Saturday, 8 December 2018

Linda Candy, transformative spiral of research

Linda Candy, Leonardo Vol 35, No 1 (2002) pp55-7 MIT Press.  Cognition Pt 1: Perspectives from 3rd Symposium. https://www.jstor.org/stable1577076

Knowledge is a key dimension of thinking of the creative process. ... (but also needs) perception, cognition, emotion and the way we learn to represent our world internal.  p55

Creativity research often assumes the central activity is a mental one.  This is a partial view of the creative process (p56) whereas activities such as handling tools; exchanging ideas in discussion and accessing and transferring domain knowledge are often not represented.

Knowledge of the world, including the tools and devices we use, can affect the way that creativity develops.  Research creative acts by considering the whole rather than the parts.

Need to understand the interactions between the different attributes of creative practice.

Informs our understanding of larger issues concerning how the tools we use affect creative practice.


E Edmunds & L Candy.  Creativity, Art Practice and Knowledge Communications of the ACM October 2002, Vol45, No 10 pp91-96.

Creativity can be characterised as a process towards achieving an outcome recognised as innovative.  p91

Outcomes of creative work that are exceptional may be evaluated (and valued) by others, usually the domain experts, but are not necessarily recognised as such outside that knowledge group.  

Creativity does not come out of a vacuum in a sudden and mysterious flash.  Typically the creative step is based on significant knowledge and serious creative activities, including art practice, are best understood in the context of knowledge work.  p91

Conditions for creativity are very important, and creative people arrange it, eg complex tools.  (I do - but mine are classes with conducive fellow artists).  Exploration of ideas, knowledge and tools. p91

Creative process: p95.  Exploration, Generation, Evaluation

Exploration - access source data (different types of knowledge) relevant to creative knowledge worker.  Open process may lack observable direction ... but thorough and selective.  Comprehensive knowledge sources readily available are a huge advantage.  Important to know where to look and how to select.

I think I'm quite good at this.  I'm prepared to use things I enjoy and find easy, as well as the more difficult.  I love a trip out, which means I'm prepared to travel (UK and abroad eg NY).  I have the funds to do this.  I can be thorough - documenting where I've been and what appealed, which comes in useful later (blog and exhibition book; some catalogues).  Not sure about how selective I am.  Some exhibitions I don't attend because the just don't appeal (Claude Cahun) and later wonder whether I missed a trick.  Yet other times, I've been to events that were a let down, yet dismiss it with 'You have to give it a try - if you don't go, you don't know'.  I've joined the National Archive in Kew, which I discovered was an amazing resource (and easier to access than Coventry!).

Generation - problem formulation is more important than problem solving.  Define purpose to get the best outcome.  Creativity is demonstrated by generation of many potential solutions, not gravitating to the single familiar outcome.

I'm not sure how competent I am at this.  I don't think I formulate the problem before I start the artwork.  I may do it before I start the stitch.  Or as I work the stitching.  I definitely generate a lot of artwork before I decide which one to take forward, or select which artwork to interpret in stitch.

Evaluation  is conducted afterwards.

Knowledge work involves the assimilation of existing knowledge and its interpretation for the benefit of others.

Not sure how this fits with Scrivener's view that art works cannot be Knowledge artefacts.

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