork that reflects the influence of a multi-disciplinary art world and the impact that commodification has on it's production.

Requirements: 1) Artwork must be on a commodity trajectory. 2) This work should reflect the concepts behind superflat and its ideas of emptiness. 3) Artwork should deal with contemporary issues that you are concerned with and exist as we speak.

Time Frame for this assignment is 5 hours of class time plus outside time. Assignment must be on your blog by March 6, 2012 before the beginning of class.

Assignment 4: millions-in-a-medium-lost

click here to start! _

6.3 Significant Technological Developments

The Economist writes "in the past half-century computer technology has evolved in three large jumps each followed by an explosion of new companies, a period of rapid change and then the gradual emergence of a few dominant species that rule until the next digital disturbance." We can add little to this succinct and accurate analysis except to note that we currently exist in one such "digital disturbance."

Entertainment software is one part of the software industry. It involves a large number of firms all competing for the same demand. Entertainment software firms differentiate their products in order to increase consumer demand. Advertising and other ways to increase the demand for a product play an important role with entertainment software. The differentiated product differs the entertainment software market from a purely competitive market and is classified as a monopolistically competitive market. Firms in a monopolistically competitive market produce differentiated products to increase the demand for their products so they can enjoy profits. These firms want people to think that their product is unique so they can raise the price of their product and not suffer decreases in demand for their product. Monopolistically competitive firms are often able to raise their prices which is why the demand curve for monopolistically competitive firms has a negative slope. To obtain the ideal product mix monopolistically competitive firms must reallocate their resources. Other resources must be used to raise the MC closer to the price of the product for resources to be allocated more efficiently. A monopolistically competitive firm has an opportunity to raise its prices unlike a perfectly competitive firm who has a perfectly elastic demand curve. Due to its relatively inelastic demand curve, a monopolistically competitive firm may hold a price which may produce extra normal profits, but since there is no barrier of entry or exit in this market the profits of the firm would diminish in the long run.

Increasing competition will shift the demand curve to the left (decrease in demand) and the monopolistic price will decrease, but will stay higher than the competitive firms prices. A monopolistically competitive firm never obtains monopolistic profits in the long run because of the increased competition.

The entertainment software industry has the research and innovation costs as the most important towards the production process. In the short run these costs are high and most companies utilize the sales and marketing departments of other companies to supplement these costs. Once the product has created a niche for itself in the market then the company experience small changes in the total costs with respect to increase in outputs. As profits come in the company is capable of taking over its own sales and advertising costs and from there on continues to sell profitably for years until another disruptive technology emerges.

Make an online artwork that others can interact with and that reflects the current "digital disturbance" that we find ourselves in. You must articulate this in your own thoughts and words.

Requirements: 1) Artwork must be interactive broadly defined. 2) This work should address the challenges of the digital environment. 3) This work must be accessible on the platforms we have available in class. 4) You must be respectful and abide by the rules of the environment that you are working within.

Some examples can be found here and here.

Time frame for this assignment is 5 hours of class time plus outside time as well. Assignment must be on your blog before class on February 21, 2012.

Assignment 3: Words

Make an artwork using words from either an important document, speech, song, or other significant source. Please have your source for words approved by myself prior to beginning. It is preferred that you create this work using either Adobe Illustrator or Adobe inDesign. You may also use actual Pen and Ink if that is preferred.


Sidney Philocreon

Requirements: 1) Work must be at least 11" x 17." 2) Work must evoke some type of physical or emotional response without being blatantly offensive. 3) Everything in your artwork must be created by words. 4) This work must be represented digitally on your blog by February 7, 2012 at the end of class.


Jeff Clark

Time Frame: 5 hours class time will be dedicated to this project. Please plan accordingly.


Barbara Kruger

Assignment 2

You must look at two works when you visit LACMA on your field trip. One is Chris Burden's installation/sculpture Metropolis II. The other will be Edward Keinholz's Five Car Stud. Please examine it on all levels. Aesthetic, scale, functionality, material, sensation, memories, et al are but a short list of components that the artist has put together for you to experience. Why do you think Chris Burden/Ed Keinholz created their work? What does this piece in total convey to you as an individual? Please write your essay and post it directly on to your blog. Your writing must be at least 500 words of your own. Please include links or photos that add to your understanding of the work if applicable.

Metropolis II

Chris Burden

Five Car Stud

Edward Keinholz

Requirements: 1) Essay must be at least 500 words and written in a traditional structure (Introduction with thesis, supporting arguments, conclusion). 2) This must be posted on your blog no later than January 24, 2012. 3) Provide links to sources for your information.

Time Frame: 3 hours of work

Functional design

A look at our Universe

Spring Semester: Assignment 1

Photoshop Primer

Find a bad photo, apply a vintage filter, and write something in helvetica.

Requirements: 1) Image must be at least 200 dpi and between 5" x 7" and 8" x 10." 2) Image must be in JPEG format. 3) You can email your finished work to clementhanami@gmail.com. 4) You must use helvetica for your font and the words should be more than "something." 5) You must have this work posted on your blog before class on January 24, 2012.

Note: You should create your "vintage" look by going to IMAGE>ADJUSTMENT> and then experimenting with the different adjustments including HUE/SATURATION, LEVELS, PHOTO FILTER, REPLACE COLOR, et al.

Instagr.am has good examples of what "vintage" photos should look like.

Time Frame: 3 hours class time will be dedicated to this project.

http://fallinginlovewithmemories.blogspot.com