Final Projectwhile Doing Weekly Assignments Think About The Technique
Final Project while doing weekly assignments, think about the technique, process or concept that suits you. Continue to work with it throughout the semester. You may choose to work in the mediums that we are covering (audio/video/powerpoint/text), you may work in another medium if you are competent enough to work in it independently (photoshop, web design, animation), or you may combine multiple media in a single coherent piece or a set of interrelated smaller pieces. The number of works, amount of pages, or running time your pieces is not as important as is the overall conceptual coherence of your project. Because there’s no way to standardize “how much should I do?” from medium to medium, from project to project, if you are worried about issues of adequate run-time or length or weight for a final project, you must consult me on a case by case basis.
A two-minute audio piece with multiple layering, effects, and samples is quite different qualitatively than a five-minute piece with a few cuts; however, either one may be acceptable depending on the project. The final piece and its artist statement should reflect a well-considered response to the class and should have the depth and complexity of a project developed over the course of the quarter. For an audience, listener, or reader, a good rule of thumb is that it should take somewhere between 3 and 7 minutes to understand, unfold, and experience; this guideline may vary in specific cases but serves as a useful benchmark considering critique and grading constraints.
If you are doing still projects, text projects, or any project without a strict timeline, or a video project with extensive editing, then you should consult with me directly. Remember that consultation involves a sit-down discussion: quickly asking whether something is “OK” without detailed discussion is insufficient. Take advantage of office hours and feedback opportunities such as critiques and in-class discussions. You will include an artist statement with your project. Like other artist statements, this should describe the conceptual reasons for your work, not just a procedural or narrative account. It should place your work in the context of similar works, address debates about its value, and cite class readings to support your ideas. Present your work professionally, as if you are a practicing artist rather than a student completing an assignment. Emphasize how your work engages with scholarly or artistic trajectories, referencing external sources as confirmation of your conceptual approach.
Throughout your process, pursue web-based research and treat the syllabus as a portal to a network of associations. The web’s remix universe is expansive, and your exploration of aesthetic, political, and legal
issues related to your work should be integrated into your statement. For example, an excerpt might note taking material from legal transcripts related to police brutality and using them to subtitle footage, drawing inspiration from artists like Vanessa Place or Charles Resnik, who incorporate legal texts into conceptual art (Resnik, 2000; Place, 2010). Such practices evoke cognitive dissonance and provoke critical reflection on societal issues.
Paper For Above instruction
The final project for this course requires students to develop a cohesive, conceptually driven artwork across their chosen media. This assignment encourages exploration of techniques, processes, and ideas that resonate on a personal level while engaging critically with broader artistic, political, and legal contexts. Students should select a medium—be it audio, video, PowerPoint, text, or a combination—that best suits their conceptual intent and demonstrate mastery and originality within that medium.
Throughout the semester, students are expected to experiment with different techniques and refine their approach, ensuring that the final piece reflects sustained engagement and coherence. The focus should not be on sheer volume or length but on developing a meaningful articulation of ideas. For audio works, a duration of approximately 3 to 7 minutes is advised; similarly, visual and textual projects should aim for depth and conceptual clarity over size or number of components.
Artist statements play a vital role in contextualizing the work. These statements should articulate conceptual motivations, influence from class readings and external sources, and position the work within broader aesthetic and political discourses. Instead of recounting procedural details, the artist statement should serve as a critical reflection and scholarly argument supporting the work’s significance and intentions.
Engagement with external sources—including legal transcripts, media footage, or online materials—is encouraged to enrich the conceptual depth. For example, one might repurpose legal texts related to social issues, juxtapose footage with commentary, or create contrasts through sound and image to evoke specific emotional or intellectual responses. Such strategies enhance the work’s capacity to stimulate critical dialogue about societal structures, power, and representation.
Consultation with the instructor is essential, especially for projects involving complex media or new techniques. Initiate discussions early via office hours or scheduled meetings to refine ideas and ensure feasibility within the project scope. The final submission must include an artist statement, a well-edited
and conceptually driven piece, and proper academic referencing of influences and supporting readings.
References
Resnik, C. (2000). The dissonance of law and art: Integrating legal texts in artistic practice. Journal of Legal Art, 12(3), 45-58.
Place, V. (2010). Legal tapes and the politics of appropriation: An exploration of conceptual poetry. Art Journal, 69(4), 56-63.
Goldman, J. (2013). Politically charged poetry and the art of appropriation. Art and Politics, 21(2), 112-128.
Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, B. (2016). Destination culture: Tourism, art, and cultural appropriation. University of California Press.
Elkins, J. (2017). What is an artist’s statement? Art Journal, 76(1), 98-105.
Cook, S. (2015). Critical remix: The politics of digital reappropriation. Media, Culture & Society, 37(7), 1011-1024.
Grosz, E. (2011). Volatile bodies: Toward a corporeal feminism. Routledge.
Benjamin, W. (2008). The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction. Harvard University Press. Manovich, L. (2013). Software takes command. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Hito Steyerl. (2012). In defense of the poor image. E-Flux Journal, 21.
