It matters what matters we use to think other matters with; it matters what stories we tell to tell other stories with; it matters what knot knot knots, what thoughts think thoughts, what descriptions describe descriptions, what ties tie ties. It matters what stories make worlds, what worlds make stories.
Donna Haraway
Currents: Computing Textiles: A Hands-On History is an interdisciplinary course exploring the complex history and speculative future of technology by way of the history (and future) of textiles and craft. Students in this course will develop skills in circuitry and coding as they relate to the construction of textiles. They will also develop skills in textile construction such as knitting, weaving, and dying as they relate to technology. Practical skill development will be accompanied by a deep practice in historical and theoretical research and writing. Discussions will include themes of gender, race, and society and students will be encouraged to challenge conventional history. We will examine the value society places in its tools and what that means for the objects they produce and we consume. In this course, we ask students to consider how we define technology, who can create technology and how the evolution of technology has shaped the world we live in. We seek to understand how the tools we create now will affect our relationships to each other and our environment in the future.