Artistic research connects creative practice with inquiry into art, culture and society. It can bring making, historical study, theoretical interpretation and reflection into the same investigation, while keeping the question and the evidence of the work clear.
Practice, theory and context
Visual arts and performance studies offer different settings for artistic inquiry. Theoretical frameworks can be connected with practical techniques to investigate artistic processes, rather than assuming every activity uses the same method.
Historical, cultural and theoretical study can inform a creative practice. Social and political interpretations of art should identify the works, contexts and arguments being examined.
Interdisciplinary and collaborative inquiry
Psychology, literature and anthropology provide possible interdisciplinary perspectives. Their contribution needs to be explained in relation to the creative question, rather than treating a list of subjects as a research method. The Culture and Communication guide adds related context for examining cultural perspectives and explaining how meaning is interpreted.
Collaboration and discussion can make different interpretations and decisions available for review. An account should explain participants’ contributions and the purpose of the work.
Digital practice and environmental themes
Digital media and interactive design are technological themes for artistic exploration. A project should identify what the medium enables and how that relates to the inquiry.
Eco-art and sustainability connect artistic work with environmental questions. An artistic response and a claim of environmental improvement are different things; the purpose and limits of each should be clear.
Reviewing artistic work
Practical experimentation can explore techniques and media. Reflection should explain what was attempted and how decisions changed, rather than simply assert that an artistic voice developed.
Different cultural traditions can inform artistic research. Interpretation should retain their particular contexts instead of treating art as one universal language with identical meaning for every audience.
A project can retain a record of experimentation, decisions and reflection so that another reader can understand the inquiry.
Questions about artistic research
Is making an artwork automatically a complete research account?
Not by itself. The inquiry should make its question, process and reflection available for interpretation.
Does a digital medium establish innovation?
No. Its relevance depends on the creative question and the work it enables.
Related study
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The Society for Artistic Research overview relates artistic practice to knowledge, communication and research exchange. It provides an external scholarly context for explaining a creative inquiry and making its processes available for discussion.
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