Dual Degree in Digital Arts and Animation La Sallle Campus Barcelona URL

Dual Degree in Digital Arts and Animation

Contemporary visual culture

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Description
We are immersed in a digital age where the impact of images and visual inputs are constant. The subject allows to understand the contemporary world from plastic and visual parameters. Thus, the subject presents the historical emergence and the development of the visual culture in our days, allowing the student to create a context of the own visual culture that allows him to use it like referring in his artistic practices, learning to see and to analyze the historical images critically and contemporary. Likewise, the student will study the main actors of the cultural, national and international industry: artists, illustrators, designers ... The contents of visual culture are embedded in related disciplines such as the history of contemporary art, the media, video games, audiovisual productions, cinema, advertising, photography, design, comics ... so that they generate their own codes and languages, which reflect our contemporary culture, where the important thing is the bond that is established between the person who captures the images and the images themselves, regardless of the medium used, as well as the intentionality of said images. Contemporary society has developed a visual code where images contain semantic meanings that must be known, as if it were a new language. It is no longer possible to seize our environment without these codes. Thus, from the aesthetic understanding, the student's critical spirit will be stimulated in communication campaigns, viral actions and other contemporary visual impact phenomena.
Type Subject
Tercer - Obligatoria
Semester
Annual
Course
2
Credits
5.00

Titular Professors

Gregory Black
Professor
Gloria Fernández Somoza
Academic Coordinator

Professors

Gregory Black
Gloria Fernández Somoza
Gloria Fernández Somoza
Previous Knowledge
Objectives

The student identifies styles, aesthetic periods and contemporary visual culture.
The student knows the actors of the cultural and communication industry.
The student understands the main ideas of complex texts in English, can produce clear texts and communicate orally.

Contents

Unit 1. Visual culture, what is it? How to see the world.
Unit 2. Iconography and sign. The visual act. The picture.
Unit 3. Visual construction. Visual representation.
Unit 4. Perceiving through the eyes. The viewer and the image (subject-object).
Unit 5. Reality and appearance. Photography.
Unit 6. Contemporary codes and signs.

Methodology

The subject will be developed through active and participatory teaching methodologies that help the student to assimilate the knowledge, competences and learning objectives of the subject. The cooperative work as well as the autonomous work will be promoted, strengthening the interrelation between student and teacher; as well as the interdisciplinarity that will give the opportunity to expand concepts between diverse matters.

Evaluation

Standard evaluation:
Theoretical basis: 30%
Evaluation of the theoretical basis of the subject through:
- a written test of open answer at the end of the 1st semester and of each one of the thematic blocks of the 2nd semester.
Minimum grade required to arise average >4/10
Individual note.

Seminars/Workshops: 30%
Evaluation of the seminars made during the course.
Minimum grade required to arise average >4/10.
Individual note.

Written presentation of the first semester project: 20%
Evaluation of the written work of the first semester project.
Minimum grade required to arise average >4/10.
Individual note.

Oral communication: 10%
Evaluation of the student's oral expression in the different seminars and in the oral presentation of the first semester project.
Minimum note to make the average> 4/10.
Individual note

Continuous evaluation: 10%
Involvement of the student in the classes, delivery of the exercises and criteria of the teacher.
Individual note

Special evaluation:
In case standard evaluation is failed, students have the option to pass the subject by passing a special evaluation exam.

Criteria for standard and special evaluation:
In the event that the exams, exercises or works to be delivered by the student do not present a correct written, grammatical and orthographic expression, the maximum grade will be a 4.
If the conditions are not fulfilled for passing the convocation, the maximum grade will be a 4.
The average grade of the subject will not be taken if one of the two semesters is suspended.
The student will have the right to review the exam grade (evaluation) on the day assigned by the professors. Upon this revision, the student’s grade may improve or decline.

Evaluation Criteria
Basic Bibliography

Brea, J. L., Las tres eras de la imagen, Akal, Madrid, 2018.
Martín Prada, J., El ver y las imágenes en el tiempo de internet, Akal, Madrid, 2018.
Mitchell, W.J.T. Teoría de la imagen, Akal, Madrid, 2009.
Mirzoeff, N., Cómo ver el mundo. Una nueva introducción a la cultura visual, Paidós, Barcelona, 2016.

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