Interspecies Collaboration (Art 185LJ) spring 2009

• One or several projects: Create one or more art projects in collaboration with non-human animals. Art project are here loosely defined as an aesthetic investigation of any kind. It can involve movement, sound, visuals, systems, technologies etc. Collaboration is for this purpose defined as working together with, or more loosely as doing something in parallel with someone. Most importantly you need to be able to imagine that the animal is collaborating with you, that they have some kind of interest in the project, and that you are not using the animal. One of the reasons for doing these projects is to discuss what "art" and "collaboration" is. Another is to become more respectful of other species experience of the world, and to learn something about it through them.
You can work with wild animals, semi-wild animals such as farm animals or zoo animals (and maybe lab animals), and pets. All will provide specific challenges and opportunities. Wild animals might be the most difficult to have sustained contact with, domesticated and semi-domesticated animals require the permission and interest of their owners, and that can be difficult to get. Pets might be the easies to communicate with but you might not know any that seem like they want to collaborate. There are many shelters and rescue organization around Santa Barbara (see links below) They might be interested in having people collaborating with their animals and it could be very rewarding to work with those animals since they might be deprived of attention, sad and bored. You can change project any time but don't give up too easily. You can work directly with the animals or create situations or technologies that allow you to interact and collaborate over time, as long as you feel that your collaborator is in some ways aware of the collaboration.
• Weekly project reports: The progress of the project(s) should be documented every week on interspeciescollaboration.net. Project reports should include text and some visual or audio documentation. The reports should include everything from how an idea is formed, how collaborators are contacted and approached, and potential results from the collaboration. Think of the reports partially as a diary (or blog) of your experiences with the collaboration. Document also what is not working, what feels frustrating and difficult. (Write at least 300 words per week.)
• Final project presentation in exhibition format: It could be in the form of physical art works: paintings, sculptures, installations etc. Or it could be an on-site performance. Or documentation of work made elsewhere. For that the weekly progress reports can be used to some extent but it should be reworked to fit within a physical exhibition context. The exhibition will take place in gallery 1342 Week 9.

• Your profile (Click on "Start Collaborate!")
• During the course of the class submit at least 6 resources (websites, art projects, books, articles, CDs etc) to interspeciescollaboration.net. They have to fit into the existing subjects (or if you identify a new subject of importance ask Lisa to add it to the site). Or write reviews of existing resources.
• 1 -2 class presentations of initial research (about the animal) for a project, and/or some related topic.
• In addition the students will be asked to contemplate specific questions and be prepared to discuss these questions in class.
• Comments on other student's projects.

• Exerpts from Jim Nollman's "The Man Who Talks to Whales: the Art of Interspecies Communication"
• Other readings TBA

• The UCSB "REEF": Hermit Crabs, Octopus, Star Fish, Anemones etc
  
• The UCSB Vivarium
  
• Lil Orphan Hammies: Pot Bellied Pigs (Suey Parkinson, 1181 Fredensborg Canyon Rd, Solvang, CA (805) 693-9953)
  
• Hearts Adaptive Riding: Horses
  
• Wild Horses In Need: Wild Horses
  
• Return to Freedom: Wild Horses
  
• Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary(2430 Lillie Avenue,Summerland)
  
• Turtle Dreams (Jeanie Vaughan, 2298 Featherhill Rd, Summerland, CA (805) 969-5128)
  
• DAWG: Dogs
• SB County Animal Shelter: Dogs, Rabbits and Cats
  
• SB Humane Society: Dogs and Cats
  
• Santa Barbara Zoo
  

• The Beaches: Dolphins, Sea Lions, A Variety of Birds, Squirrels
  
• The Santa Barbara Channel: Dolphins, Whales, Sea Lions, A Variety of Birds
  
• The Santa Ynez River: Turtles, Crayfish, Fish, Birds, Snakes
  
• The UCSB Compost: Rats, Squirrels, Birds
  
• Isla Vista and Campus: Skunks, Raccoons, Squirrels, Birds
  
• Coal Oil Point Reserve: A variety of Birds, Whales, Seals, Otters, Dolphins (see Species List and Current list of whales and other marine mammals spotted in the Channel.)
  
• Sedgwick Reserve: Coyotes, Bob Cats, Mountain Lions, Skunks, Raccoons, Squirrel, A Variety of Birds (see Species Lists)
  
• Santa Cruz Island: Island Foxes, Dolphins, Whales, Sea Lions, Island Scrub Jays, Bald Eagles, Other Birds (see Species List) Santa Cruz Island Eagle Cam, Catalina Island Eagle Cam
  
• Everywhere: Insects, Spiders
  

• Research the animals on the Santa Cruz island (see links on the location list above). Have an idea for a project you want to make on the island together with some animals there. If you are not going to the island, bring a project idea to be made here to discuss. Upload your idea to the interspeciescollaboration.net site (click on "add content" select "art project")
• Be prepared to discuss the movies watched on Thursday

• The chapter from last week and a new chapter from from Jim Nollman's "The Man Who Talks to Whales: the Art of Interspecies Communication" (Copies will be provided)
• Charlie Russell's (depicted in "Walking with Giants: The Grizzlies of Siberia") response to the death of Timothy Treadwell (depicted in Grizzly Man)