Visual thinking: hidden truth or hidden agenda?

Abstract

The concept of visual thinking is deeply embedded in our culture. It is so much a natural part of our lives, its existence is ‘a habit of thought’ so basic, that to challenge it seems unthinkable. The purpose of this article, however, is to do just that. This article suggests that a reliance on visual thinking consistently undermines efforts to provide a clear educational rationale for the arts. It mystifies the design discourse, is responsible for the invidious distinction between theory and practice, and lies at the heart of the dangerous argument that it is impossible to even teach design. It causes confusion in the design studio and often reduces learning about the design process to a seemingly arbitrary second-guessing of what the tutor likes. Arguing that the concept of visual thinking is a construct, rather than a foundational truth this article offers as an alternative a pragmatic analysis. From this perspective the distinction made between primitive sensory thought and the higher conceptual mode of thinking can be seen as another version of the more familiar dichotomies described as untenable by Dewey some eighty years ago, but one which has escaped radical scrutiny and so remains virtually unchallenged. The article's most radical conclusion is to re-appraise the relationship presumed to exist between the senses and intelligence.

Keywords:

• pragmatism
• visual thinking
• art education
• design education
• sense perception
• intelligence