Themes for Final Paper/Project Due in lecture on December 3, 2012

A four-page single-spaced paper on one of themes described below. A fifth page must contain at least four
detailed reverences supporting your position in the paper. Moreover, the reference must be an essential
part of the paper. The project or art work is an illustration of the paper that can be part of the paper or
a separate item. However, it must be an integral part of the presentation with paper and project
illustrating one another. Possible forms are drawings, photographs, posters, poems, videos, skits and
whatever serves to elaborate the theme of the paper. The package is worth 25 course points.
Project Themes
1. Earth satellites have had a revolutionary impact on society and on art. They have exploded the range
and speed of communication and have made possible the internet. Explore this paradigm shift and its impact
on art and design.
2. Energy is conserved in the Universe; it never changes except to morph from one form to another. In
design art, energy can be part of the design either implicitly as in the use of color to signify strength,
or directly as in kinetic art that exhibits real motion. There is even a movement called “Energy Art” that
depicts energy using color, form, and composition to resonate with the observer (energyartmovement.org).
Explore how energy flows and drives the elements of your design projects.
3. The Earth energy-balance is a topic of great attention. Explore this topic emphasizing the various
threats to the environment by current practices including the massive use of fossil fuels and the projection
of CO2. Discuss how your design processes takes the environment into consideration in the choice of
materials. You might also explore alternate energy sources not only for their clean-air benefits but also
as practical replacements for fossil fuels.
4. The second law of thermodynamics states that change in a closed system either maintains the order of
the system or decreases that order. Thus, time has a direction toward enlarging the space of system
possibilities and thus to a decreasing sharpness to pattern definition. All things die. Describe how the
“arrow of time” (aging) can be anticipated as part of your work as a designer
5. The mechanics of traveling and standing waves is the foundation of the design of musical instruments
and how they sound in a room. Elaborate on your own efforts, including the use of computer technology, in
managing sound that is essential to your artistic expression.
I will grade on the basis of the quality and persuasiveness of your ideas. The references should be used
as clear evidence of your research, and the paper and project should exhibit mutually support each other in
an obvious and effective manner. The paper is due during the Monday lecture of the eleventh week of classes
– December 3, 2012. Presentations of projects are not required, but presentations can be given during the
lecture times of that final week of classes. Excellent presentation will earn up to a two-point bonus.
This final paper and project replaces a final examination, and it is worth 25% of the course grade. Final
grades will be completed by the end of the day on Tuesday, December 11, 2012. A project not received by  that time will be given the grade of zero.