Triptych: ‘∆’: Reflecting on Drawing Practice as Knowledge ‘∆’/∞ Page 1 issssi io l in isssw illl lllttthen leeettthe in iee ee JJJune u 2 0 h h eesseeaarrcch rro aad eeaad S u ssi n o ee g aatth yy yyyour o n h o g rro o eevvi w un nee 1 1 2tth h2 2 00 06 6.. T T hi wi heen n eeenabl hg g ou up p lle deerr((ss)).. D D dli w S ub bm mi oons nss ttto ob b g heerreed db b ou urr rrresearch naab bl hee w w orrkki n gg g ou up p ttto o rrrevi Submi be gathered by group leeader(s). Deadl in ne 12th 2006. Thi wi worki ng group ew icci ip io f aa in lssso i ee f q io l ee eecco aattee iin h u h aarrd ttthe h u n aatti n ss o u n aassee aa ttttaacch o g rro aass aal o g eerri on nd dd d hee aa uttu um mn n.. T T hee w w d hee o o uttcco om meess iin ntti p o no of of q ueesstti o nss.. PPl hh h orrkki n gg g ou up ph h o aa grreeeed d aa outcomes in naa anti ci pati on of asssecond date in n ttthe autumn. The worki ng group has al agreed a ssseri es of questi ons. Pl ease attach hard cccopy o o h o ss w h u tteed h i tttted ll l aa i lli ilin ss w eell ss ee m g o o eesseeaarrrccch op pyy ttto o ttthe hee w w orrrkk w heen n sssubmi ub bm mi h d aa w maai n g ttto o yy ou urr rrresea wo ks when as wel as emai ng your g rro aad g ou up p lle deerr.. group le eader. you, me and us: ‘∆ ∞ Hi, ‘Phil might for example reflect upon the discrepancies and inconsistencies between his expressed intentions and what he actually does. His intention will be to improve his awareness including his relationship to the collaborative context whilst simultaneously informing others of the illogicalities and discrepancies in his practice’! It occurred to me that if we are to assume the you, me and us, in whatever format, it may be useful to keep a record of individual thoughts, from now, as well as the collaborative, 'this is the response to'. I guess I’m thinking it could prove useful in the final 'outputs' to have three separate dialogues?? if that makes sense? A 'commentary' for want of a better word, which informs the process from three differing perspectives?? Just some Friday thoughts! D. On Second thoughts 3. • Have you discussed this piece of work/process with anyone else in Triptych while carrying out the work? ttyyych rriis g A tt ttthe h cch yym iu m n 4 n 5 f JJJanuar aan 0 tt ttthe h h u f M o h eel leeeg tteess fffrrro m u lin n u A hee T T hS S mp po ossi u mo o n2 2 4tth h aaand nd d2 2 5tth ho of nu uaarryyy2 2 00 06 6 aaat hee IIIr hM M usseeu um mo of M od deerrn n A hee d d gaaates o mD D ub bli nsstti uttee At Trrriip ip pt Symposi um on 24th 25th of 2006 issh Museum of Moder nA Arrrtttttthe del om Dubl in nIIIns titittute h h rreesseen h o f T eecch lo g in g n ivvversi eerrssi ittty yy aaand n o n ivvversi eerrssi ittty yy aaagreed g ttaatti n n p issscussi ccu io n o d ttthrough hrro ou ug gh h ttthe hee p p ho op pss ttthat haatt of T hn no ol o gyy,, K Ki n gsstto on nU U ni nd d LLLoughborough ou ug gh hb bo orro ou ug gh hU U ni grreeeed n n aaand nd do o peen nd di ussssi o nw w orrkkssh prese of Technol ogy, Ki ngston Uni Uni nta tio io on open di on workshops io n g o n n rri itti icccal aal l rrref eefl f le cctti aaa ffa cceett o f ttthe h eevveel lo p f d rraaw in rraacctti ee,, w ittthi h in rri ip ttyycch o o aarreef fu lly tt w h ee d o n n g p d o aaand nd d eeengage ng gaag gee iin of hee d d o pm meen ntt o of d wi p wi hi n T p h,,,iis o llo okk cccaref ull w haatt w w on do in ncccri ti leecti faacet of devel opment of drawi ng prac tic icce, wi nT Tri ptych issttto lo ook ul lyyaaat what we u p .. u po on n iititt. upon ig n rro f vvi isssual u l aaarti rrtti isssts ttss aaand n eessi ee ttth h kk iin T h tteen n ;; ttthat h ss aaad ivvverse eerrssee g rrss w ee rrreveal eevveeaal l ttthe h rro f h o eel laaati tti io n o u g neeers g ou up po of uaal nd dd d w hiin T hee iin ntti n iis haatt aaas di w hee p p occeessss o of h ow ww o n ttto oo o urr gn group of vi desi in nk in n rrrel The in nten tio io on iss; di we process of how we on our rro id ee aaab o f kkknowl d rraaw in g rraacctti iccce, ee,, iin ccl lu d in g o ee w o o lla b io n rrd o n leeedge d o h aap f ttthe h op p ovvi d b od dyy o of d wi n gp p u di n g h h ow w w w w orrrkkkiin oll bo orraatti o n,, iin o deerr ttto no ow wl dg gee fffrrrom om m ttthe hee cccapture pttu urree o of hee provi de body of drawi ng practi in ncl udi ng how we wo in ncccol laaborati on, in no order of io n ee aaanal n lyyyse ssee aaand n f ttthe h rraaw in g eesseeaarrcch o llla IIIt tt iis rro h tt aaat tt ttthi h isssssstage ttaag f ttthe h eevveel lo p rrtti icccul u laaate ttee o u d ivvi id u l o nw w naal nd d aaarti ntt o of hee d d wi n g rrresearch h cccol ol ab bo orraatti p op po osseed d ttth haaat hi gee o of hee d d o pm meen ul o urr iin di d uaal on we of drawi ng laborati issp proposed of devel opment our in ndi vi dual g u jeeect cctt///tttheme. h eeexperi xxp ieeence n n eel laaati tti io n ip o n grreeeed d sssubj ub bj heem mee.. peerri nccee aaand nd d rrrel o nssh hi p o aaan n aaagreed onshi pttto h h rr iin d ivvi id u l rrresponses eessp T h o in g rro aass aaagreed g h .. hee tttheme heem mee fffo o di d uaal po on nsseess iis T hee w w orrkki n gg g ou up ph h grreeeed d ttthat haatt ttthe ∆ iss ∆ or in ndi vi dual The worki ng group has ∆. eel laaati tti io n o .. A n d ivvi id aal l sssubmi u ittts ss d rraaw g u o n ttto o∆ ∆ A n iin di d u ub bm mi d wiin g ///o o uttcco om mee((ss)) iin nrrrel on ∆. An in ndi vi du ual draw in ng outcome(s) in cctti io n f b eettw 5 n 0 o issst tt o f aaap eerrsso l cccri rri itti icccal aal l rrref eefl f le T h u lssso o xxp o o o no of b weeeen n1 1 50 00 0 aaand nd d3 3 00 00 0w w orrd on nssi of p on naal T hee o o uttcco om mee iis o eeexpected peecctteed d ttto o ccconsi dss.. on of between 1500 3000 words. of personal ti leecti The outcome issaal al 1 Triptych: ‘Δ’: Reflecting on Drawing Practice as Knowledge BOUNDARY ‘a line which marks the limit of an area; a limit of something abstract.’ 1 Testing the boundaries of working practice. Comparison and compromise, standards, values. Negotiating the boundary to collaborate effectively. You:Me:Us? 1 Soanes, C. & Stevenson, A. (Ed) Oxford Dictionary of English, (second edition) 2005 p. 201 1 Triptych: ‘∆’: Reflecting on Drawing Practice as Knowledge ‘∆’/∞ Page 2 ∆’ … the fascination and the fear of the 1 white page … ∞ … to draw is never a transcription of thought (in the 2 sense of writing) … ‘∆ Reflexivity requires an awareness of the researcher’s contribution to the construction of meaning throughout the research process, and an acknowledgement of the impossibility of remaining ‘outside of’ ones subject matter 3 while conducting research . I think the fascination and the fear of the white page is the site in which one enacts differentiation as soon as a mark or sign is made. It changes the nonness and establishes a place of action. As soon as that act occurs the paper becomes something. 1 1 Avis Newman/Catherine de Zegher ‘Conversation’, The Stage of Drawing; Gesture and Act, Selected from the Tate Collection, Tate Publishing and the Drawing Centre, New York 2003 – 2004, p. 237 To draw is never a transcription of thought (in the sense of writing) but rather a formulation or elaboration of the thought itself at the very moment it translates itself into an image. 2 Reflexivity requires awareness ‘∆ us Used to refer to an indefinitely specified person; one: Used to refer to the one or ones being addressed: The objective form of we Used as the direct object of a verb: Used as the indirect object of a verb: Used as the object of a preposition: The objective case of I Used as the direct object of a verb: Used as the indirect object of a verb: Used as the object of a preposition: of the researcher's contribution to the construction of meanings throughout the research process, and an acknowledgment of the impossibility of remaining 'outside of' one's subject matter while conducting research. Reflexivity then, urges us to explore the ways in which a researcher's involvement with a particular study influences, acts upon and informs such research. 3 2 Jean Fisher (written with Stella Santacatterina), ‘On Drawing’, The Stage of Drawing; Gesture and Act, Selected from the Tate Collection, Tate Publishing and the Drawing Centre, New York 2003 – 2004, p. 222 3 Nightingale and Cromby, 1999, p. 228 There are two types of reflexivity: personal reflexivity and epistemological reflexivity. ‘Personal reflexivity’ involves reflecting upon the ways in which our own values, experiences, interests, beliefs, political commitments, wider aims in life and social identities have shaped the research. It also involves thinking about how the research may have affected and possibly changed us, as people and as researchers. ‘Epistemological reflexivity’ requires us to engage with questions such as: How has the research question defined and limited what can be 'found?' How has the design of the study and the method of analysis 'constructed' the data and the findings? How could the research question have been investigated differently? To what extent would this have given rise to a different understanding of the phenomenon under investigation? Thus, epistemological reflexivity encourages us to reflect upon the assumptions (about the world, about knowledge) that we have made in the course of the research, and it helps us to think about the implications of such assumptions for the research and its findings. 4 you between us ∆?’ us between you and me 4 me don’t you Carla Willig, Introducing Qualitative Research in Psychology, 2001, p. 10 Triptych: ‘Δ’: Reflecting on Drawing Practice as Knowledge Any choice is a response ‘to’; ‘Δ’ the ‘me’ absorbed into the ‘us’? ……when we look, we enter the intimate space of a work that is as close to an artists thought as one can get.’ 2 you between us ∆?’ me us don’t you between you and me ‘Essentially there is in the act of drawing a wish to externalise thought and to communicate existence. 3 2 Avis Newman/Catherine de Zegher ‘Conversation’, The Stage of Drawing; Gesture and Act, Selected from the Tate Collection, Tate Publishing and the Drawing Center, New York 2003-2004, p.41 Avis Newman/Catherine de Zegher ‘Conversation’, The Stage of Drawing; Gesture and Act, Selected from the Tate Collection, p. 41 3 2 Triptych: ‘∆’: Reflecting on Drawing Practice as Knowledge ‘ ∆’/∞ Page 3 ‘∆’ ⅓ help me somebody 1 Research takes place when we reflect on data and structure them into a cogent inquiry…R esearch involves inquiry that takes place as the researcher works with the data. This cannot take place with the raw presentation of an interview or the raw presentation of artefacts. It requires inquiry, articulate 2 analysis, and interpretation. √ = ‘∆’ ⅔ It ’s so high you can ’t get over it and it ’s so wide you can’t get aro und it 3 I don’t do active research I do passive research. The easier version where you let the research come to you. C ome on research; come on research (with the telly control). Oh a program about 4 sharks, …and then I know about sharks. X = 1 Brian Eno & David Byrne, Help Me Somebody, BMG Songs/Warner Chappell Music, 2006, Virgin Records 2 Ken Friedman, Raw data as a part of research, DRAWINGth RESEARCH@JISCMAIL, 30 April 2003 3 Brian Eno & David Byrne, Help Me Somebody, 2006 4 Eddie Izzard, Dress to Kill, Video, Ella Communications Ltd. 1998 1 © ‘∆’ It ’s a slow th ing and there’s no escape from it 5 D D a w n g e e a h e d o d a w n g p a e a n d o e n e q u e e n g a g e m e n n u d o u u e Drrra aw wiiin ng g rrre essse ea arrrccch h iis iss llliin in nkkke ed d ttto od drrra aw wiiin ng gp prrra accctttiic icce e,,, a an nd d iiittt o offfttte en n rrre eq qu uiiirrre esss e en ng ga ag ge em me en nttt iiin n ssstttu ud diiio o cccu ullltttu urrre e... S S u d o u u e a n h o e d n h e g u d a n d a a n d d e g n h o o e p a e g u m e n a Stttu ud diiio o cccu ullltttu urrre e iiisss a an nccch ho orrre ed d iiin n ttth he eg gu uiililld dsss,,, a an nd da arrrttt a an nd dd de esssiiig gn n sssccch ho oo olllsss ssstttiililllll rrre ep pllliic icca attte eg gu uiiilld ld dm me en nttta allliiitttyyy... T T h m e n a e m p h a e u d o p a e a n d m a n g a e a T h a g o o d w a o d e e o p Th hiiisss m me en nttta allliiitttyyy e em mp ph ha asssiiizzze esss ssstttu ud diiio op prrra accctttiiiccce ea an nd dm ma akkkiiin ng ga arrrttte efffa accctttsss... T Th hiiisss iiisss a ag go oo od dw wa ayyy ttto od de evvve elllo op p 6 p p a a u d o n o h e b e w a o e a n e e a h o o p a e e e a h prrra accctttiiiccca alll ssstttu ud diiio o ssskkkiiillllls lss... IIIttt iis iss n no ottt ttth he eb be esssttt w wa ayyy ttto o llle ea arrrn n rrre essse ea arrrccch ho orrr ttto op prrra accctttiiiccce e rrre essse ea arrrccch h... la souris est sous la table ∞ Ar i st ot l e s ai d t he s u n go es ro un d t he e ar t h. Wr on g, wr on g. B ut i n h i s d ay you didn’ t hav e to prove a the or y. N ow adays if you say, “I think soot is the elixir of life if mixed w ith w ater!” … . W ell then prove it. “ I will prove it with st r i ng a nd i od i ne a nd a n o t e f r o m m y m ot h er . ” B ut i n A r i st o t l e’ s t i m e y ou could say the sun w ent r ound the ear th and people said w ell done that’s a theory, fantastic, and just a few photos all right? © 5 6 7 Brian Eno & David Byrne, Help Me Somebody, 2006 th Ken Friedm an, Raw data as a part of research, 30 April 2003 Eddie Izzard, Dress to Kill, Video, 1998 2 7 ‘∆ …drawing O O is not seeing P 5 P … i.e. a definition of the real in visual 6 terms ⅓ ⅓ The investigation aims to extend the considerable knowledge of drawing practice by testing the boundaries of the medium in relation to scale and the subsequent placement/installation of the works. ∆ Triptych: ‘Δ’: Reflecting on Drawing Practice as Knowledge II pprraaccttiiccee m maakkiinngg tteexxttss aanndd aarrttiiffaaccttss tthhaatt uuttiilliissee ddrraaw wiinngg.. LLaa ssoouurriiss eesstt ssoouuss llaa ttaabbllee iiss aann oonnggooiinngg pprroojjeecctt ssttaarrtteedd iinn 11999966 ooff w h i c h which tthhee ffiirrsstt pphhaassee ((PPaaggeess 11 –– 1111 iinncclluussiivvee)),, ttiittlleedd TThe he AArtificial rtificial SSketc ketchhbbooookk,, w as ‘‘pub publlished’ ished’ iin n tthe he ttouring ouring was eexhibition xhibition aand nd bbook ook ‘‘D Drrawing awing TThe he PProc roceess’. ss’. 3 Triptych: ‘∆’ : Reflecting on Drawing Practice as Knowledge ‘∆’/ Page 3( .i) ‘∆’ Response triggers some kind of reaction 1 2 Personal reflexivity now that la souris est dans la table ⅓: you between us: Practice led?∞ avoidance and ambiguity! ⅓: me ⅔: us + ⅔ you and me =1⅓ Shared and don’t you: et maintenant la souris est dans la table je suis sur la branche ! ∞The investigation aims to extend the considerable knowledge of drawing practice by testing the boundaries of the medium in relation to scale and the subsequent placement/installation of the works. 3 1 Rowlands/Simmons/Missy Misdemeanour Elliott/Tim Mosley/A Richards, ‘Music: Response’, Surrender, Virgin Records Ltd 1999 2 Deborah Harty and Phil Sawdon, Hinged, Loughborough University, 2006 3 Deborah Harty, Research Proposal, Loughborough University, 2005 3 ‘∆ …drawing is not seeing 5 … i.e. a definition of the real in visual 6 terms ⅓ ⅓ ∆ I cannot stress too strongly that drawing is not seeing. It is one of the commonest fallacies …… that a work of art is a record of something seen. On the contrary, works of art are in fact, made; they are artistic constructs, based on ingrained scanning procedures. 5 Implicit in every drawing style is a visual ontology, i.e. a definition of the real in visual terms. In any drawing, therefore, the first thing to do is to decipher what are the elements of ‘reality’ that the methods seize upon and conceptualise. 6 5 6 Philip Rawson, Drawing, Oxford University Press, 1969, p. 21 Philip Rawson, Drawing, p. 19 Triptych: ‘∆’ : Reflecting on Drawing Practice as Knowledge ‘∆’/ Page 3( .ii Epistemological reflexivity shadows the assumption that ‘any choice is a triggered response to ‘ 1 We (us) reflect/ \tcelfer on practice. ‘It’ is a contribution to our assumptions about the knowledge and experience of a series questions and answers. We are creative practitioners with some drawing expertise and … … no language, we’ve got flags of our own. 4: Us Some knowledge ∞ = 1⅓ 3: Reflexive practices: Personal and epistemological 2: ‘∆’: a question? 1: the delegate 2 I am reminded through ‘∆’ of a reference to the ‘forum on The Function of Criticism’ in the novel Small World by David Lodge at which leading international literary academics debate The Function of Criticism. After numerous prepared diatribes one delegate who ‘is not wearing an identification badge’ steps up to the microphone and asks, “What follows if everybody agrees with you?” The reply from the panel after much consternation is, “The members of the forum don’t seem to understand your question, sir. Could you re-phrase it?” The delegate responds, “What I mean is … “What do you do if everybody agrees with you?” The panel agree it is a very good question, ‘a very in-ter-est-ing 2 question’. The delegate replies “I don’t have an answer myself, just the question.” 1 2 Deborah Harty, Triptych collaboration, Loughborough University, 2006 p.2 David Lodge, Small World, Penguin Books UK, 1985, pp. 316-320 3 La souris est sous la table ou la souris est-elle dans la table? Mon surveillant est sur la branche ? le plus irregulier ! A practitioner’s reflection can serve as a corrective to over-learning. Through reflection, he can surface and criticize the tacit understandings that have grown up around the repetitive experiences of a specialized practice, and can make new sense of the situations of uncertainty or uniqueness .2 which he may allow himself to experience The language of French is quite alien to me…apart from the odd school girl necessity have never had the pleasure…as far as I can remember…and yet it has to be contained within the memory somewhere…how else could I have changed the sentence? I could understand a misspelling…but to insert the wrong word – a French word and still make sense that is something else….it highlights the fact that the experiences we have throughout life really do impact and shape the way we not only think but our responses to external influences. The collaboration has offered the opportunity to respond to respond to influences and experiences I would never have had whilst highlighting the way in which our experiences are then fed into our future thinking. Hinged 3 Collaborating on the project ‘Δ’ has offered the opportunity to reflect on my process of creative practice through the comparison of my collaborator. It has offered the opportunity to be subjected to new experiences and at times highlighted the limitations There are those who choose swampy lowlands. They deliberately involve themselves in messy but crucially important problems and, when asked to of my1practice’ describe their methods of enquiry, they speak of experience, trail and error, intuition, and muddling through. ⅓: you between us: Practice led?∞ ‘Δ’ Sur la branche? pourquoi? La souris dans la table vous dérange-t-elle que ‘Δ’ Sur la branche ? beaucoup ? un déplacement pourquoi ? la souris dans la table pratique vous derange-tde votre est très elle que beaucoup ? un intrusif,deoui deplacement votre? Unhinged 4 pratique est tres intrusif, avoidance and ambiguity! don’t you: ⅔: us + ⅔ you and me =1⅓ Shared and ! ⅓: me oui ? DraBoundaries wing, PlacemSearc ent & h Ced? ontext 1 Donald A. Schon, The Reflective Practitioner; How Professionals Think in Action, Hants, UK, 1991 p.43 2 Donald A. Schon, The Reflective Practitioner, 1991 3 Deborah Harty and Phil Sawdon, Hinged, Loughborough University, 2006 4. Deborah Harty and Phil Sawdon, Hinged, 2006