Interdisciplinary palimpsest: visual representations of coastal change combining digital craft and geomorphology

ABSTRACT

From rocks to clay, a shared interest in natural materials and their physical transformation provided the initial common ground for an interdisciplinary art-geoscience collaborative project that also opened up a novel and engaging public communication channel. Scientific data collected for a location-based geomorphology mapping project was collaboratively re-interpreted and re-presented as a craft installation by using digital technologies and hand-crafted processes. The project explored how creative practice can uncover and broaden narratives, layering interpretations whilst respecting and embracing the need for accurate visual representation of scientific data. As the practice-based element of a broader digital craft PhD research programme, the project effectively demonstrated an enlarged field of practice for digital craft. The collaboration resulted in a large-scale, porcelain panelled, wall-mounted installation for public exhibition and has led to subsequent significant unforeseen developments in the scope and outlook of research work undertaken by the collaborators. This paper reflects on the synergies between disciplines that were uncovered and how project challenges were met. We conclude that the project work acted as a ‘boundary object’ for the two collaborating parties, able to represent different values and fulfil different objectives for each party at the same time, while also moving forward practice for both.

KEYWORDS:

• Interdisciplinary
• geomorphology
• art-geoscience
• coastal change
• digital craft

Acknowledgements

Isabelle Risner's PhD research was undertaken at Falmouth University where she acknowledges the support and collaboration provided by workshop technicians and practice experts. Larissa Naylor acknowledges support from the research computing technician (A. Cowley) and cartographer (S. Roulliard) at the University of Exeter who made the initial base maps.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Isabelle J. Risner http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1408-5223

Larissa A. Naylor http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4065-2674

Additional information

Funding

Isabelle Risner's PhD research was part funded by the European Social Fund (Project no 09099NC05). Research support for Larissa Naylor was provided by a Royal Geographical Society (RGS-ESPRC small grant) during the collaboration, and by a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship (NE/M010546/1) during the writing element; Natural Environment Research Council.