This course aims to explore the negation of sculpture in the philosophical discussions, and deploys the Phenomenological Aesthetics to re-exam the definition of sculpture in the digital era. Agenda includes the image, art, and reality; truth at work; Art and the aesthetics; Art and embodied perception; Artwork and aesthetic object. Students are required to read through selected readings of Continental philosophers (e.g., Husserl, Heidegger, Ingarden, Satre, Merleau-Ponty), and utilize their theoretical work to exam the final project.

In the studio hours, this course covers digital modeling/sculpting techniques including polygonal modeling, digital sculpting, and blend-shape facial animation. Methods include the basic topology of the head model, high-poly sculpting/projection texturing, and blend shapes animation. In the final project, students get to choose either lip-sync animation or conceptual piece utilizing the created head models. An overview of digital editing/compositing and sound design will also be introduced to assist with students’ final project at the end of the semester.

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