Mapping as a Spatial, Political, and Environmental Practice

Semester and Year	FA 2012
Course Number	ARTS-UG1603
Section	001
Instructor	Louise Harpman
Days	Tue,Thu
Time	2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Units	4.0
Level	U
Foundation Requirement

Description

This arts workshop engages the practice of mapping as a cultural project with its attendant socio-political and environmental implications. The course looks critically at visual documentation of information, focusing on how our understanding of the environment is shaped by different maps and map-making protocols. All maps are tools and they all shape and challenge our understanding of space, place, and events. This arts workshop is conceived as a laboratory for the study and creation of maps. We will review the history of maps and map-making; create maps and diagrams for real-time events, which may include natural resource management, population migration, epidemics, weather, and public festivals. Authors may include Denis Cosgrove, Mark Monmonier, Michel de Certeau, James Corner, Peter Hall, Edward Tufte, Ginger Strand, Ingrid Gould Ellen, Nicholas Felton, and Matt Ridley. In a workshop format, this class will ask students to create graphic and written responses to the weekly readings. Digital design experience (familiarity with the Adobe Suite) is strongly suggested, but not required.

Course Type

Arts Workshops (ARTS-UG)