For centuries, miniature models have been used as representations of larger things or as standalone objects of wonder. Working at ‘dollhouse scale’ (1:12 or 1:24) students in this course will create dollhouses or dioramas and turn them into sites, surfaces and containers for animated and projected worlds.
Students will use a variety of digital modeling and animation software in combination with a number of analog building and animation techniques to express their ideas. We will study specific works by artists like Tabaimo, Wael Shawky, Fred Wilson, Walid Raad, and Mike Kelley that employ miniatures, architectural models or interior spaces as motifs and subjects.
Coursework will emphasize the integration of physical and digital methods and static and time-based work to express ideas in an evocative and specific way. Scale and the conceptual possibility of scaling images and ideas up and down will be a recurring theme as well. At the end of the semester the integration of a constructed and a recorded space will be presented.
Learning Outcomes:
• Experience taking a narrative and giving it physical form and movement
• Understanding an animated 'enclosure' or 'interior' as a laboratory in which ideas can play out over time.
• A critical understanding of the specific (and sometimes problematic) power afforded by the "God's eye view" or "animator's hand" in constructing reality, be it miniature models, dioramas, or animations.
• Proficiency in digital-analog workflows including the ability to effectively manage content in a variety of formats, demonstrate effective file and layer management, and use storage effectively and efficiently
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Prerequisites: A statement of your interest, including a list of appropriate classes should be submitted by 10th November to the instructors (srees@bennington.edu & farhadmirza@bennington.edu). To be eligible for this course students must have taken at least two advanced VA courses prior– a combination of animation and architecture along with other VA classes. Please reach out if you have questions! Students who have previously enrolled in Dollhouse, Diorama should speak with the instructors before enrolling.
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 4
W 8:30AM - 12:10PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 12
Course Frequency: Every 2-3 years
Categories: 4000 , All courses , Digital Arts , Drama , Four Credit , Fully In-Person , Media Arts
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