I have been studiously not opening the "design as research" postings
until very recently. The title just makes me feel weary and I've never
felt that "practice as research", to steal a term from the field of
performance, is a useful concept because it just collapses things
together in a totally uncritical way.
I feel Paul Reader has made some very worthwhile points about the choice
between an institutional approach, "is this research?" and a inquiring
approach "how does visual material (or performance, or designing or any
other practical matter) act in the development and sharing of
knowledge?" There is no single answer but as Paul says, for example,
scientists make great use of visual material. I'm aware of cases where
designers have collaborated with them over that material and the results
in terms of both scientific insight and public understanding have been
rewarding.
I think I've mentioned Lucy Lyons' work before and it was presented at
DRS2006 in Lisbon. Her drawings, strictly speaking delineations,
produced as a tool for investigations in pathology are currently being
exhibited at the Hunterian Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons in
London. I hope some members of this discussion will have the chance to
see this work in London. It exemplifies how a skilful visual
practitioner can make a transformative contribution to research and the
most important aspect for me is that it is not build on a GENERAL theory
of how such practices can contribute to knowledge.
Instead it results from an individual identifying a specific opportunity
and developing a robust and critical approach, drawing on a number of
established principles, but using the act of delineating as its central
instrument.
Lucy's work may be more widely disseminated in future, at the moment she
is focusing on completing her PhD. However I hope she feels that being
selected for exhibition by an august body of surgeons, on the basis of
their belief that her work is valuable to them, has as much value as the
internal peer review and examination procedures of our discipline.
best wishes from Sheffield
Chris
*********************
Professor Chris Rust
Head of Art and Design Research Centre
Sheffield Hallam University, S1 2NU, UK
+44 114 225 6772
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www.chrisrust.net
Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the
future of the human race. - H. G. Wells
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