International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Volume 1, Number 2, 2007
Return to current issues pageResearch Article
Abstract
Activating a Research Context in Art and Design Practice
Practice-based research in art and design is the focus of postgraduate programmes at many universities. The term is useful when practice constitutes a critical part of the research methodology resulting in a form of research through practice. This study uses one such postgraduate programme to examine student researchers’ understanding of their practice-based research methods, organisation of their studio processes and awareness of learning. A structured interview was used to investigate: 1) how artists and designers use documentation as part of their creative practice; 2) what forms and processes constitute this activity; 3) what the artist’s or designer’s perception is of the role documentation plays in their practice-based research and 4) the perceived positive or negative impacts resulting from the practice of active documentation of creative work. The context of the work is the wider debate around defining the role of the artefact as part the research process in art and design and the relationship between linguistic and non-linguistic components in the articulation of practice-based research. The results reveal some of the ways in which new researchers begin to understand and ultimately take control of their working methods, including the generation of new artefacts, the implementation of acquired knowledge and communication about significant processes. The results add to our understanding of the way in which artists and designers perceive the transition from professional practice to research practice.
View Full ArticleBio
Nancy de Freitas
Auckland University of Technology
Auckland, New Zealand
nancy.defreitas@aut.ac.nz
As a teacher, I work with postgraduate students in visual art and design and I have a particular interest in interdisciplinary approaches and collaborative learning environments. My academic area of expertise is practice-led research methodology, including active documentation and reflective practice. Current research interests include: the language of research reporting; practice-led research methods; the effects of documentation/reflection practices on student development and 'material thinking' approaches. My professional background is in painting and installation practice and I have worked collaboratively with composers and writers. My current art practice, which takes the form of multi-sensory art installations, has a philosophical locus in the dynamics of identity/belonging and the construction of place. I did my undergraduate study at the Ontario College of Art (AOCA) and postgraduate study at the University of Auckland, New Zealand (MFA).