Situated between embryonic ideas and 'finished' work are thought-image drawings, the tangible evidence of the exploratory thinking of artists. Often found in sketchbooks, these drawings are 'becoming-art', precursors to the work exhibited or performed in galleries and public places. Thought- image drawings are private drawings that reveal the uncensored hand at play, and hide in the shadows of public discourse. They are too easily ignored or forgotten, and if they are kept, they are relegated to archives where they remain, under-utilised. In this study, I explore and establish sketchbooks as dynamic, dual sites of discovery in which artists encode a plethora of ideas for themselves and for others, as long as they are saved and shown at some future time. / By developing Gilles Deleuze's and Felix Guattari's 'rhizomatic method of becoming', it is possible to employ an open-ended approach for the continual gathering and sorting of data. Similar to the eclectic action of the brain, the nomadic process of the rhizome assembles disparate knowledge during its trajectory, and pauses or plateaus from time to time to consider the state of affairs before advancing again. To this end, I critique discourse around fixed definitions of drawing as 'systems', and track an investigative path through public archives, private studios and educational institutions. I demonstrate that sketchbooks contain a collection of possibilities rather than certainties and possess the potential to reframe ways in which drawing can be thought and taught. Where the drawing methods found in sketchbooks do not necessarily conform to traditional western systems, I argue that broader investigation into the diverse styles therein may assist students to expand their visual oeuvre. The disparate ideas and methods of drawing found in artists' sketchbooks offer unique opportunities for art and design students to develop their art/design practice beyond the scope presented by work generally displayed in public exhibitions. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2008.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/267003 |
| Creators | Hooper, Margaret J. |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | copyright under review |
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