Intermedia Performance Art – (UNT) MUCP 5590

Initial Project Proposal – Come up with a project multidisciplinary in nature. You may draw on tools/techniques that you already possess, or investigate new technological resources.

First Obstruction – Make your project work with a colleague from class that you are paired with.

Second Obstruction – Put a central element of your project in a different medium.

Third Obstruction – Your assigned partner must give you an obstruction (Jerret required that I remove the computer automating my project as fixed media).

Fourth Obstruction – The professor will give each student a unique obstruction (Dr. Bithell asked me to find a way to make the box become “alive” in a more exaggerated and dynamic way at times in the piece).

Fifth Obstruction – Come to a conclusion about your final project and fill out the Final Project Proposal Form.

THE FIVE OBSTRUCTION IDEA FROM THE CLASS SYLLABUS

MUCP 5590 – Taught by Dr. David Bithell

For the first half of the semester, your creative work will be focused on a series of projects intended to refine your ideas and methods in preparation for the final project. These projects (or “obstructions” – derived from the Lars Van Trier / Jorgen Leth film “The Five Obstructions” – available in the Media Library as DVD 3542) take an initial intermedia idea, force you to see it in many different ways, challenge it many times, learn more about it than you thought possible, and to finally land on a version made better by this process. The steps along the way should expand your skills of collaboration and provide new and tangential ideas that should continue to be generative for your work beyond the scope of this class.

You will generate an initial idea. For each obstruction, I will assign you a task asking you to transform your idea in some way. While I do not expect each obstruction to result in a fully realized project (due to time constraints), I do expect a well conceived mock-up, draft, proof-of-concept, etc. that effectively demonstrates attention to detail and the assigned tasks. This will necessitate you to work quickly and efficiently.

For each obstruction, you may use your original idea or any previous obstruction realizations as the starting point (i.e. you don’t have to work through every obstruction starting from the same place). You may not, however, generate an entirely new idea to obstruct (i.e. the idea must come before the obstruction – that way it is more intellectually stimulating). Obviously you will need to adapt your idea to overcome the obstruction.

-Try to be as faithful to both your idea and the rules of the obstruction.
- Be open to criticism and new ideas. Respect others.  Be bold. Be kind.