Reading: Art Practice as Research by Sullivan G.
List some key elements that are listed in this article about the research method.
Art can be a way to visualize questions and information in order for us to understand new information.
The process of making or interpreting art is a way to discover new knowledge.
Art is a shared experience that plays a crucial role in cultural critique, historical inquiry, and educational development.
The nature of art practice as research is that it is a creative and critical process that accepts that knowledge and understanding continually change.
The research project might change and evolve as it goes on.
Art practice as research can be done in any media.
Definition: Art practice as research is a way of using creative and artistic methods to explore research questions. This method is typically used to describe personal experience, critique cultural ideas or investigate a historical event.
Preparation: According to Sullivan G. there is no set process for this research method, “the position argued in these chapters is that the quest for theory as it is currently understood in research can restrict rather than release the potential for carrying out inquiry that is not only timely and well grounded but also innovative in purpose and design”. Art practice as research is heavily based in experimentation and the outcome is often not known in advance. Therefore, there’s not a specific procedure to follow when using this research method. However, if I was using this method I would prepare by writing down questions that I want to investigate. I would then pick a research method that I could use in conjunction with art practice as research. For instance if I am investigating a certain cultural phenomenon I might conduct interviews or surveys and then move on to the art creation process. Art practice as research is a very open ended research method so the procedure changes depending on the inquiry and project. But this openness can lead the researcher to new ideas that they might have not reached if they chose a different method.
My research inquiry was about how different levels of wealth affect someone’s happiness. I would start by creating a list of questions that expand this inquiry then I would start to make art based on my own situation. I might then design a survey or conduct interviews from people of different levels of wealth. I would then make art that tries to capture these different experiences. At the end of the project, I would have several pieces of art that relate to different people’s experiences in different wealth brackets.