Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Drawing, as a discipline within in the Visual Arts domain of knowledge is the
focus of this dissertation. Herein I pose the question: What happens between
my mind, body (hand), and the drawing (as product) that appears on paper
while I draw?
Drawing as experience is primary to my practice and to my understanding of
the varying processes that drawing encompasses. I relate and investigate
these processes to understand my art making as a means of research. In the
dissertation I reflect on my own drawing and on the work of the American
artist Richard Serra, in particular his installation entitled Black is the drawing
(1977). In my discussions of both my own and Serraʼs work I focus on the
core devices that orchestrate the materiality of drawing, namely ʻblanknessʼ,
automatic flow and the coming together of intention, gesture and act. The
theoretical framework in which I investigate these core devices is mainly
provided by the Chilean biologist, philosopher, and neuroscientist Francisco
Varela and his notions of human perception, productive action, and creativity
or invention. These theories of Varela I employ to frame and develop
discussion in the dissertation.
Further concepts that come to the fore in my discussions of drawing as
experience, as derived from Varela and the French philosopher Jacques
Derridaʼs writings, include signature, individuation, or characteristic mark
making. Individuation of the mark in relation to self-reflexive methodology in
art making as research practice is primary to the development of my
discussions.
Additional concepts that are key to the dissertation and that flow from selfreflexivity,
are self-discovery and self-generating productivity and the notion of
self-as-being that the drawing process can bring about and affirm. I argue in the dissertation that the drawings I generate stem from an
automatic productivity that is enabled by the simultaneity of intention, gesture
and act. I attempt to explain my understanding of the ʻblindʼ aspect of the
drawing process, relying in this regard heavily on the thinking of Derrida. I
align my interpretation of his expositions on this phenomenon with the thinking
of Varela. Varela accordingly provides clarity on the circularity and unifying
function of human perception. The unification of antimonies such as body and
mind, inside and outside, and self and life-world, I find, lie at the core of my
drawing, which functions as unifying interface. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Teken, as dissipline binne die Visuele Kuns domein van kennis, is die fokus van hierdie
dissertasie. Hierin rig ek die volgende vraag: Wat gebeur tussen die verstand, die liggaam
(hand), en die tekening (as produk) wat voorkom op die papier wanneer ek teken?
Teken as ervaring is sentraal tot my praktyk en tot my begrip van die verskeie prosesse wat
teken behels. Ek herlei en ondersoek hierdie prosesse om my kuns te verstaan as ʼn
navorsingswyse. In hierdie dissertase reflekteer ek op my eie tekenwerk en op die werk van
die Amerikaanse kunstenaar Richard Serra, in besonder sy installasie getiteld Black is the
drawing (1977). In my bespreking van beide my eie en van Serra se werk fokus ek op die
kern strategieë wat die materialiteit van tekenwerk orkestreer, naamlik ʻblanknessʼ,
outomatiese vloei en die samekoms van intensie, gebaar en daad. Die teoretiese raamwerk
waarbinne ek hierdie kernstrategieë ondersoek word hoofsaaklik voorsien deur die
Chileense bioloog, filosoof en neurowetenskaplike Francisco Varela en sy idees van
menslike persepsie, produktiewe handeling, en kreatiwiteit of ontwerp. Ek gebruik hierdie
teorieë van Varela om my besprekinge in hierdie dissertasie te omraam.
Verdere konsepte wat na vore kom in my besprekinge oor tekening as ervaring, soos
ontneem van Varela en die Franse filosoof Jacques Derrida se skryfwerk, sluit in
“kenteken[ing]” [signature], individuasie, of kenmerkende merkery. Individuasie of die teken
in verhouding tot self-refleksiewe metodologie in art making as navorsingspraktyk is kern tot
die ontwikkeling van my gesprek.
Additionele konsepte in die dissertasie wat die tekeninge wat ek genereer stam vanuit ʼn
outomatiese produktiwiteit wat gelyktydigheid van intensie, gebaar, en handeling. Ek poog
om my begrip van die “blinde” aspek van die proses te verklaar, deur staat te maak op die
denke van Derrida. Ek bring my interpretasie van hierdie eksposisies op hierdie fenomeen in
verband met die idees van Varela. Varela belig beutelings die sirkulere en samebinded
funksie van menslike persepsie. Die versoening van teenstrydighede soos die liggaam en
vertand, die innerlike en uiterlike, die self en die leefwêreld, ervaar ek, lê in die kern van my
tekenkuns, wat funksioneer as ʼn versoenende koppelvlak.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96661 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Turpin, Lucy Jane |
| Contributors | Van der Merwe, Hentie, 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 | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 4 files |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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