Art practice as research: inquiry in the visual arts

Includes bibliographical references (p. 227-244) and index.

Art Practice as Research: Inquiry in the Visual Arts presents a compelling argument that the creative and cultural inquiry undertaken by artists is a form of research. The text explores themes, practices, and contexts of artistic inquiry and positions them within the discourse of research. Author Graeme Sullivan argues that legitimate research goals can be achieved by choosing different methods than those offered by the social sciences. The common denominator in both approaches is the attention given to rigor and systematic inquiry. Artists emphasize the role of the imaginative intellect in creating, criticizing, and constructing knowledge that is not only new but also has the capacity to transform human understanding. The book is divided into three content areas that provide a unique framework for carrying out inquiry in the visual arts: Contexts for Visual Arts Research is a historical review that positions the visual arts as a culturally grounded and institutionally bound area of artistic and educational inquiry Theorizing Visual Arts Practice presents the thesis that visual arts practice is a theoretically robust area of inquiry and a Tran formative approach to creating and critiquing knowledge Visual Arts Research Practices describes a range of strategies and approaches to planning and carrying out visual arts research is a historical review that positions the visual arts as a culturally grounded and institutionally bound area of artistic and educational inquiry. Art Practice as Research is perfectly suited as a text for courses in art education, the visual arts, as well as general research methods courses in education and the humanities. This will also be an invaluable reference for anyone with an interest in interdisciplinary research in the social sciences and the role of imaginative inquiry in human understanding. (Source: www.sagepub.com)