
PRACTICE/AS
RESEARCH
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RESEARCH/
ART MACHINES
THE PARADOX OF THE NORMAL:
A PHENOMENOLOGICAL ONTOLOGY OF ARTISTIC PRODUCTION
What is the research about?
The research is about the practice of art based on the embrace of the a priori conditions of individual artists lives, where the known about and the normative represent the place or springboard from where novelty can evolve. A phenomenological approach that draws on the reflective coordinates of the artist.
The paradox lies in the artists' life knowledge as an experiential and personally meaningful resource but also represents the catalyst, or the place from where disruption and therefore novelty in production happens from.
In the workshops there are 4 overarching frames: drawing; subject matter; composition; skills and techniques. It is a given that a workshop setting is about learning and therefore experimentation, developing new skills and understanding around artistic production. The overarching frames are developed as learning through practice.
The premise of the research is to think about and embrace art as an outsider activity, what Giles Deleuze might refer to as a minor literature, sat, as it is, outside the economically productive conditions and drive of a modern society.
not leaving out the contemporary aspect of what is the subject matter of an artist's work - a difficult process and one that often gets bypassed in this kind of setting.
Genesis of this research?
The research is a response to being both an artist and a teacher of art. The genesis of the projects comes from teaching art in Further Education colleges. The broad intake of FE colleges means in the morning a lecturer might be teaching FdA students (without honours) and in the afternoon teaching BA degree students (with honours), the same topics in the studio space, in the afternoon.
The research in broad terms, is a critique of a universal approach to teaching practice that uses the same teaching practice for both these groups that, I suggest, does not respond to the different phenomenology of students' individual experience.
In one enlightening lunchtime chat with another lecturer that his FdA students were 'just not creative'. In this statement lies the research drive in a confrontation with idea that the accumulative conditions of these students, from their backgrounds, compared to students from, broadly speaking, higher socio-economic status, were less attuned to creative thinking.
Developing teaching practice
What happens if not understood - double bind etc
What are Art Machines?
The
This initial premise has developed into a research project that is applied here, under different conditions and several shifts in criteria, to a small community art school.
Applying a set of criteria and recording their outcomes in order to reflect and develop knowledge on an initially proposed hypothesis around the idea of teaching and learning art.
The Practice as Research approach allows for both evolved and evolving criteria to be considered under specific conditions in this instance the Brasspoint community art school with the particular artists on the workshops.
There is also the potential to extrapolate from these conditions and reflections into other similar scenarios as well as to broader overarching ways of thinking about art education in associated settings and conditions.
This research will form part of a bigger research project set around the varied sociological conditions of artists and their routes and goals.
Why do this research?
The research is a way of putting artists' practice, with the particular conditions of this community art school, under a reflective spotlight.
It is an opportunity to highlight the goals of individual artists operating through the conditions of their own experiences and phenomenology conditions in relation to the systems and processes of knowledge about art and art production.
The social and cultural framing of art with the research critically addresses the practical and intellectual pedagogical facilities available to artists under these conditions.
Genesis of this research?
The research is a response to being both an artist and a teacher of art. The genesis of the projects comes from teaching art in Further Education colleges after having completed a PGCE in post-compulsory art education.
The broad intake of FE colleges means in the morning a lecturer might be teaching FdA students (a 2 year degree without honours) and in the afternoon teaching BA degree students (a 3 year degree with honours), the same topics in the same studio space. The research in broad terms, is a critique of the universal approach applied to teaching both these groups that, I suggest, does not respond to the varied phenomenology of students' experience given that, in broad terms, the difference in the qualifications often coincides with the conditions of a student's socio-economic location and opportunities.
This initial premise has developed into a research project that is applied here to the art school and has developed layers and variations along the way.
The transfer from the FE experience to our situation in a community art school is a different but similar set of criteria in that there is a broad range of experiences around art.
Driving the research then is a commitment to the development of individuals' art practice and generating a broader experience around art and its value.
to draw on criteria that generically applies to individual artists.
The pedagogical criteria of the art workshops and the supporting, Practice as Research, goals:
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the individual search for a personal language of art
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making art personal as an immersive way to make art content feel relevant
-
addressing key elements of art practice through production, that address often difficult to address such as subject matter and composition
-
using the histories of art for their direct potential to influence an individual artist's particular practice
-
the use of technology to support art practice when required
Methodology
The research methodology, that is to say the draws heavily on Giles Deleuze and Felix Guattati's writings for their pragmatic philosophical devices that coincide well with the drive of the creative artist to perpetually invent and develop the conditions and outcomes of their practice.
Your involvement
Generally the
Generally nothing much will change in the process and the workshops continue with the criteria that I generally use in my teaching practice.
The difference is that I review and record in a more exact way that allows me to consider the whole process in the round for individual artists as well as
formal assessment - meaning that I look at and discuss your art with you. Going forward I make more notes etc

PRACTICE AS RESEARCH
As a process of research - Practice as Research -
LOCAL ART SCHOOL
As a small art school Brasspoint is committed to working through the varied goals and expectations of artists in the weekly workshops.
As a collaborative - Practice as Research - project between artists on the workshops and myself as as a teacher and artist the
working out a practice that carries phenomenological value in the immanence of ongoing art practice.
ART MACHINES AND ASSEMBLAGES
SUMMER 2023
QUOTIDIAN TEXT PROJECT
ART MACHINE: BIBLE BLACK
ART MACHINE: MIDWEEK 4 O'CLOCK WEDDING
LINES OF FLIGHT AND THE MACHINE ASSEMBLAGE
STUDIO ACTIVITY
What is the research about?
Applying a set of criteria and recording their outcomes in order to understand a general hypothesis around the idea of teaching and learning art. The research allows for a hypothesis of evolved and evolving criteria can be considered under the specific conditions of this art school with the particular people involved. There is also the potential to extrapolate from these conditions and reflections into other similar scenarios as well as to broader overarching ways of thinking about art education.
Why do this research?
The research is a way of putting artists' practice, with the particular conditions of this community art school, under a reflective spotlight.
It is an opportunity to highlight the goals of individual artists operating through the conditions of their own experiences or phenomenology in relation to the systems and processes of knowledge about art and art production, the social and cultural framing of art with the research critically addressing the practical and intellectual facilities available to artists under these conditions.
Genesis of this research?
The research is a response to being both an artist and a teacher of art. The genesis of the projects comes from teaching art in Further Education colleges. The broad intake of FE colleges means in the morning a lecturer might be teaching FdA students and in the afternoon teaching BA degree students, the same topics in the studio space, in the afternoon. The research in broad terms, is a critique of a universal approach to teaching both these groups that, I suggest, does not respond to the different phenomenology of students' experience.
This initial premise has developed into a research project that is applied here to the art school and has developed layers along the way.
The transfer from the FE experience to our situation in a community art school is to draw on criteria that generically applies to individual artists.
The criteria:
-
the personalised search for a personal language of art
-
making art personal as an immersive way to make art personally relevant
-
addressing key elements of art practice through production, that address often difficult to address such as subject matter and composition
-
using the histories of art for their direct potential to influence an individual artist's esoteric practice.
-
use technology to support art practice when required
The research methodology draws heavily on Giles Deleuze and Felix Guattati's writings for their pragmatic philosophical devices that coincide well with the drive of the creative artist to perpetually invent and develop the conditions and outcomes of their practice.
Your involvement
Is as much or as little as you like. Generally the workshops continue with the criteria that I generally use in my teaching practice, the difference is that I review and record in a more exact way that allows me to consider the whole process in the round
formal assessment - meaning that I look at and discuss your art with you. Going forward I make more notes etc