Thesis-2009-Harty.pdf (6.42 MB)
Drawing//experience : a process of translation
thesis
posted on 2012-11-13, 14:01 authored by Deborah HartyHow is it possible, through drawing, to identify and translate the elements of a
specific experience into drawings? The thesis presents the findings of the
practice-led research, which sought, through engagement with processes of
drawing and phenomenology (notably Heidegger 1962 and Merleau-Ponty
2002) and/or psychoanalysis (notably Csikszentmihalyi 1990, Bollas 1987), to
address this question. The research has been specific to the translation,
through drawing, of luminary into drawings. The experience researched and
translated, through drawing into drawings, is identified as luminary and refers
to the author's experience of a night sky. The research identified the elements
of luminary as; external elements - luminosity, blackness and vastness;
internal elements - awareness of being, awareness of the continuum of time
and fluctuating state of consciousness. The fluctuating state of consciousness generated during luminary was noted
to have resonance with the experience of certain artworks (notably Kapoor
2000 and Cardiff 2001) initiating the thought that it would be possible and
valid to translate luminary into drawing. The elements of luminary are not
specific to the researcher and the drawings themselves are a form of artwork.
Previous work relevant to the fluctuating state of consciousness, concentrates
on the experience from a third person perspective, through the experience of
the artworks of others (Dewey 1934, De Bolla 2001). This research offers
conclusions from a first person perspective - the researcher is also the
researched - furthering understanding of human experience. The
documentation of implicit elements of processes of drawing offers insights
into, and consequently, furthers understanding of a creative process. The hybrid methodology adopted for the research is referred to as action
theoria, taking its name from the combination of action research (Dick 1993)
and theoria (Davy 2006). Action theoria incorporates the cyclical and iterative
process of action research - intention; action; review - with a process of
theoria - the dialogue of both practice and theory's relationship to a given subject matter. This research responds to luminary - as its subject matter -
and is led through the investigations of drawing and drawings. Action theoria
also involves reflective practice, as outlined by Schon (1983) as a means of
evaluating the research findings.
The effectiveness of the hybrid methodology action theoria, developed for this
research, made it possible to answer the research question by uncovering the
possibilities for translating a specific experience, in this case luminary, into
drawings. The research culminated in a freestanding drawing that could be
entered into. The drawing was considered to contain the identified elements of
luminary: luminous black, infinite black, continuum of time, and fluctuating
state of consciousness. The presence of a luminous black was created by the
perforations in the drawing's surface. The presence of an infinite black
appeared through the vast compressed charcoal surface. The suggestion of
infinity was implied by the continuation of the repetitive fingertip marks and
perforations drawn between the concertina folds. Evidence of the fluctuating
state of consciousness was a visible trace through the marks on the paper. As a consequence, the final drawing of Phase Three, Series 8, (figure 89) was
considered to be an effective translation of the identified elements of luminary;
external elements - luminosity, blackness and vastness; internal elements -
awareness of being, awareness of the continuum of time and fluctuating state
of consciousness and therefore, the drawing concluded the research by
demonstrating - it is possible, through drawing, to identify and translate the
elements of a specific experience into drawings.
History
School
- The Arts, English and Drama
Department
- Arts
Publisher
© Deborah HartyPublisher statement
This thesis is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/)Publication date
2009Notes
A Doctoral Thesis. Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University.Language
- en