A study was made of the attitudes of pure and applied science, economics and commerce students toward the acceptability of commercial goals for scientific research. A significant amount of discrimination was obtained amongst such groups of students on a battery of attitude statements and a scale was constructed from sixteen of the statements which gave the highest discrimination between commerce students and a combined group of pure and applied science students. The discrimination between the two groups on this scale was at the .001 level. The commerce students were significantly less homogeneous as a group and gave responses which were less internally consistent than those of the science students. In the second phase of the research, scientific originality was rated on the results of a test called "Problems and Solutions" which called for the production of ideas in an industrial and a non-industrial context. The within- and between-rater reliabilities of this test were .88 and .58 when degrees of originality were assessed, whereas the latter was .85 when only the presence or absence of originality was assessed. The results of the second study showed that scientific originality was significantly less in the industrial context, and that the ideas produced in that context were significantly-more often of a commercial nature. In the sample as a whole these two effects of the problem context were unrelated. Detailed examination of the results revealed the probable existence of three types of subject, designated the 'uncreative pure scientist', the 'creative applied scientist' and the 'creative pure scientist'. The first was characterized by zero scores for originality in both context, by the production of more, commercial ideas in the industrial contexts, and by a more pure-science orientation as measured by the attitude, scale. The second type was characterized by the production of more commercial ideas and a higher originality score in the industrial context. The third type was characterized by a lower originality score in the industrial context and the production of fewer scientific ideas in that context, rather than (at least in comparison to the other two types of subject) the production of more commercial ideas. The results did not support the hypothesis i) that the adverse effect of an environmental value system is positively related to the degree of dissonance between its values and those of an individual in that environment; ii) that the reduced originality of scientists in an industrial test context is a result of their conforming to an image of industrial research ideas having to be both commercial and conventional in order to be acceptable; iii) that the more creative the individual, the greater the adverse effect of a possible constraint perceived in the industrial value system, as considered here. There was limited support for the hypothesis that the least creative individuals are most likely to produce ideas of a commercial type in an industrial context. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate

It is impossible for me to discuss my paintings as something apart from my life. Painting is the only medium I have found through which I can synthesize my love of life, my criticism of it, my hopes, my humor and the truest realization of my world. It is, in fact, my whole way of life. Through paintings I can clarify my thoughts for, in essence, they are my thoughts and my feelings. Paintings do not simply intersperse my life as emotional outbursts. They are products of my life and its search for a place in the "scheme of things". That search starts with an awareness of a relation of all things in the world--a scheme of things--an order. The search of a life for its own place in the order, its relation to everything it contacts, produces the paintings. / Advisor: Edmund D. Lewandowski, Professor Directing Paper. / Typescript. / "July, 1951." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts."

"Of all the spoken and written words that each of us submits to during the course of our lives, those pronouncements which most nearly pattern themselves to our mold are those we most cherish. For whatever reasons, certain phrases or statements are inexorably held and blended with our nature until we are forced to admit them as part of ourselves. How many times does one pick up a book and read, only to find oneself nodding in assent to each line as though to say, yes that is exactly as I would put it. And certainly the artist is no exception in this respect. Volumes depicting every conceivable aspect of the subject repose in our libraries ready to argue, edify, verify, or simplify the art of painting. Within this vast accumulation one is bound to be smitten. Whether they be philosophical arguments of learned historians or the impassioned beliefs of the artists themselves certain statements will seem so in harmony with what we accept as our own thoughts that they seem not merely a duplication but a verification of our thoughts. When the authority has the advantage of having withstood the test of several centuries without losing face we are even more apt to justify our convictions in this way. Be that as it may, it is difficult not to summon up the best authorities available in an effort to bolster one's own position"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "June, 1957." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science." / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 45).

The corpus of this thesis study consists of a group of monoprints and paintings as well as a written commentary intended as their accompaniment. The investigation of such a topic as Birth and Rebirth has involved a concern with the existence of symbology meaningful to the topic. The term culture can be clarified to mean both the artist in particular as well as culture in a collective sense. The possibilities of the topic semantically would involve an essayist’s approach. This thesis is not a pictorial essay. Birth and Rebirth as terms evoke images which a painter can simply treat as subject matter. It has not been my intention to deal with existing images in a way which would succeed in documenting them in paint. However, for the purposes of the thesis problem, it is absolutely necessary to investigate in terms other than visual. The subject which insistently recurred in my painting, and once perceived there, in my thought, was the archaic cradle of man, the cave. Within this setting the ritual - and the role of the Shaman -suggested the power of the initial confrontation of object by man. The force of this impact is not diminished for the viewer today. The visual impact of the ancient tool or weapon can elicit a strong response from the contemporary viewer, but in ways removed in time from the ancient context. A study of such relics thus resulted in a conception of a primordial frame of reference which enables me to participate as a painter in the origins of our culture. The thesis will investigate the specific imageries of Birth and Rebirth in relation to the heritage and accretions of a culture in relation to the way these cultural symbols are now relative to the needs of this painter and utilized by her. During the activity of painting my state will often parallel that of the child scrutinizing a stick or a stone, experiencing their qualities directly. As an adult, finally I am more aware of the effects of the mediating screen of verbiage. If I can experience painting with the impact of this child, my ability to express in paint will rival the impact made by the timeless artifact. In investigating the relation of symbology to the subject matter the degree to which representationalism was negated in favor of relative abstraction was also important. Subject matter, that is, that which has pretentions toward being highly representational, involves a commitment to correspondence with the phenomenalogical world. As such it has trappings which interfere with its apprehension on abstract terms, a condition necessary to the positing of a freshly meaningful symbol. The ideal freedom which is possible for the relatively abstract painting lies in the multiplicity of meaning thereby possible for the artist and viewer. It is too easy to view the world as an accretion of matter; and think of painting as its imitation in pigment. Therefore a movement toward abstraction is deemed necessary and forms come to symbolize a simple organic state akin to “stick”. Composition was simplified to permit this greater range of interpretation – the spatial content being the inorganic world ground of “stone”. This intention toward abstraction further reinforces the larger context of the primordial and the necessity of a direct apprehension of the artist’s interaction with her painting elements as if to the direct qualities of the proverbial stick and stone.

Thesis (D. Phil)--Stockholm University. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-155) and index.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1966 K26 / Master of Science

Although flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975; being 'in the zone') arose from early observations of artists, experimental research of creative flow is lacking, particularly in the visual arts. Assumptions are made about the universality of flow in all domains; however creativity is a uniquely complex domain which may have different antecedents, experiences, and consequences related to flow. This thesis focuses on potential mechanisms and effects of feedback/goal ambiguity and the sense of control that are thought essential to flow but which have unclear relationships to creativity. Using an experimental simulation of the visual creative process, the creative mental synthesis task (Finke & Slayton, 1988), four experiments were conducted. The role of perceptual feedback (sketching) to potentially disambiguate limited mental imagery feedback, or to offload cognitive load, was explored. Also inspected were the impacts of expectation-outcome incongruence, perceived task difficulty, and access to conscious choice vs. constraint. Results show sketching significantly increased flow by decreasing perceived task difficulty, though this effect was independent of cognitive load. Factors potentially influencing perceived difficulty were explored in relation to feedback ambiguity variables such as expectation-outcome discrepancies and mental imagery vividness. Choice did not significantly affect flow, but did decrease expectation-outcome discrepancy, suggesting total autonomy and control are not essential for flow development, but choice may affect how creative ideas are selected. These experimental results were compared with fine artist and commercial designer interviews, suggesting flow in visual creativity may require adaptability, tolerance of uncertainty, and interaction with perceptual feedback to resolve ambiguity. Flow was, as theorised, strongly related to affect improvement and self-rated creativity; however no direct links to higher externally-rated or objective creativity measures were found. Although flow does not directly enhance creativity, it and factors related to it (e.g., sketching, affect) may have an indirect motivating influence which could enhance mastery over time.

Thesis submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Fine Art in the Department of Fine Art, Durban Institute of Technology, 2008. / The aim of this thesis is to research and create a workshop which will assist artists to engage with their creative process. I explore the possibility that by being in a natural environment the blocked artist can reengage with their creative process and unblock the debilitating effects of artist's block. I chose to complete this study through the Durban University of Technology, to engage myself in the focused task of reengaging myself with my creative process, to create a workshop through experience and related yet varied data that could assist others through my experience and reflections. The term 'artist's block', also known as 'creative block' or 'writer's block', is used to describe a visual artist's or a writer's inability to engage with their creative process. I refer to a variety of literary resources as well as the observations made through interviews, by a selection of South African artists about this debilitating and frustrating situation. I also examine what is meant by being engaged in a creative process, and examine various theories and suggestions from a broad selection of literature. I explore a selection of literary recourses and reflect on personal experiences to ascertain whether the notion that the natural environment can assist an artist in finding the necessary inspiration to reengage them with their creative process and is therefore a suitable environment to facilitate a workshop. To assist with this study I facilitated two workshop, one for Students of the Durban University of Technology and the other for a diverse group of artists. The facilitation ofa workshop needs to be a creative process and I use the analogy of an alchemical process to highlight the unfolding of a workshop experience. This study also takes a look at the skills required by a facilitator, the role of the participant and how a workshop may unfold as a creative process. I observe that Artist's block is part of the creative process, that a workshop can be facilitated to assist artists with 'artist's block' and reengage them with their creative process, and that the natural environment is a suitable facilitator for the creative process. Although not quantifiable, it was established that students could benefit from workshops which gave them a better understanding of their creative process and how to move past artist's block. This thesis reflects briefly on my paralleled experiences over this four year period as I reengaged with my creative process and created a body of work to be exhibited as partial requirement for the Master's qualification. / M

My thesis exhibition will manifest a visual language I developed to express things I sense but cannot explain. I will create a sacred space, people by paper silhouettes, to communicate what it feels like to be alive while acknowledging different realities. Each silhouette figure I make has its own character and expresses specific things, including care, confusion, excitement, play, and wonder. These are all facets of my own experiences in life. The white silhouettes are anchored to a physical reality. The chromatic silhouettes are complicated by color. They are more difficult to make out – they are more vulnerable and ambiguous. I am peopling the installation with many silhouettes. This expresses the range of experiences I have had with people, as well as the many possibilities that exist for human interaction. I will create a translucent cylindrical environment that is specifically lit, with two layers of fabric. I will embed over two thousand hand-cut paper figures within this environment. One plane will represent the physical world that we all access and experience via our five senses. The other plane will express another realm – one that references spiritual or otherwise non-physical realities. In addition, I will exhibit a series of framed collages and a compilation of video clips that have informed the development and process of my work. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.F.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

An integration of the researcher’s own experience as a creative professional with that of other artists suggested that there are occasions in a creative practice that are experienced as pivotal, moments when something opens up and an apparent change takes place. Looking beyond art practice, researchers such as Land et al. (2010), Mezirow (1997), and Cranton (2016) have addressed the concept and importance of transformational learning in adults, leading toward a significant shift in the perception of a subject. In order to understand the moments that trigger pivotal experiences for artists, two qualitative studies took place: a pilot study (Alarcón, 2012) and the present study, which includes the narrative accounts of three women painters residing in Tacoma, United States; Paris, France; and Cape Town, South Africa. The research question assumes that artists experience Pivotal Moments in the ongoing development of their work and asks what the narrative accounts of three artists reveal about: (a) the moments that trigger their experiences of creative change or transformation; (b) the nature of these pivotal moments; and (c) how the moments coalesce within the dynamics of the creative act itself. Analysis of the interview data suggests that moments of change are revealed in terms of a set of four Pivots or turning points. In Chapter V, the Pivots are examined as they emerged within the artists as a group, then explored as experienced by each artist individually. The nature of these moments of change is revealed through preparation, location, process, and disruption, and a set of Sub-Pivots housed under each of the main ones. The thematic analysis in Chapter V also revealed the characteristics of these pivotal moments as ritualistic, interconnected, and dynamic. It was also unveiled that they express an inherent dynamic in the ability to turn things around in a creative practice such as painting. Pivotal Moments coalesce within the dynamics of the creative act through the ongoing development of the artist’s work. Finally, this study reveals multiple perspectives on content and suggestions on how we can support the richness of Pivotal Moments as related to Art Education.