Interspecies Collaboration (Art 185LJ) spring 2009

Time:
Meeting place:



Instructor:
Office hours:
Prerequisites:
9:00-11:50AM T/TR
E-Studio (Art 2220).
We can also use Art 2636, the wood shop (and for storing stuff use lockers outside the wood shop).
However the class will to a large extent take place were our collaborators are located, the beach, the mountains, parks and at our homes.
Lisa Jevbratt
T/R 12.00 to 1.00PM Office: 2228B
No prerequisites, graduate and undergraduate students, majors and non-majors are all welcomed.
Class Content: Experimental and experiential class exploring the possibility of making art projects together with animals. The focus of the class is on finding, communicating and working together with our collaborators. The projects can be manifested in a wide range of media and genres; they can be performative, visual, conceptual etc. They should make us aware of, and facilitate, an intellectual, emotional and spiritual partnership with the species around us. There will be a small amount of readings to help us get started with our work. We will also do some research into what has been done in this field and into the aesthetic expressions of other species. Our research and projects will be documented and presented on the web site Interspeciescollaboration.net. It is set up for the class and is providing a space for collaborative research; it allows us to share resources and websites, and it's an easy way to document the progress of your projects. The site is also accessible by the public.

The class meetings will consist of independent work on projects (sometimes in locations other than the class room), short lectures, discussions, video screenings, field trips and creating a gallery show.
Assignments: Project(s)
  • One or several projects: Create one or more art projects in collaboration with non-human animals. Art project are here loosely defined as an aesthetic investigation of any kind. It can involve movement, sound, visuals, systems, technologies etc. Collaboration is for this purpose defined as working together with, or more loosely as doing something in parallel with someone. Most importantly you need to be able to imagine that the animal is collaborating with you, that they have some kind of interest in the project, and that you are not using the animal. One of the reasons for doing these projects is to discuss what "art" and "collaboration" is. Another is to become more respectful of other species experience of the world, and to learn something about it through them.
  • You can work with wild animals, semi-wild animals such as farm animals or zoo animals (and maybe lab animals), and pets. All will provide specific challenges and opportunities. Wild animals might be the most difficult to have sustained contact with, domesticated and semi-domesticated animals require the permission and interest of their owners, and that can be difficult to get. Pets might be the easies to communicate with but you might not know any that seem like they want to collaborate. There are many shelters and rescue organization around Santa Barbara (see links below) They might be interested in having people collaborating with their animals and it could be very rewarding to work with those animals since they might be deprived of attention, sad and bored. You can change project any time but don't give up too easily. You can work directly with the animals or create situations or technologies that allow you to interact and collaborate over time, as long as you feel that your collaborator is in some ways aware of the collaboration.
  • Weekly project reports: The progress of the project(s) should be documented every week on interspeciescollaboration.net. Project reports should include text and some visual or audio documentation. The reports should include everything from how an idea is formed, how collaborators are contacted and approached, and potential results from the collaboration. Think of the reports partially as a diary (or blog) of your experiences with the collaboration. Document also what is not working, what feels frustrating and difficult. (Write at least 300 words per week.)
  • Final project presentation in exhibition format: It could be in the form of physical art works: paintings, sculptures, installations etc. Or it could be an on-site performance. Or documentation of work made elsewhere. For that the weekly progress reports can be used to some extent but it should be reworked to fit within a physical exhibition context. The exhibition will take place in gallery 1342 Week 9.
Building Context
Other information to be submitted to interspeciescollaboration.net:
  • Your profile (Click on "Start Collaborate!")
  • During the course of the class submit at least 6 resources (websites, art projects, books, articles, CDs etc) to interspeciescollaboration.net. They have to fit into the existing subjects (or if you identify a new subject of importance ask Lisa to add it to the site). Or write reviews of existing resources.
  • 1 -2 class presentations of initial research (about the animal) for a project, and/or some related topic.
  • In addition the students will be asked to contemplate specific questions and be prepared to discuss these questions in class.
  • Comments on other student's projects.
Readings:
 

Potential locations for animal interactions/collaborations Map (under construction), map link for iphone
Animals in Captivity, Shelters etc
Wild Animals
 

Week 1 (March 31, April 2)
Tue. Lecture: Class introduction

Thur. Due: Add your profile to interspeciescollaboration.net. Start communicating with and/or pay attention to the animals you meet during your day.
Thur. Reading: A few pages from from Jim Nollman's "The Man Who Talks to Whales: the Art of Interspecies Communication" (Copies will be provided)
Thur. Lecture: Notes: Interspecies Collaboration Art Links

Week 2 (April 7, April 9)
Tue. Field Trip: Lil Orphan Hammies A sanctuary for pot bellied pigs. (1181 Fredensborg Canyon Rd, Solvang 693-9953)(it's on the class map)
Carpooling needs to be organized. Do not forget to give Lisa the liability waiver. Be there at 9AM. It takes an hour to get there. Bring cameras or drawing tools or whatever else you might need to sketch ideas. (Or even make a fast little project) Read about pot bellied pigs. What are they doing that could be considered creative activity?

Wed. Talk: Amy Franceschini: Futurefarmers 4:00 PM McCune Conference Room, 6020 HSSB

Thur. Class: Viewing the movies"Grizzly Man" and "Walking with Giants: The Grizzlies of Siberia"

Week 3 (April 14, April 16)
Tue. Due:
  • Research the animals on the Santa Cruz island (see links on the location list above). Have an idea for a project you want to make on the island together with some animals there. If you are not going to the island, bring a project idea to be made here to discuss. Upload your idea to the interspeciescollaboration.net site (click on "add content" select "art project")
  • Be prepared to discuss the movies watched on Thursday
Tue. Reading:
Tue. Talk: Fritz Haeg Broida Hall at 5PM
www.fritzhaeg.com

Thur. Field Trip: Meet at 9.30AM sharp at The UCSB "REEF". See class map for location.

Fri-Sun. Field Trip: Santa Cruz Island ;-)
Meet at 8.00AM sharp at Island Packers in Ventura. See class map for location.

Photos from the island from last fall (and a show with works made on the island)

Week 4 (April 21, April 23)
Tue.: Class does not meet.

Thur. : Animal Attraction, video by Kathy High about telepathic animal communication

Week 5 (April 28, April 30)
Tue. Due: Read the Animal Communication handout. Attempt to communicate with an animal following all the steps. Write a description of your experience on the website. (Submit it as a "text", categorize it as a "reflection").
Tue.: Barbara Janell, animal communicator, will be visiting us. Please be on time.

Thur. Due: Selected student presentations on animals at Sedgwick
Cow: Nathan/Hannah, Deer: Alex , Gray Fox: Chelsey, Coyote: Sinead, Bob Cat: Shanti, Mountain Lion: , Black Bear: Leona , Rattle Snake: Forrest , Ground Squirrel: Masha

Be prepared to talk for 5 to 10 minutes about the animal. Focus on their senses: how it sees, hears etc, and on its play behavior and potential creative behavior and other pieces of information you think could help us coming up with a project idea to propose to animals of that species at Sedgwick. Upload a text with your research to the website (categorize it as "Other"). You can upload pictures and if you want to link to an external site just write the link in the text starting with http://.
Thur. : Planning and Working on Sedgwick Reserve Projects (or other projects if you are not going to S. Everyone meets in classroom.)

Week 6 (May 5, May 7)
Tue. : Planning and Working on Sedgwick Reserve Projects (or other projects if you are not going to S. Everyone meets in classroom.)

Thur. to Fri.: Sedgwick Reserve Overnight Trip Directions (also see the class map above):

You can come to the Sedgwick Reserve via State Route 154 Cachuma Lake or via U.S. 101. If coming via 101, exit at the Buellton, State Route 246 exit and turn east. Come through Solvang and Santa Ynez to 154. Turn left. Coming from Lompoc, follow 246 until it intersects 154.

Going north on 154 look for Edison Rd 2.2 miles, turn right on Edison (landmark is gray Lutheran church, go to Roblar (1.1 miles", and turn right. Go 1.2 miles to Brinkerhoff and turn left landmark is row of evergreen trees). Follow Brinkerhoff 2.4 miles to the end of the road and enter through the open gate. Drive carefully to Studio near Reserve Office for parking area.

Week 7 (May 12, May 14)
Tue. Due: Last chance to submit previous weeks texts and images to interspeciescollaboration.com. Including project descriptions, text/images from animal presentation and animal communication assignment.
Tue.: Class does not meet.

Thur. Due: Presentations about animals by all who has not yet presented. Be prepared to talk for 5 to 10 minutes about the animal. Focus on their senses: how it sees, hears etc, and on its play behavior and potential creative behavior and other pieces of information you think could help us coming up with a project idea to propose to animals of that species at Sedgwick. Upload a text with your research to the website (categorize it as "Other"). You can upload pictures and if you want to link to an external site just write the link in the text starting with http://.
Thur. :

Week 8 (May 19, May 21)
Tue. Due: Select one of your projects for exhibition, present the project in class.
Tue.: Student project presentations. (Discussing projects for exhibition.)

Thur. : Student project presentations. (Discussing projects for exhibition.)

Week 9 (May 26, May 28)
Tue. Class: Start installing exhibition in Gallery 1434

Thur. Class : Installing Exhibition in Gallery 1434
Thur. Evening: Opening Exhibition in Gallery 1434 4pm to 9pm.
Friday: Gallery Cleanup.

Week 10 (June 2, June 4)
Tue.: Exhibition discussion, class evaluation.

Thur. : Field trip to Forrest's place (with mini-horse!) Meet there at 10am (address in email), bring breakfast picknick stuff (for sharing).
 
Misc
Interspecies Collaboration "How To"
UC Reserves Rules for Working with Wild Animals
Wildlife Threats: Imprinting
Zoo Enrichment, Octopus
 
Images above: Cover from the book "Dancing with Cats", Burton Silver and Heather Busch. (companion website)
The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project, Komar and Melamid.
Jim Nollman (interspecies.com) playing music with whales.
"I love America and America Loves Me", Joseph Beuys and Coyote.