Electronics Lab 101 is a rigorous hands-on introduction to practical electronics for artists. The emphasis of this workshop is on empirical experimentation with basic electronic circuits. Electronics Lab 101 will focus on developing interactive and responsive elements without requiring a computer. The goal of this workshop is to empower participants with the basic technical skills, comprehension and vocabulary necessary to approach the electronic medium intuitively and autonomously.
Participants will learn:
- Basic electronic theory and concepts
- How to read electronic schematics
- How to prototype circuits using a breadboard
- How to build alternative controllers/switches, basic sensors and control motors
Most importantly, Electronics Lab 101 will teach people how troubleshoot
Darsha Hewitt uses experimental electronics, radio-craft and aging technology for sound installations and performances. Her interest in working with electronic sound lies in its capacity to act as an audible indicator for processes, information and natural occurrences that we cannot see or that would otherwise go unheard. By handcrafting, rebuilding and cross-wiring basic electronics, she strips them of their commercial obligations and exposes them to the noisy and invisible ethereal realm. Darsha’s artwork often makes use of public vicinities and it responds to the environment or people that surround it. It often questions the role of automation in everyday life and how technology-reliant society silences and reinterprets identity.
She researches early audiovisual and communication technology and studies the practices of mid 20th century amateur electronics/radio enthusiasts and how they used homemade technology to augment and understand the world around them. She often draws on the formulas and aesthetics found in old D.I.Y. electronics magazines. In addition to her art practice, Darsha teaches people how to build electronics.
www.darsha.org
