PhD PROGRAM

Proposal of Final Project

The ability to write a detailed and compelling proposal is an essential skill for an artist. By the end of the quarter following the General Exam the student must submit a formal proposal for the Final Doctoral Project. The project proposal will state the theoretical and practical problems the student will explore, as well as the research methods and technologies that the student will develop and employ. The proposal will show how the project will constitute original aesthetic and conceptual explorations as well as embracing innovative approaches to the use and development of technology and/or science in the Arts. The submission of the formal proposal and its subsequent formal approval by the student's Reading Committee will ensure that both the student and the committee agree upon the scope and feasibility of the project.

Final Project

The precise nature of the Final Project will depend on the nature of problems and the focus areas which the student proposes to investigate. The Final Project will be comprised of a major work of art and/or a consequential theoretical work representing an important advance in the field. Art works must be accompanied by thorough documentation describing the processes, technologies, techniques, and conceptual frameworks (see below for a detailed description of the documentation requirements). In all cases, the Final Project must constitute an original contribution to methods, applied techniques and theories of the generative arts.

The Final Examination has two components:

The penultimate requirement of the Ph.D. Program is the public presentation of the Final Project. The nature of this presentation will vary widely depending upon the nature of the work. For example the public presentation could be a showing of the work in a gallery or museum setting, a concert or theatrical presentation, a public space setting, or some other non-traditional and experimental venue designed by the candidate. This presentation is the concrete expression of the student's individual research goals, intellectual investigation, technical skill and artistic vision assembled during their tenure as a DXARTS doctoral student. The student must have written approval by the Supervisory Committee that the actual presentation qualifies as the formal Final Project Presentation.

This will be public presentation in the form of an Oral Exam of approximately 1.5 hours during which the candidate will give a professional level presentation about all aspects of the Final Project. The Exam will include questions from the Supervisory Committee and Oral Defense attendees present during the presentation of the Final Project. Successful completion of the Oral Exam results in conferral of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Digital Arts and Experimental Media.

Required Documentation for DXARTS Ph.D. Final Projects

The documentation of DXARTS Ph.D. Final Projects will be comprised generally of five integrated components:

1. Written documentation of the research and production process.

   This is the written portion of the documentation which should include a detailed narrative description of the project, and a multidisciplinary examination of the conceptual, historical and theoretical matrix in which the research project resides. This section should include a complete bibliography, a timeline, and document all aspects of innovation, new artistic research processes and methodology developed in the creation of the research project. The written documentation should also include a section on the importance of the innovations developed in this project, and speculate on the relationship of these developments to the discipline at large. Finally the documentation in this section should also attempt to highlight possible avenues of investigation in this particular area of research that might be undertaken in the future. Documentation in this section can also include published papers.

2. Technical documentation of the research and production process

   This section is designed to fully document the technical and computational elements used in the creation of the work. Further, this section should be imagined as a working blueprint for any future reader to completely assemble, analyze and reconstruct any or all elements designed for the specific research work. It should include an exhaustive compilation of individual components and ensemble systems used in the creation of the project. This list includes but is not limited to, software, hardware, parts, systems, sensors, switches, networks, databases, chemicals, materials, blueprints, shop and construction drawings, circuit and wiring diagrams. A portion of this section should be dedicated to early research and prototypes. It should also include original dates of conception, copies from lab notebooks, and any proof of concept documentation.

3. Installation schematics and event score

   This body of documentation is designed to provide a complete overview or a schematic of how to assemble the technical components (ingredients) listed in the previous section into a functional work of art or event. The document should provide complete installation details of the physical environments, tools and support systems needed to assemble the work. These include, space measurements, lighting, time of day, season, acoustics, altitude, temperature, didactic information, etc. Most importantly it should graphically describe the precise organization or placement of all elements that will be used to create the project. As an example, a well-indexed DVD with video and audio clips showing both the environment, and assembly procedures could be appropriate for a remotely controlled mechatronic system. Concurrently, this document should provide a script or score of any timed, and or sequential events. These are cues that might be used by a preparator to properly install or stage the work, or a by a performer or conductor who might re-stage the event. If specially designed scores or graphical elements are used in this score, legends or annotated scores should be provided.

4. Event recording and documentation of the finished work

   This document should provide a professional quality record of the completed research work. Since much of the work created in this genre of arts research is ephemeral or liminal in nature, accurate recordings of both the objective and the subjective experience of the project should be created when possible. All projects should have video and audio recordings, even if the majority of the work resides outside of operational or sensory awareness. In certain circumstances stereoscopic video, or soundfield recordings in 3 dimensions should be considered, as they will maintain the spatial aspects central to the work. Special instructions on the proper playback of these recording should be included. Optional recording and archiving formats (eeg, ekg, emg, mri, x-ray, ultrasound, satellite, telemetry data, etc.) can be included as long as they are essential to the clarity and proper interpretation of the work.

5. Assessment and interpretation

   A final assessment section summarizing the outcome of the total project should be included. This section should focus on the goals of the project and how successful the author believes they were, as well as the shortcomings of the project both conceptually, technically, and implementation.