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Title of Abstract:

Visual Analysis Model for Craft (Ref #210)

Date:
26-10-2006 14:18:11
Status:
Unsuccessful
Rating:
4
Details:
Conference themes: Innovation, design and craft & Craft and digital process

Key words: Visual analysis, Interactive media, Past and future craft practice, Craft process

This paper is a visual analysis reflecting on the innovative craft practice of the first significant fine crafts woman in modern Scotland, Phoebe Anna Traquair. It intends to identify and verify a visual method for analysing innovative craft practice.

The modernity of Traquair?s works, and her dynamic thinking and making, established her unique position and intellectual significant in the culture of Scottish Arts and Crafts. During Traquair?s life, the social correspondence with John Ruskin and the creative partnership with Robert Lorimer provided a broad view from which to explore her own personal innovation and, that of clusters of makers as well as other individual creative. The paper will explore Traquair?s craft process, specifically the socially interactive process that underpinned her thinking and practice.

Methods:
This paper is based on visual analysis, which uses a critical visual methodology for interpreting the visual culture in a craftsperson?s work. In brief, the process of visual analysis encompasses various methods for interpreting 2D and 3D craft, including compositional interpretation, contents analysis, and discourse analysis, all of which complement each other. The visual analysis builds upon an actual engagement with the objects studied rather than a study of historical textual sources.

On the other hand, interactive media is applied in the analysing process, which recasts as a ?context for experience?, and then it becomes possible to treat interactive media as a method rather than a means to a functional end, allowing a more ?accurate? view and meaningful relationship between new technique and visual analysis to emerge. By doing this, it allows us to engage in the craft process rather than the final object, and the modification of this process through the appropriation of new technologies. The interactive media practice constitutes an enquiry into whether and how interactive media can be used as a method with which to help people explore and understand the creativity and innovation in the craft process.

Outputs:
The aim of this analysis is not only to represent Traquair?s work, but also to explore the innovation of a craft practitioner through the analysis of her/his objects. Craft process encompasses the object, but is broader in its scope, and the analysis of the object is the entrance to see the craft process. The visual analysis intends to produce data that will contribute to a researcher?s understanding of a craftsperson's making processes and conceptual skills.

An exhibit following this research project will be launched to evaluate the visual model. (detail in my exhibit proposal )

Reviewer Comments:

Review #1 : Left on 11-11-2006 11:42:39 #
I have read this abstract in conjunction with the related exhibition proposal and have to say that neither illuminates the other. Although a methodology of visual analysis is proposed it is not clear from the images as to how the exhibition would reveal this, thus enabling an insight into an important maker's process and thinking.

3
Review #2 : Left on 15-11-2006 11:51:36 #
The analytical model being proposed has the potential to bring a new kind of insight into craft processes. However the elements and overall form of the model are not clear yet. The role of interactive digital technology needs to be simply expressed alongside descriptions of the other methods mentioned. The relationship between the subject and the analytical process also need further clarification. Why focus on Traquair? Testing the model on a broader selection of makers might prove more useful in refining it, and in revealing new insights into practice.
5
Review #3 : Left on 27-11-2006 13:59:28 #
While there is merit to the visual analysis approach, the disjunction between visual culture and the social history of Phoebe Traquair's life and work is pronounced. Why separate them out from each other? If this is not the author's intention then it is imperative that the approach is more clearly articulated to suggest that issues around feminism, Scottish identity, the arts and crafts movement and ethical craft production will be discussed through the visual analysis.
4

Public Comments:

Comment left by pv on 14-11-2006 09:57:43 #
I'm really curious about this work as a very interesting theory is being proposed. At the moment, the model isn't articulated. Hearing what the model intends to do in terms of visual analysis and what the impact is for craft could perhaps explain the signficance of the work? I think potentially it is very insightful and would like to hear more.
Comment left by FP on 17-11-2006 11:47:08 #
The process of Visual Analysis re Phoebe Anna Traquair is a 'slow' thinking but active experience. It allowd the researcher to see her own reaction, undstand the rationale, and finally review PAT's craft practice as multi- dimensional thinking process. all of these led the researcher to interpret the unique visual language that the ?particular tacit spatial awareness? within three dimensionally play that highlight the craft process. PAT's work provide the entrance to construct the model, I will test the modul on ' a broader selection of makers' to 'refining it' in the next PhD research stage, but for the conference, i think the visual analysis of PAT's craft is to demonstare the value and importance to build Visual Analysis Model for Craft.