‘Painting’ as emergent knowledge: a practice-led case study of contemporary artistic labour

Abstract

Our current economic, social and environmental climate demands that we find creative responses to live and work in a sustainable manner. In this context, we need to reclaim creativity as a potential force for transformation, understanding it as a social phenomenon, without over-relying on social constructionist approaches that mistrust concepts of ‘agency’ and ignore human cognition. This article explores ways in which contemporary artistic labour might be understood as a cognitive process which is both agential and social. Through a case study of practice-led research, it investigates (1) the ways in which painting may be understood as a process of ecological cognition involving artist, audience and artefacts; and (2) what happens when you explicitly draw attention to the material, social and relational processes of making sense of the artwork. I conclude that the work of art may be experienced as a bringing-forth of emergent knowledge involving artist, audience and artefacts.

Acknowledgements

I would like to give particular thanks to my supervisors, Professor Calvin Taylor and Professor Jonathan Pitches; to the technician team at stage@leeds; and to my audience participants. Without their generous advice, support and involvement, this research would not have been possible. I would also like to thank Chris Smith for a very helpful conversation, and two anonymous reviewers for their feedback. Finally, I am grateful to the School of Performance and Cultural Industries at the University of Leeds for funding my PhD scholarship.

Notes on contributor

Carole Kirk is a painter and Cultural Industries PhD Scholar in the School of Performance and Cultural Industries, University of Leeds. Her research uses her visual art practice, which explores climate change responsibility, to investigate the ways in which contemporary artistic labour can be understood as a cognitive process which is both agential and social.

Notes

1. You can see documentation at http://dancingwithpaint.wordpress.com/events/feeling-a-way-through/