Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates physical and philosophical measurement within the
context of a Masters Degree in Visual Arts. By unpacking concepts within science
through a philosophical approach to material, this study underscores and
investigates questions of certainty and the unknown. This entails the examination
of associated terms like ‘accuracy’ and ‘result,’ where such results are expressed
and arrived at through chance and temperament rather than mathematical
equations or formulas. Using the example of a Universal Conditional Statement,
specifically (x)(Px⊃Qx), this physical / philosophical methodology will be applied
to a practice-led artistic research. The given Statement simply denotes that what
is on both the left and right of the symbol “⊃” are interchangeable, subject to the
condition of “if… then”. This symbol is one that encapsulates and encompasses
this document, which seeks to explore the relation between ‘if’ and ‘then’, as
well as the known and unknown. Towards this end, and to understand, connect
and manipulate through the measuring of material, aspects such as ‘Facts’,
‘Laws’ and ‘Quasiserial Arrangements’ are investigated.
In addition, through the study of a physical measuring tool, the metre, and the
history of the metric system, this thesis also tracks and discloses information
regarding the quest for accuracy, demonstrating how this ever-evolving
objective goes hand in hand with inaccuracy, something especially apparent
in the calculation of the immeasurable and the unknown. Part of this focus
looks at Werner Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, which reveals the hybrid
and extravagant behaviour of material and also affirms that the result of an
experiment is only as accurate as the domain in which it is set.
Concepts such as fact, uncertainty and material exploration are used by the
artist in the creative process to test, measure and influence material. In this
creative process, the body is sited as subject, as one that not only measures, but
is measured against. When the body is added to a set of conditions, aimed to
question material behaviour, the results prove unpredictable. Though material
exploration and the appropriation of measuring through metaphor, the haptic
and the tactile provides access and act as placeholders for the moments where
material behaves in ways we cannot predict. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vir die studie tot ’n Meestersgraad in Visuele kunste, ondersoek hierdie tesis die fisiese
en filosofiese aspekte van meetbaarheid as konsep. Die studie is geposisioneer binne
‘n wetenskaplike filosofiese benadering tot materiaal. Binne hierdie raamwerk word
oomblikke van ‘sekerheid’ beproef en die onbekende word geopenbaar. Dus, terme
soos ‘akkuraatheid’ en ‘resultate’ word bevraagteken en getoets, asook hoe hierdie
inligting geproduseer word deur oomblikke van ‘kans’ en ‘temperament’, eerder as
wiskundige vergelykings of formules. As ‘n methode vir artististiese navorsing word
daar gebruik gemaak van ’n voorbeeld van ‘n universele voorwaardelike verklaring
soos; (x)(Px⊃Qx), wat dan dien as ‘n metafoor vir fisiese asook filosofiese kwessies
vir meetbaarheid. Die gegewe stelling dui aan dat wat aan beide links en regs van
die symbool ⊃ is, kan as verwissellende gegewes beskou word - onderhewig aan ‘n
voorwaarde soos; ‘as … dan’. Hierdie simbool som hierdie navorsing op en mik om
die verhouding tussen die ‘as’ en ‘dan’ te verken, asook die verhouding tussen dit
wat bekend en wat onbekend is. Om materiaal te verken, deur die proses van meet
en manipulasie, word aspekte soos ‘feite’, ‘wette’ en “quasiserial arrangements”
ondersoek.
Deur die bestudering van ‘n fisiese meetinstrument, naamlik die metre, asook die
geskiedenis van die metrieke stelsel, wys hierdie tesis op die voortdurende soeke
na meetbare akkuraatheid. Wat dit demonstreer, is hoe hierdie fisiese instrument ‘n
ewig-veranderende aspek saamdra, en is daarvolgens gekoppel aan onakkuraatheid.
Dus, hierdie inligting word slegs weerpeel deur middel van - en is akkurraat volgens
en is die instumente wat beskikbaar is. Die instrument bepaal die resultaat. Deel van
hierdie ondersoek verwys ook terug na Werner Heisenberg se ‘onsekerheidsbeginsel’
wat die onbekende en buitensporige gedrag van materiaal tentoonstel, asook hoe
dit bevestig dat die uitslag van ‘n eksperiment sleg akkuraat is binne die konteks van
die domein waarin dit afspeel.
Konsepte soos ‘feite’, ‘onsekerheid’ en ‘materiaal verkenning’ word voortdurend
deur die kunstenaar in sy kreatiewe proses getoets. Dit is juis in hierdie proses waar
die meet en invloed van material ‘n groot rol speel. Die kunstenaar benader die
liggaam as ’n onderwerp wat meet en waarteen gemeet word. Wanneer die liggaam
saam met ‘n stel voorwaardes gevoeg word, word die gedrag van dit wat ondersoek
word onbepaalbaar en word die onvoorspelbaarheid van material beklemtoon. Deur
die aanwending van meet deur metafoor, vir die doeleinde vir ‘materiaal verkenning’,
word die haptiese en die tasbare toegang tot material plekhouers vir die oomblikke
waar materiaal onvoorspelbaar kan optree.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/97103 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Coleman, Ruann |
| Contributors | Moe, Ledelle, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 139 pages : illustrations |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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