Course of Study

• 1/21 Orientation, 3 hrs — History of SFPC, community agreement, learning objectives, about the final project, meet the participants

• 1/28 Theory/Hardware, 4 hrs — We will be looking at the origin of computer interfaces and how they obscure reality, compared to a traditional model of ideology. Introduction to electronics as a material + medium for creative expression. Can we gain familiarity with a new medium by working in one that is familiar?

• 2/4 Theory, 3 hours — This discussion will focus on the origins of settler colonialism in the Western United States and the preface to modern-day Silicon Valley.

• 2/11 Theory/Hardware — This week begins with a critical reconsideration of computer design, and what a decolonial technology might look like. Learn to build a basic LED circuit using copper tape + through-hole components.

• 4 hrs; 2/18 Theory, 3 hrs — We will begin considering the origins of surveillance technology in the United States, and its roots in racial capitalism.

• 2/25 Theory/Hardware, 4 hrs — Building on the previous week, we will unpack how the body as data is related to the legacy of racial slavery. Discuss drawing as a way to understand. Early history of technology art. Introduce the relay + transistor and logic gates.

• 3/3 Theory, 3 hrs — We will learn about the origins of scientific racism as well as the evolution of Ancestral DNA tracing as a commercial phenomenon.

• 3/10 Theory/Hardware, 4 hrs — This week’s discussion is an overview of neoliberal economic practices in America, the normalization of debt, and the expansion of policing and incarceration. Introduce small building block applications of the transistor (calculator, sequencer synth). Begin discussions around the final project. Use the class time to break into small groups and have discussions about what people want to make. If there are technological constraints, what are those?

• 3/17 Theory, 3 hrs — Building on the previous discussion we will look at how the Military, University, High Tech sector, and Police came together to create a perfect data storm.

• 3/24 Showcase — We will be sharing our work with the community through a public event.

Expectations

What is expected of me?

• Participants should prepare to do 3-4 hours of reading per week, and to spend time working on hardware projects outside of class.

• Over the course of the 10 weeks, we will be working on a collaborative publication relating to themes discussed in class, and by the end of the class we will publish this as a digital publication containing original contributions from every member of the class. See past years’ publications (Summer 2020), (Spring 2019), (Fall 2018) and (Fall 2019).

By taking this class, you can expect to gain the following:

• The ability to communicate complex ideas through writing and discussion with peers.

• A more conscientious approach to developing new technology and design that reflects our current moment, centering care and longevity rather than efficiency.

• A nuanced critical perspective towards technological objects and their generation of power and control in society.

• A thorough knowledge of the history of surveillance practices in the United States.

• An interdisciplinary understanding of the relationship between art, design, technology, and economics.

• Introduction to electronics as a material + medium for creative expression.

• We will explore a pathway towards using electronics as a medium for creative expression? Unlike more traditional modes of expression, such as writing, music, drawing, electronics are not by necessity legible, intuitive, easy to use, or even at human scale.

• We will address electronics from a variety of perspectives as a way to relate it back to human expression.

Materials

• Materials will be provided.

Is this class for me?

This class may be for you if:

• If you are an artist or designer who wants to know more about computer technology.

• If you want to engage with critical theory for the first time, or have experience with it.

• If you recently finished a degree program, or are on the fence about whether to enter one.

• If you are a coder or tech worker and you want to think more critically about the social and economic impact of computers.

• If you are NOT a coder or tech worker but you want a deeper understanding of how code affects everything around us.

• If you are a fan of The Matrix (1999).

This class may NOT be for you if:

• If you are only interested in coding or getting better at coding.

• If you think the economic theorist Adam Smith made a lot of good points.

• If you want people to believe that the cloud is in the sky.