Interspecies Collaboration Spring 2010 (Art 130 - Visual Art As Culture)

• One or several independent/group 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 (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 class 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 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 "aware" of the collaboration.
  
  
• Collaborative Dolphin Project: Chartered dolphin excursions/performances together with the wildlife biologist Toni Frohoff. We will use movement (both in the manner in which the boat is operated as well as through body posture), eye contact, and above-water sound to engage with the dolphins. Our actions and movements of will be coordinated with the dolphins through various protocols designed by the group. The interactions, which are both an investigation of our relationship with wildlife and the boundaries we create and experience between us, and a collaborative exploration of the Santa Barbara Channel, will be documented using video cameras, cell phones, cameras, hydrophones etc.
  
  
• 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 350 words per week.)
  
  
• Project presentation in exhibition format: Each student will exhibit one or more projects made during the quarter. The projects can be exhibited be in the form of physical art works: paintings, sculptures, installations etc. You can also exhibit on-site performances, 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 gallery exhibition context).
  
  In addition the collaborative dolphin project will be exhibited as an installation in which all the documentation generated during the excursions will be presented.

• Submit your profile to interspeciescollaboration.net (Click on "Start Collaborate!")
  
  
• Short written reviews of the readings should be submitted to the site.
  
  
• 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).
  
  
• 1-2 class presentations of initial research for a project. The research should include information regarding habits, play- and aestetic- behavior etc about the species you work with and cultural, sociological and psychological implications and significance of our relationship with that species.
  
  
• In addition the students will be asked to contemplate specific questions and be prepared to discuss these questions in class.
  
  
• Submit comments on other student's projects to the site.

• The readings will be discussed in class, used as inspiration and contextualization of projects. In addition you will write reviews of 3 of the required texts on interspeciescollaboration.net:
  
  
• Chapters from The Man Who Talks to Whales: the Art of Interspecies Communication by Jim Nollman (202)



• Chapter 8, Fear of the Familiar, in The Postmodern Animal by Steve Baker (2000)



• Charlie Russell's (depicted in "Walking with Giants: The Grizzlies of Siberia") response to the death of Timothy Treadwell (depicted in Grizzly Man) (Online)



• Chapters 5 & 6 (Pages 116-162) from Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication by Toni Frohoff and Kathleen M. Dudzinski (2008/2010)



• Chapter 7, Taxonomies, from The Open: Man and Animal by Giorgio Agamben (2004)

• The UCSB "REEF": Hermit Crabs, Octopus, Star Fish, Anemones etc
  
• The UCSB Vivarium
  
• Lil Orphan Hammies: Pot Bellied Pigs (Suey Parkinson, 1181 Fredensborg Canyon Rd, Solvang, CA (805) 693-9953)
  
• Wild Horses In Need: Wild Horses
  
• Return to Freedom: Wild Horses
  
• Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary(2430 Lillie Avenue,Summerland)
  
• Turtle Dreams (Jeanie Vaughan, 2298 Featherhill Rd, Summerland, CA (805) 969-5128)
  
• DAWG: Dogs
• SB County Animal Shelter: Dogs, Rabbits and Cats
  
• SB Humane Society: Dogs and Cats
  
• Santa Barbara Zoo
  

• The Beaches: Dolphins, Sea Lions, A Variety of Birds, Squirrels
  
• The Santa Barbara Channel: Dolphins, Whales, Sea Lions, A Variety of Birds
  
• The Santa Ynez River: Turtles, Crayfish, Fish, Birds, Snakes
  
• The UCSB Compost: Rats, Squirrels, Birds
  
• Isla Vista and Campus: Skunks, Raccoons, Squirrels, Birds
  
• Coal Oil Point Reserve: A variety of Birds, Whales, Seals, Otters, Dolphins (see Species List and Current list of whales and other marine mammals spotted in the Channel.)
  
• Sedgwick Reserve: Coyotes, Bob Cats, Mountain Lions, Skunks, Raccoons, Squirrel, A Variety of Birds (see Species Lists)
  
• Santa Cruz Island: Island Foxes, Dolphins, Whales, Sea Lions, Island Scrub Jays, Bald Eagles, Other Birds (see Species List) Santa Cruz Island Eagle Cam, Catalina Island Eagle Cam
  
• Everywhere: Insects, Spiders, Lizzards