Mapping and Place

Mapping and Place
WEEKS 1-5	WEEKS 6-10	WEEKS 11-17	BIBLIOGRAPHY	RESOURCES	HOME

Time: M 11:45-2:50 & W 11:45-2:50
Instructor: Katerie Gladdys
Office Hours: W 3-5 or by appt.
Email: kgladdys@ufl.edu
list: fall-3198-l@lists.ufl.edu

course description

[The] Idea [is] to change landscape from a noun to a verb—how does landscape work as a cultural practice. Landscape, we suggest, does not merely signify or symbolize power relations; it is an instrument of cultural power, perhaps even an agent of power that is (or frequently represents itself as) independent of human intentions. Landscape as a cultural medium thus has a double role with respect to something like ideology: it naturalizes a cultural and social construction, representing an artificial world as if it were simply given and inevitable… (W.J.T. Mitchell. Landscape and Power)

This seminar introduces students to mapping and exploration as a potential methodology for their own art practice, interpreting and situating their work with a physical and/or virtual context/place. Students will interface with the local landscape conducting experiments and interventions with their surroundings as pedestrians and cyclists with the intention of developing strategies that inform their work/projects. This class looks for the connections between students’ own work and geography, landscape architecture, critical theory, anthropology, and natural resources. We will read selections by Jonathon Stilgoe, Michel deCerteau, Gile Deleuze, George Lakoff, Rebecca Solnit, and Lucy Lippard to name a few. Class format will consist of discussion, collaboration, group critique as well as studio visits/individual meetings. In this class you will be required to read, to make work and to engage physically with the environment.

This class meets twice a week. On Mondays, we will meet together, discuss readings and the outcomes of the "experiments" and interventions with place/landscape. During this time and at other times we may also go outside the classroom to explore the aspects of mapping and or to practice the activity of mapping. On Wednesdays, I will meet with each of you personally for a studio visit. During that time, we will discuss your work and hopefully the impacts that the content of seminar is having on your practice and work. At the middle of the term and again at the end of the term, we will have some sort of group critique, where students present work and feed back is given in a group setting

Students will:

formulate a definition of what is meant by the term mapping
make both personal and collaborative work that employs mapping as methodology for approaching the practice of making art
be expose to a variety of techniques, research methods that are considered mapping
better know both the physical and virtual environments that form the "local"
create their own systems of organization to better understand actual places and landscapes

required texts

Outside Lies Magic by John Stilgoe
the rest of readings will either be handouts of chapters and articles or .pdfs which will be seen on the class website

analog and digital means to make art

This class requires a certain amount of mobility. Please let me know beforehand on an individual basis if you are not physically able to do or complete an assignment. Caveat: I nor the University of Florida is responsible for risky behavior that you choose to do in the name of exploration. If we do a group activity that requires me to have you sign a release form that is one thing, but what you do to personally complete an assignment is yourrisk and responsibility.

This class will only thrive and be a meaningful experience if you participate. Regular attendance is a necessity, as is classroom participation. Both will have a crucial bearing on your final grade. Excessive absences [3 or more] can lower a grade by one full letter or more. Seven absences, excused or unexcused, will result in a failing grade. Excused absence include religious holidays, a varifiable death in the immediate family, or awith a doctor's note. Punctuality is also important. If you show up after I take attendence, then you are late. Being late three times = 1 absence.

grading criteria

The work created in class will be evaluated and graded according to the following criteria:

A--Excellent--work throughout the semester has met and exceeded the stated objectives exhibiting a thorough understanding and manipulation of concepts covered in class. Student has taken initiative and consistently sought information about artists working in a WWW environment, applied the to the fullest extent the technology learned to their creative practice and resulting projects, create projects that are engaged critically with the issues about and the medium of the Web. Student has reflected both in writing and in studio oriented projects upon the context in which they are creating work. Active participation in class discussions and critiques.
B--Good and consistent work throughout the semester where the ideas are interesting and successfully presented; a thorough grasp of both the conceptual and technological ideas presented in the class. Active participation in class discussions and critiques.
C--Mediocre; achieves minimum requirements of the assignment, but not particularly clear, comprehensive, or ambitious. quality of the work is below that of most other projects submitted. Class attendance, participation and enthusiasm are strong.
D--Poor; does not satisfy the minimum requirements of the assignment; generally unsatisfactory in terms of quality and clarity. Work is unfinished or only partially explores pertinent topics. Poor presentation and class assignments or clas time is missed seriously hampering success.
E--Failing--not attending class, not completing assignments, poor communication with instructor--or you probably didn't submit a finished assignment.

Your final grade will be determined roughly as follows:
20% group mapping collaborative
15% final project
10% midterm
30% your personal work and research
25% attendance, participation, reflective writing,

I suggest you budget at least 5 - 6 hours a week for doing course work outside of our classtime.

This syllabus is subject to change. I generally notify the class of chages, but you are ultimately responsible for checking the class website on a regular basis for updates.

Academic Honesty (See UF Rule 6C1-4.017 (PDF))
Students are required to be honest in all of their university class work. Faculty members have a duty to promote ethical behavior and avoid practices and environments that foster cheating. Faculty should encourage students to bring incidents of dishonesty to their attention. A faculty member, in certain circumstances, can resolve an academic dishonesty matter without a student disciplinary hearing. The procedures and guidelines are available from the Director of Student Judicial Affairs. In the fall of 1995, the UF student body enacted a new honor code and voluntarily committed itself to the highest standards of honesty and integrity. (See UF Rule 6C1-4.0172 (PDF))

The Honor Code: We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity. On all work submitted for credit by students at the university, the following pledge is either required or implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment."

More on these policies can be found in the UF student guide.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Support services for students with disabilities are coordinated by the Disability Resource Center in the Dean of Students Office. All support services provided for University of Florida students are individualized to meet the needs of students with disabilities. To obtain individual support services, each student must meet with one of the support coordinators in the Disability Resources Program and collaboratively develop appropriate support strategies. Appropriate documentation regarding the student's disability is necessary to obtain any reasonable accommodation or support service.

computer use and acceptable use policy

All faculty staff, and students of the University of Florida are required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate. http://www.circa.ufl.edu/computers and http://www.cio.ufl.edu/aupolicy.htm

disruptive behavior

Be advised that you can and will be dismissed from class for disruptive behavior. More detailed information on this can be found in the UF Rules and Policies.