WEEK ONE-What does it mean to do Practice
I couldn't attend the first class of this module but Dr Ceicle went through its content with me. This week was an introduction to the course; How to use the canvas, the teaching mode for the course, the group projects, individual projects and assignments. She also told us about the weekly reading list and the process book where we get to document all that we learnt every week. We were also told to download the EKO software for the next class
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Interacting Art Research and the Creative Practioner
- The role of research is first to enhance personal effectiveness through conscious individual reflection and to provide a more systematic understanding of how people interact with artworks
- There are two major types of research; Practice-based Research and Practice-led Research. Although they are often used interchangeably, there are major difference between them. If the research is primarily based on the making of an artefact, the research could be said to be practice-based but if the research leads primarily to new understandings about practice then, the research is practice-led.
- -Artefact in the context of creative art, refers to an object, installation, exhibition or performance in any given creative field that is made by the practitioner during the research.
- The attributes of project-based research include; the making of an artefact is vital, the reflection and evaluation of the project s based on the artefact, the contribution to knowledge and originality of the project is demonstrated through the artefact created during the research project, the research is based on the artefact and it almost impossible to understand the outcome of the project without the artefact
- The attributes of a Practice-led project include the fact that; artefacts play a role in the project but the understanding from the research is directed primarily towards the evolution of new practices in a given field or organisation, Practice-led research does not depend on the creation of an artefact, it is usually founded in their practice. Also, the practice leads the direction of the research and the outcome can be handed over to other factors made available. the outcome of project-based research can be in the form of reports, guidelines, etc
Interactive art became popular in the 1960s as the artist began to create forms of art that exploits the power of digital technology and has the potential to engage audiences in exciting and unexpected ways. It is an emerging form that interchangeably depends on digital technology. To create engagement with the artwork, it must be designed and constructed in such a way as to meet the demands of serious artistic intentions. The nature of the medium and interactive of the form also has to be put into consideration. Hence, research is required to find out about how to design and implement technologies involved where there are no existing method or tools. Research is also about understanding how audiences respond to the interactive experience
There are two distinct pathways in the research process which inform the method employed
- The practitioner's own reflections upon the creative process and artefact outcomes
- The search for understanding about the nature of audience experience with the artwork
The process Reflective practice and research relies on taking action in order to understand how to change a situation where the insights derived may be used to make improvements. Reflective practice is a strategy for challenging existing practice and at the same time generating new understanding. It also provides an opportunity to document the processor reflecting the action as it takes place.
One thing to note is that in developing systematic ways of investigating audience experience, practitioner-researchers are able to dwell on existing methods from other fields and applying them to their own fields.
UNDERSTANDING MEDIA: THE EXTENSIONS OF MAN
The lastest approach to media study considers not only the content but also the medium and the cultural matrix within which the particular medium operates. The medium is the message because it is the medium that shapes and controls the scale and form of human association and action. The medium is in the message because the content is in the medium.
From the readings, I have come to understand the importance of research in the field o of digital media. I reckon that the research method to be used based on the readings will be a practice-based research as we will be working on developing interactive media project.
