nonsite

Reflecting further on “action research” methodologies and the differences between creative production and artistic research in terms of what is actually produced, I am critical of how the written aspects of representing research in practice based visual arts have distorted some current art making. Any assessment process perverts behavior. I’m curious how a systematic approach to research and documenting research methodologies have skewed some contemporary art practices, and how the documentation of those practices within the University have transformed and distorted art made within the University context.

We need to be clear on the differences between creative production and research- as it is a complex ecology. I’m curious if creators can be researchers and can researchers be creators- and what is the difference? This is particularly interesting considering universities are full of smart people, who figure out how systems work, and as there are large amounts of funding that are at play. Is this question just about language or is it part of a more subtle or radical paradigm shift. Within Canada we are increasingly seeing how Canada Council is funding artist/creators and increasingly they are diverting artists employed in university towards Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funded grant opportunities for researchers within institutions.

The challenge for artists is how to be clearer on the differences between creative production and visual arts research. How can we come up with language to articulate research in the visual arts, when research questions are often not clearly articulated until much later on in the artistic process. Traditional research attempts to describe the questions at the start. Artists tend to come to understand the research question much later or after the fact and more often rely on others- critics, curators and writers to articulate what has been investigated. As artists we don’t want to be just illustrating an idea or visualizing theory.

How do we assess and judge practice-based research in visual arts? How do we promote excellence in artistic inquiry and what are the determining factors? Can we propose that artworks that are held in world-class esteem and are an essential point of reference for others could be a measure of excellence? Do we use the same criteria as the art world, where success in the markets and the museums can be seen as the arbiters and determiners of quality?