Overview of BFA in Intermedia

1. Intermedia School of
Art
Arizona State University

2. Intermedia
est. 1976
Intermedia is a conceptually driven program with
an interdisciplinary approach to art making. The
broad-based Intermedia program embraces
creative practices from installation and
performance, to sound, video, animation,
compositing, web art, visualization, and rapid
prototyping. Intermedia builds on theories of
social art practice and tactical media that carry
the aims of social change and democratic
engagement in a variety of contexts.

3. Intermedia Practices

4. Intermedia faculty
Dan Collins, Professor
Critical Theory, Prototyping,
Installation, Digital Imaging
dan.collins@asu.edu
Angela Ellsworth, Assist. Prof.
Peformance, Installation,
Non-traditional Drawing
angela.ellsworth@asu.edu
Muriel Magenta, Professor
Digital Video, Installation,
Web Technologies
muriel.magenta@asu.edu
Chris Todd, Lecturer
Installation, Animation, Digital Media
Christopher.G.Todd@asu.edu
Gregory Sale, Visiting Artist
Intermedia Practice, Performance,
Community-based Art
Gregory.Sale@asu.edu
Rebecca Viles, Adjunct Faculty
3D Digital Animation
darkman1@mainex1.asu.edu

5. Intermedia Faculty: Dan Collins
Statement: As Founding Co-Director of the PRISM lab—a 3D
modeling and rapid prototyping facility—I have explored the integration
of art and technology in an interdisciplinary context. As a teacher, I am
committed to students’ first experiences with art practice in their Core
classes as well as advancing grads towards professional practice. As an
artist, I operate in the gap between the virtual space of the computer and
the tangible, body-felt reality of sculptural objects.
On Teaching: Students are the true agents of change. Central to my
philosophy of teaching is creating the conditions that will allow students to connect
with their own time and place and make a creative contribution to the culture.
Courses: ART 112 2D Design; 113 Color; 115 3D Design; ART 345/598 Visual Prototyping;
ARA 598 Principles of Art Instruction; ARA 494/598 Issues in Intermedia
Detail from Flooding Phoenix (2006). Projected animation on computer-milled relief map. 8 x 8 feet.

6. Intermedia Faculty: Angela
Ellsworth
Artist statement: Angela Ellsworth is an
interdisciplinary artist traversing disciplines of non-
traditional drawing, installation-based performance and
community-centered collaboration. Her performance-
based drawings and collaborative performances
explore the body in motion--a place where art and
action overlap to address issues of culture and training,
mark-making and physicality, illness and endurance,
and health and community.
On Teaching: I challenge students to consider the body as
a material for art production. Students work in digital media as
well as traditional media to explore subjective experience that
generates expansive communication, collaboration, and community
action.
Courses: ART 294 Intermedia Practices; ART 443
Intermedia Performance; ART 598 Intermedia
Performance
Stitch Portrait: Pierre Bourdieu, 2006. paper napkin, thread. (front and back)
Angie, 2002. Club Extra peformance/installation,
ASU Art Museum.
Drawing on Breath, Performance/ Installation, 2003

7. Intermedia Faculty: Denis Gillingwater
Artist Statement: Denis Gillingwater has been documenting the rapidly changing American and
European urban/rural landscape for over 20 years. His site-specific installations explore the
accelerating manipulation of these landscapes and their effect on the human psyche. The work's
imagery manifests itself in a wide context of forms: monoprints to small scale three dimensional wall
works to large scale installations incorporating CCTV surveillance systems, audio systems, and DVD
players.
Courses: Intermedia, Mixed Media, Color, Intermedia Grad Seminar
Divisions/Divides/Distances,2005. installation at Studio LoDo,
Phoenix, AZ, 2005. Sculpture, mixed media with CCTV
Perceptual Screens (1 of 29 Images), 2001
Photography, billboarded image on floor
pedestal
Dimensions Variable

8. Intermedia Faculty: John Leaños
Bio: John Jota Leaños is a multi-disciplinary artist and a
digital cultural worker with a dual appointment in Intermedia
and the Department of Transborder Chicana/o & Latina/o
Studies. Leaños' social art practice has focused animation,
video, installation and performance. His work has been shown
at the Sundance 06 Film Festival, the 2002 Whitney Biennial in
New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
On Teaching: In my courses, I encourage exploration, research and
creative collaborations with an emphasis placed on art production and
social change.
Quote: Exert stress on unyielding conventions.
Ask questions that shouldn't be asked. Disrupt fixed discourse. Practice
ideological disruption. Question dogma. Complicate discourse packaged as
black or white or red or blue. Introduce "other" frameworks.
-From Top 10 Tactics for Social Art Intervention
Courses: ART 294 Intermedia Practices, CCS 494 Social Art
Tactics, CCS 111 Chicana/o Culture, CSH 350 Mexican-
American Artistic Production, CSH 494 Critical Technologies
Los ABCs: ¡Qué Vivan los Mueros!, 2005. DVD.

9. Intermedia Faculty: Muriel
Magenta
Bio: Muriel Magenta is a “new genre” artist working in video, computer art, web technology, installation,
multimedia performance, and sculpture. She explores the interface between various electronic media, while
continuing her involvement with gallery installation. Her larger objective is to create a visual experience in an
actual space, and then transmit it over electronic networks into virtual environments.
On Teaching: I teach students to explore their own creative possibilities through the study and production of “time based
media,” referencing concept, theory, and art practice.
Courses: ART 440-441 / ART 598 New Media Concepts / Video Art; ART 494 / ART 598 Web Art;
ARA 498 / ARA 591 Net Vision
“28 WOMEN: a chance for independence,” Community outreach project
http://www.public.asu.edu/~muriel/28women
Magenta teaching students at Cornerstone Video
Facility

10. Intermedia Curriculum: BFA
100 Level (18 hours of Core Foundation)
All “pre-major” Intermedia BFA students are encouraged to take the
standard Core classes (4 studios and 2 Art History surveys) with the
exception of a replacement of the new “ART 194” (Intro to Digital
Media) for “ART 113” (Color).
ART 111 Drawing I
ART 112 2D Design
ARS 101 Art Pre-hist Middle Ages (HU, H)
ARS 102 Art Renaissance to Present (HU, H)
ART 115 3D Design
ART 194 / 116 Intro to Digital Media

11. Intermedia Curriculum: BFA
200 Level (12 hours of Pre-professional portfolio electives)
Current: The newly consistuted ART 294 “Intermedia Practices” course. This course
serves as an introduction to the major and a portfolio development course.
Proposed: New course in “Experimental Time-Based Media” (new faculty). This would
provide much needed background information for success in upper division animation
sequence as well as methods for integrating time-based processes into general
intermedia studio practice.
Required Courses
ART 294 Intermedia Practices
ART 294 Experimental Animation (proposed)
Out of Area Course recommendations (Pre-professional portfolio electives)
ART 201, 204, 211, 214, 223, 227, 253, 231,261, 272, 274, 276
Out of School Course recommendations
THE 201 Film: The Creative Process I – Humanities and Fine Arts (HU)

12. Intermedia Curriculum: BFA
300 Level (Upper division Professional Program)
Upon acceptance into the major, students are free to choose from a variety of upper division
Intermedia and out of area courses. Many tracks through the program are possible with
different Intermedia emphases including Performance, Installation, Digital Video, 3D
Visualization and Animation, Mixed Media.
Intermedia
ART 345 Visualization and Prototyping
ART 346 3-D Computer Imaging and Animation
ART 348 Animation Motion Studies
ART 394 Guided Study
Recommended out of area courses
ART 308 Digital Photographic Images I
Recommended out of School courses
THP 320 Solo and Collaborative Performance (McMahon / Theater and Film)

13. Intermedia Curriculum: BFA
400 Level (Upper division Professional Program)
Intermedia
ART 439 Mixed Media
ART 440 New Media Concepts
ART 441 Video Art
ART 443 Intermedia Performance
ART 449 Computer Animation and Video
ART 450 Computer Animation and Audio
ART 470 Computer Animation Portfolio CS
ART 494 Issues in Intermedia
ART 494 Web Art
Recommended out of Area courses
ART 408 Digital Photographic Images II
ART 494 Digital Processes for Printmaking
ART 437 Film Animation
ART 438 Experimental Systems in Sculpture
Recommended out of School courses
CCS 494 Social Art Tactics
DAN 494 Performance Technology I (Mitchell / School of Dance)
THP 494 Performance Technology (Gharavi / Theater and Film)
THE 400 Film Production (School of Theater and Film)

14. Intermedia Facilities at ASU

15. Intermedia Facilities
• School of Art Main — 3D animation lab (16 Mac G5s with
Maya software)
• Tower A — Blackroom studios for work in experimental
installation seminar room; six grad studios
• Cornerstone — Digital Video lab; Performance and installation
spaces; One grad studio
• PRISM — 2 Instructional Labs: COD lab with large scale 3D
laser scanning; Brickyard space with 15 PCs; Decision Theater
prototype; 3D laser scanning and prototyping; One grad studio

16. Intermedia Facilities: School of Art Main building
Instructional Lab
• 3D digital animation studio
Equipment—16 Apple G5s
• Processor: Two 2.66GHz Dual-
Core Intel Xeon processors
• Memory: 1GB (2 x 512MB) of
667MHz DDR2 Fully-buffered
DIMM ECC
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 7300GT
256MB single-link DVI/Dual-link
DVI
• Audio: Combined optical digital
input/audio line in (minijack)
• Hard disk drive: 250GB Serial ATA
(3Gb/s); 7200 rpm; 8Mb cache
• Optical drive: 16x SuperDrive with
double-layer support (DVD+R
DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Software
• Maya 7.0 (animation software)

17. Intermedia Facilities: Tower A
Seminar Room (TWR 202)
• Media Cart with DVD-VCR
Installation spaces (TWR 205a, 216)
• Blackbox studios for work in
experimental installation
• Track lighting
Grad Studios
• 6 Grad studios
(average 120 sf)
Typical Grad studio (approx. 120 sf)
Tower Seminar room (TWR 202)
Damaged furniture
Blackbox studio (1 of 2)

18. Intermedia Facilities: Cornerstone Digital Video Lab
Digital Video Lab:
• Green Screen Studio
• Computer Lab
• Classroom
• Sound Booth (in planning)

19. Intermedia Facilities: Cornerstone Digital Animation
The old equipment from ART 226 was
transported to this facility in the Cornerstone.
Most of the equipment—with the exception
of two new Dell PCs (lower left image)—is
several years old and inadequate for high
end animation. The software is also old; we
are currently running antiquated versions of
SoftImage XSI. This should be upgraded for
advanced work in animation with new
equipment and Maya animation software.
Definite “naming” opportunity!

20. Compare/Contrast: Community College Facilities

21. Intermedia Facilities: Cornerstone Performance Lab

22. Intermedia Facilities: PRISM
PRISM — 2 Instructional Labs: COD lab
with large scale 3D laser scanning;
Brickyard space with 15 PCs;
Decision Theater prototype; 3D laser
scanning and prototyping; One grad
studio.
Equipment:
• 3Q Qlonerator Face Scanner
• Dual Stereo Projection system
• 3D Laser Digitizers (Cyberware
Scanners: M15 and MM3030)
• Origin 2000 SGI multi processor
machine
• Stratasys Rapid Prototyping Machine
• Research and Development
Workstations (Dell PC and SGI Unix)
• Genysis Rapid Prototyping Machine
• Dell PC Power Edge Server
• Polhemus 3D stylus
• Microscribe 3D stylus
• Classroom Workstations (Dell PCs)
• Mediated Conference Room Facility
3D laser scanning Rapid Prototyping
Instructional Lab Decision Theater Prototype
New PRISM satellite space in COD

23. Intermedia Strengths and Weaknesses
and Vision for the Future
Strengths in Faculty
• interdisciplinary orientation
• diversity and accomplishments of faculty
• expertise with a wide range of technical processes.
• leadership in the convergence of media, performative strategies, and socio-cultural practices.
Strengths in Facilities
• Excellent new Computer Animation facility in main School of Art building.
• PRISM lab (state of the art in 3D data capture; needs upgrade in RP).
• Cornerstone space (but still needs equipment and other resources)
Strengths in Programming and Curriculum
• Established new “Intro to Digital Media” course at 100 level to serve as new Core class for select
areas—including Intermedia, Sculpture, and Photography.
• New “Intermedia Practices” course at 200 level for intro to Intermedia, pre-professional transition,
and portfolio development.
• Diverse program organized around conceptual core, not media specialities.
Strengths in Students
• International reputation attracting top students nationally and abroad.
• Intermedia Grads among the strongest academically and creatively in the program.

24. Intermedia Strengths and Weaknesses
and Vision for the Future
Weakness in Equipment and Facilties
Immediate Needs
• The Cornerstone space needs to address the inadequate power supply
overall and lack of outlets in individual rooms.
• The new digital video lab desperately needs equipment upgrades—including
steps towards High Definition Video (HDV) if we are to remain competitive in
this area.
• The Computer animation lab in Cornerstone needs a complete overhaul with
new computers and software.
• Performance spaces in Cornerstone need media and lighting support.
• Graduate studio space is sorely needed. We can offer only small (120 sf)
studios to about 6 of our average of 10 MFA students.
• More working space for classes and grads—including consistent access to a
“shop” and “works in progress” spaces for installation needed.
• Mediated classrooms in both the Tower and Cornerstone spaces needed.

25. Intermedia Strengths and Weaknesses
and Vision for the Future
Near Term goal: Hire New Faculty for Animation / Time-based media
With the retirement of three key faculty members within 4 years, we are struggling
to maintain adequate student-faculty ratios and a diverse offering of classes. We
see the replacement of Denis Gillingwater with a nationally recognized
“experimental animation and time-based media” artist as an essential next step.
This individual would take a leadership role in re-structuring the animation
curriculum and help us to better integrate time-based media of all kinds into the
Intermedia curriculum as a whole. This person essential for pursuing the regional, national,
and international initiatives we envision.
The move towards improved integration of existing and new course offerings would
also include a subsuming of the Digital Art degree (BA) within the graduation
requirements for the Intermedia BFA. Currently, the Digital Art degree is a program
with no regular faculty and no coursework of its own. It exists on paper only and
has created an unfortunate “two-tiered” option for students exploring digital media
in the context of a fine art program. Both existing and future students focusing on digital
animation are sorely in need of a new faculty member focused professionally on animation.

26. Intermedia Strengths and Weaknesses
and Vision for the Future
Expanded role within ASU’s multi-campus
We anticipate playing a key role with media-related initiatives across the
multiple sites that are the new ASU. These include the SkySong facility in
Scottsdale (J. Rosen); Arts, Media, and Engineering (T. Rikakis); Phoenix
Urban Research Lab ; InnovationSpace; Digital Phoenix Project; Herberger
Center for Design Research; Decision Theater; Center for Film and Media;
ASU Art Museum; ASU Museum of Anthropology; Hispanic Research
Center; Women’s Studies; and select faculty in HCFA Dance, Theater, and
Music.
Expanded partnerships across Arizona and the Southwest
We have solid connections with U of A through the Dept. of Art and the
Treistman Center for New Media. Project-based initiatives (e.g., Learner-
Centric teaching and Co-taught animation courses) with U of A and NAU
can set the stage for more regional impact to include partners from New
Mexico, Colorado, and Utah.

27. Intermedia Strengths and Weaknesses
and Vision for the Future
Community Involvement
There have been many community based projects to date led by
Intermedia faculty (Magenta’s Haven House project, Gillingwater’s
involvement with Art Detour, Collins involvement with PURL, and
Ellsworth’s work with Metro Arts students, to name a few). There is
significant outreach potential through community agencies and institutions
such as the Phoenix Arts Commission, Studio LoDo; and the IceHouse.

28. Intermedia Strengths and Weaknesses
and Vision for the Future
Long Term goals:
• Co-location of our various program components into one state-of-
the-art facility.
• Internationally competitive graduate program on par with programs
at UCSD, NYU, School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
• International reputation of our program garnered through strategic
partnerships, educational initiatives, and creative projects conducted
with friends around the globe.

29. Linking with New American University
“Exemplary Initiatives” and Other New Partners
ENVIRONMENTAL AND URBAN MODELING
partnership between PRISM and PURL (Phoenix Urban Research Lab)
COMMUNITY ACTION / SOCIAL INTERVENTION
chicana/o and borderlands research and actions
VISUALIZATION OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY FUTURES
joint research between PRISM and InnovationSpace at SkySong
VIDEO AND ANIMATION EXPERTISE
video compositing, sound design, and animation for Decision Theater
DRAWING, PERFORMANCE, INSTALLATION
providing a rich context for individual expression and diversity
PROTOTYPING, INTERFACE DESIGN, and GAMING
partnership between animation area and School of Computing and Informatics
COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROJECTS
partnerships with ArtDetour, Haven House, MetroArts and AZ Comm for the Arts
INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGES
projects underway in Iceland, Czech Republic, Puerto Rico, Italy

30. International / Intranational
Community Arts Partnerships
El Bosque del Pueblo, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico - Neither Sovereign nor Commonwealth

31. Casa Pueblo
Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
Casa Pueblo, run by Alexis Massol-González, a Goldman Environmental
Prize winner, is a self-managed community organization committed to
protecting the environment, affirming cultural and human values, and
create sustainable economic alternatives.
Casa Pueblo established El Bosque del Pueblo, a government-controlled
Rain forest reserve, that put a stop to the strip mining and commercial
development on the southern part of the island. Among the have
established community-based solar energy distiller for indigenous
plants, eco-tourism farm, a butterfly garden, organic coffee productions.

32. Community Arts Partnership
in Puerto Rico
John Jota Leaños, Assistant Professor at ASU, has worked with
Casa Pueblo and would organize a Community Arts course with
ASU students to develop eco-art and sustainable community art
projects.

33. Graduate Student Cultural Programs
ASU in San Francisco
MFA students would travel to San Francisco doing cultural exchange, visiting
museums and galleries, and non-profit arts organizations.

34. Recent Public Art Projects awarded
to Intermedia Students
Hotel Indigo Public Art Scholarship
awarded to Intermedia Students
Aaron Cuthbertson - MFA Intermedia
• Aaron will create an interactive wall projection.
Don Vance - BFA Intermedia
• Don will create three projected animations relating to plant
cell formations and the Fibonacci sequences.

35. Performance Festival in Downtown Phoenix
Intermedia co-
produces a quarterly
Performance Festival
at the Trunk Space in
downtown Phoenix
Student Performances 2006-07

36. Elsewhere, Greensboro,
North Carolina
Intermedia students are invited to create a multi-disciplinary
collaborative project in a 12,000 square foot thrift store
space in Greensboro, NC. Work will include sound,
performance and installation. http://elsewhere.org/

37. 700is International Film and Video Festival,
Egilsstadir, Iceland
Collaboration with Kristin
Scheving, founder and
producer of the 700is
International Film and Video
Festival and member of the
Arts Council in Egilsstadir.
Connecting future video
programming to Intermedia
at ASU and creating a new
film and video student
category for the festival.
Possibility of interactive
performance with ASU
students for the festival next
year as well.

38. TeleSculpture in Slavonice, Czech Republic
sponsored by the Center for the Future, Slavonice, CZ and Telluride, Colorado

39. TeleSculpture in Slavonice, Czech Republic