Artistic Practice Research Articles

Forms of Translation, Translation of Forms: From Gorky’s Mother to Mahasweta Devi’s Mother of 1084

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the Bengali novel হাজার চুরাশির মা (Mother of 1084) by Mahasweta Devi to read it as a rewriting of Maxim Gorky’s The Mother. It contends that Mother of 1084 recasts Gorky’s radical and gendered bildungsroman for the context of India where it not only documents the development of the radical consciousness of Sujata, the mother of the revolutionary Brati killed by the Indian state, but also the patriarchal structure of the Indian/Bengali family. Furthermore, it argues that the Bengali novel recasts the socialist realism of the Russian novel into modernist Bengali prose. It examines Mahasweta’s deployment of the modernist aesthetic while locating Mother of 1084 in a broader tradition of actually existing communist artistic praxis in South Asia to illuminate the tradition of committed modernism.

Scenography and Societal Change and the Creation of Artworks in Contemporary Art: An Analysis of the Practice of Scenography in Nabajyoti Nagar, Guwahati, Assam, India

The most beautiful visual element of a theater is its scenery. It entails placing a performance in a distinct and recognizable setting, defining the characters in terms of costumes and the accessories and qualities that go along with them, and lighting the performance appropriately to maximize the audience's enjoyment of the performance. Therefore, in addition to a mastery of architectural principles, the practice of scenography requires a sufficient understanding of the fundamentals of design, fair knowledge of graphics, and a working knowledge of the fine and practical arts, carpentry, tailoring, and electrical engineering. Because of this, the scenographer needs to be a well-rounded artist with enormous creative potential. Scenography can be used to create a civilization in the right way. Scenography investigates societal influence. In this study, the practice of scenography in Nabajyoti Nagar, Guwahati, Assam, India, is analyzed in relation to societal change and the creation of art works in contemporary art.

Elephants, Ecological Grief, and Art Therapy

Climate change is a well-documented challenge for human societies where human actions have spurred global warming leading to climate breakdown. Ecological disasters are already affecting the mental health of many people, and this is escalating. By painting elephants, I address ambiguous loss and demonstrate the power of art therapy to inform grief work and ecological grief as humanity’s shared trauma. Seen through the lens of elephants, one realizes the many connections between elephant and human societies, including ancestral memories, experience of attachment and trauma, and capacities to heal. Maintaining a consistent art practice helps one make sense of the senseless and deal with grief as an act of resilience, self-and-planetary care, and ethics, thereby having implications for art therapists.

Khalid Bin Walid in Javanese Visual

This paper aims to discuss the model for the creation of wayang figures depicting Kekayon Khalifah, specifically focusing on Khalid bin Walid, a renowned figure in leading battles. The method employed involves Artistic Research and Practice Based Research in contemporary art. The focus of this discussion lies in the development of practice-based artistic techniques. Furthermore, it explores the realization of these figures on buffalo skin, portraying the character as a respected warlord by his troops and feared by his enemies. Realization of embodiment through decorations and ornaments on beautiful leather crafts. This leathercraft works will produce artifacts in the form of the Khalid bin Walid paraga puppet. The ornaments and decorations in this work are complemented by the calligraphy of the characters’ names. Then an interesting visual is created and can imply a certain message to the audience. Especially when this media is exhibited. Works that can be enjoyed by viewers. So this art can be used as education to the public, both formal and non-formal. Keywords: wayang kekayon, modern art of decoration and ornamentation, paraga Khalid bin Walid

Exploring arts-health ecologies in the very remote Barkly Region of Australia.

This article explores links between arts, health, and wellbeing for diverse First Nations and non-Indigenous peoples living in the very remote Barkly Region of the Northern Territory in Australia. The article stems from a major 3-year study of the Barkly arts sector conducted in partnership with Barkly Regional Arts and Regional Development Australia Northern Territory. Key findings relate to an arts-health ecology evident in the region, the interdependence between artists' own health and their arts activity, the value of arts spaces as places of safety and refuge, and the potential of the arts to promote cultural and intercultural healing and development. We discuss these findings in the context of relevant literature and make suggestions for future arts-health and wellbeing related research, policy and practice in rural and remote contexts. This study employed an ecological mixed-methods research design, including quantitative and qualitative survey and interview data collection as well as collaborative, data-driven thematic analysis. The ecological approach was used to map a variety of creative practices through a broad range of art forms. Commercial, amateur and subsidised art and creative practices were included in this study and represented the multicultural population of the Barkly Region (both First Nations and non-Indigenous peoples). Arts and creativity in the region were recognized as a complex ecology that saw individuals, businesses, organisations and government working in different ways to sustain culture and contribute to social and economic development. Research participants from diverse cultural backgrounds recognised health and wellbeing benefits of arts and creative activity. Arts participation and engagement were reported to have intrinsic individual health and wellbeing effects such as mental health and mindfulness, emotional regulation, enjoyment, and relief of physical and emotional pain and stress alongside promoting spiritual connection to self, culture and community. The study indicates that the arts can also shape powerful determinants of health and wellbeing such as employment, poverty, racism, social inclusion, and natural and built environments. Barkly arts-health ecology featured extensive involvement from health and human service and arts organisations, which provided a strong foundation for inclusive, healing and holistic regional development. This study has outlined how arts and creative activity contribute to holistic regional development in the Barkly desert region, an area with a high percentage of First Nations peoples. Arts and creative activity were reported to have intrinsic health and wellbeing effects for individuals, which included mental health and mindfulness, emotional regulation, enjoyment, and relief of physical and emotional pain and stress as well as promoting spiritual connection to self, others and environment. Arts activities were also seen to shape powerful determinants of health and wellbeing such as employment, poverty, racism, social inclusion, and natural and built environments.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ART AND DESIGN THROUGH NEW-AGE MEDIA

Culture is a broad-spectrum term commonly used to identify habits of a heterogeneous social groups which develop in a specific geographic location. It is evidently reflected through the various art practices, be it visual or performing arts, or artifacts created by the artisans. They have become an integral part of the cultural ethos. India is a country rich in such diverse treasure of cultural practices through art. Artisans have also migrated beyond their original geographical boundaries to diversify the reach of the art. It is an important cultural asset which helps to preserve the culture and heritage of a community or the skill-sets of the artisans. Our ancestors have been preserving this culture of storytelling through the art forms which show a perspective of life. They also contribute to the livelihood of the craftsmen, thus contributing to the economy of the country. There is beauty in promoting cultural diversity; people learn new skills from other cultural groups and encourage innovation through various art forms and designs. In the contemporary era of technology, modernization and globalization, the traditional art forms are fading away. Sustainability of these valuable these art forms is a concern today. Purposes and functionality of these art practices have also diversified. The study creates new objectives through cultural diversity and designing new products for sustainable development in art and design. The article discusses some aspects of technological intervention in these art practices that can help sustain these heritages. Thus diversification of media, purpose and an involvement of the young generation can help to preserve the social cultural ethos of our country.

The Application and Research of Digital Art in Architectural Decoration Design

This paper aims to explore the application and research of digital art in the field of architectural decoration. With the continuous development and popularization of digital technology, digital art, as a new form of art expression, is gradually infiltrating into every aspect of architectural decoration. The introduction of digital art provides architectural designers and decorators with a broader space for creation and a richer way of expression, and also endows architectural works with more colorful artistic connotation and the atmosphere of The Times. Based on the concept and characteristics of digital art, this paper discusses the application practice of digital art in traditional and modern architectural decoration, analyzes its influence on architectural decoration style, spatial atmosphere and user experience, and prospects the future development trend of digital art in the field of architectural decoration.

Female Participation in Creative Arts Practice and Sustainable Development in Selected Primary Schools in Cross River State, Nigeria

Female Participation in Creative Arts Practice and Sustainable Development in Selected Primary Schools in Cross River State, Nigeria

Using Ripple Effects Mapping to understand the longer-term impacts of delivering a dance programme for older adults on dance artists

ABSTRACT Background The dance workforce plays a central role in delivering arts and health programmes yet there is little exploration of how programme delivery impacts dance artists in a professional or personal capacity. This study explored the experiences of dance artists delivering Dance On, which engages inactive older people 55yrs+. Methods Ripple Effects Mapping was used to explore the short- and long term experiences and practices of dance artists delivering a dance programme. Findings Two ripples were developed 1) Becoming a specialist 2) Connecting with communities. These ripples highlighted the strengths of the sustained nature of the programme and emphasised the need for ongoing support from employing organisations, communities, and dance artist peers. Conclusion This study showcases the central role dance artists play in upholding the outcomes we observe in arts and health work – their role, expertise, and commitment to programmes should be further illuminated and supported through ongoing discourse about their practice.

Making Things that Change: Reconsidering the Fluid Nature of Creative Productions in Research Through Art, Design, and Craft

Creative productions are integral to research conducted through practices of art, design, and craft. While their significance to the generation of knowledge is increasingly recognized, productions of this kind remain deemed discretized research components. This paper illustrates how they can be better understood as fluid assemblages that enact and are enacted by change. Through a diffractive reading of nine examples of research conducted by ourselves, the paper shifts from a perspective of neatly defined outputs to one of systemic affect. We conclude by interrogating the continuity of these productions beyond academia and urging a reassessment of their broader societal value. 

Sleutelen as Photographic Gesture

Traditionally, the photographic gesture has been understood through the analogy of hunting. However, this analogy fails to capture important characteristics of photography such as coexistence and chance. Through a close examination of my artistic practice, this paper revises the 'hunting analogy' and proposes the Dutch verb 'sleutelen' (a specific kind of tinkering) as an alternative way of understanding the photographic gesture. By emphasizing the process of creation and coexistence with the subject, 'sleutelen' offers a new, more social perspective on the photographic act. Sleutelen' as a photographic gesture aims to question our social and cultural perceptions of ourselves and others. 

Realization of Urban Perception Art: Painting Expressions of Internet of Things Technologies in Urban Environments

INTRODUCTION: With the continuous progress of urbanization, people's perceptions and experiences of the urban environment are increasingly concerned. Traditional forms of artistic expression can no longer fully meet people's needs for urban perception. Therefore, it is especially important to explore new possibilities of urban perception art with the help of modern technology, especially intelligent technology.OBJECTIVES: The main purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing advanced technology for urban perception art expression. Through an in-depth understanding of the urban environment and the perceptual needs of urban residents, as well as existing technological means, artistic expressions that can present urban perceptions more intuitively and vividly are developed.METHODS: This study adopts a combination of field research and art practice. Through urban observation and questionnaire surveys, the subjective experience and needs of urban residents for urban perception were collected. Then, using digital painting and video technology, combined with the principles of perception psychology, urban perception works with artistic and technological senses were designed.RESULTS: A series of urban perception artworks were designed in this study, covering all aspects of urban life, including architectural landscapes, transportation scenes, and humanistic customs. These works enable viewers to perceive the urban environment in a more intuitive and immersive way through digital painting and video technology, as well as real-time data and perceptual feedback.CONCLUSION: By exploring new ways of artistic expression of urban perception, this study provides urban residents with a richer and deeper experience of urban perception. The application of digital painting and video technology, as well as the interaction and feedback with urban residents, opens up new possibilities for the development of urban perceptual art. 

Motivational drivers and Sense of Belonging: unpacking the persistence in Chinese Martial Arts practice among international practitioners

BackgroundChinese Martial Arts (CMAs) have garnered a global following, with their rich historical and cultural heritage transcending geographical and cultural differences, sparking profound interest among an international community. As an increasing number of non-Chinese individuals persist in practicing CMAs, investigating the motivations behind their continued participation has emerged as a compelling question. This study aims to delve deeper into the factors driving international practitioners to sustain their practice of CMAs, thereby broadening our understanding of the global resonance of CMAs.MethodsEmploying Self-Determination Theory, 226 international CMAs practitioners completed the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale, Perceived Belonging Scale, and Persistence in Practicing CMAs Scale. SPSS 20.0 was utilized for conducting descriptive statistics, common method bias tests, and correlation analyses. Structural equation modeling was performed using AMOS 26.0.ResultsMotivation for Practicing CMAs, comprised of enjoyment, mastery, physical condition, psychological condition, and appearance, has a positive impact on Persistence in Practicing CMAs (β = 0.297, p < 0.01). Sense of Belonging also positively affects Persistence in Practicing CMAs (β = 0.268, p < 0.01). The aforementioned variables account for 22.1% of the variance in Persistence in Practicing CMAs. Furthermore, Affiliation, Competition/Ego, and Others’ Expectations were found to have no significant correlation with Persistence in Practicing CMAs.ConclusionThe formation of persistence in the practice of CMAs among international practitioners is propelled by their ongoing desire for skill mastery, enjoyment, enhanced physical and mental health, body shape improvement, and a Sense of Belonging. The study reveals that a stronger motivation and Sense of Belonging significantly enhance their commitment to CMAs. Recommendations include that international instructors should center their teaching strategies around the practitioners, helping them to find joy in their practice, achieve skill mastery, and foster the development of physical, mental, and aesthetic qualities, alongside virtues and etiquette. Additionally, building a supportive CMAs community and cultivating a sense of ritual are essential. Such strategies are intended to reinforce practitioners’ self-affirmation and group identity, thus boosting their Sense of Belonging and encouraging their continued engagement in CMAs.

For a Justice-to-Come: Milo Rau’s Utopian Realism

One of the most prolific political theatre makers in Europe today, Milo Rau is known for his commitment to a realist art of possibility—a “Möglichkeitsrealismus,” as he defines it, devoted to opening space for envisioning possible alternatives to the status quo. Drawing on Ernst Bloch’s writings on utopia, this article argues for an understanding of Rau’s artistic practice as a kind of “concrete utopianism” that materially engages the world so as to imagine—and enact—new possibilities for improvement and transformation. Via a reading of Rau’s Kongo Tribunal (2015), an attempt is made to show how, by staging the tribunal in the here and now of performance, the artist seeks to disclose the real but not yet realized possibilities available in the present, giving form to an alternative institutionality—and an alternative practice of justice—that is made fully graspable in the imagination and in reality. As a material act of imagining otherwise, the Kongo Tribunal refuses the closure of the present, inviting spectators to step back and recognize the institutionalized forms of law and justice not as fixed but variable—and thus (still) open to change.

The Technical Communicator as Artist: Rhetoric, Aesthetics, and Form in the Workplace

Purpose: This article describes how the specialized, rhetorical aesthetic theory of form, posited by Kenneth Burke, highlights humanistic and artistic elements of technical communication exemplified in the technical workplace. A specialized way of understanding how types of communication build relationships between author and audience, the theory of form offers a unique way to contextualize how an artist-rhetor creates and fulfills audience desires, expectations, and appetites. Method: The authors first contextualize technical communication as a field of artistic and creative practice; they then expand that context using Burke???s rhetorical aesthetic theory of form as a framework for application and examine that application in the context of the technical workplace, using a self-reported case study from industry as an example. Results: The rhetorical aesthetic theory of form provides a way of rethinking technical communication practice, emphasizing the humanistic and artistic elements of technical communication in the workplace. Conclusion: Looking at technical communication with an interrelated view of rhetoric and aesthetics can provide scholars, teachers, and practitioners with new insights for how technical communicators can see themselves and their audiences as complex people who have the capacities for arguing, influencing, and persuading–and also with capacities for drama, story, feeling, creating, and being moved by art.

2015 개정 실과 교육과정 기반 실과 교과서의 발명교육 단원에 반영된 메이커 역량 분석

The purpose of this study was to analyze the maker competencies reflected in the invention and problem solving units of the practical arts textbook developed based on the 2015 revised practical arts curriculum, to investigate the possibility of cultivating maker competencies through invention education of practical arts, and to identify maker competencies in the invention and problem solving units. To achieve this purpose, 6 maker competency groups and 23 core competencies reflected in the invention education units of the 6th grade practical arts textbook were analyzed according to the achievement standards related to invention and problem solving in the 2015 revised practical arts curriculum. The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, problem finding, integrated thinking, and making practice competency groups were most reflected with reflection rates of 100%, 75.0%, and 69.0% in the practical textbook invention education units based on the 2015 revised practical arts curriculum, respectively. And the making mind competency group was reflected the most at a rate of 29.2%. Collaboration and human-centered competency groups were identified as the least reflected competency groups at 8.3% and 4.2%, respectively. Second, compared to the [5,6 grade group - practical arts - 5th area - 3th achievement standard] unit, which is a theoretical study to understand the meaning and importance of invention and invention techniques, [5,6 grade group - practical arts - 5th area - 4th achievement standard] is a practical learning unit based on technological problem-solving procedures. It was found that the integrated thinking competency group was reflected more. In addition, the [5,6 grade group - practical arts - 5th area - 4th achievement standard] unit mostly reflected all making practice competency groups except for understanding competency in electricity and programming. In particular, the problem finding competency group was found to be reflected in all units of the achievement standard. Third, it was found that integrated thinking, making mind, problem discovery, and making practice competency groups could be developed relatively more through learning in the invention education unit of the practical arts textbook based on the 2015 revised practical arts curriculum. On the other hand, if the maker competency group and core competencies that had a very low reflection rate or were not reflected at all are added and supplemented with the cultivation plan proposed in this study, it is believed that more maker competencies can be developed through invention education in practical arts. The results of this study are expected to contribute to cultivating students' maker competencies by promoting effective reflection of maker competencies in the design and development stages of invention education units based on the 2022 revised practical arts curriculum.

Community artistic practices as promoters of knowledge-emancipation

Este artículo tiene como objetivo explorar las Prácticas Artísticas Comunitarias (PAC) como posibilidad contrahegemónica de socialización y construcción de mundo desde las artes escénicas. Trataremos de entender cómo las PAC pueden ser una alternativa a las formas convencionales de construir conocimiento y hacer arte, ya que reúnen las condiciones necesarias para la formación del conocimientoemancipación. Para ello, se utilizarán como fundamento teórico los conceptos de teoría/pedagogía decolonial y Epistemologías del Sur.

Challenges and Prospects of Contemporary Nigerian Textile Design

Nigerian textile in all its ramifications is one of the oldest art practices in Nigeria. While it is worthwhile to note that textile design  repertoire has been a major part of the nation’s identity, textile designers who form a considerable part of the workforce are confronted  with challenges. On one hand, the current trend in globalisation has exposed textile designers to new materials and techniques as well as  the potential influences of other world cultures. This paper contends that in the quest to become globalised, the traditional African  cultural heritage is being sacrificed on the altar of modernization. On the other hand, the introduction of new materials and techniques  counts among the instruments or tools for positive impact. It is on this premise that one can say that contemporary Nigerian textile  designers alongside their designs are reminiscent or reflect a society in the cusps of change in terms of challenges and prospects. Hence,  this article offers some useful knowledge on this development as it establishes the extent to which Nigerian textile designers had  suffered from several inadequacies that posed as challenges. It also highlights some reasonable prospects for growth or advancement in  the industry in Nigeria.      

Artists’ and Creators’ Reframed Relationship with Nature Since the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract This report is part of a wider research project, Reframing Creativity, which studied how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the work and creative practice of professional artists, producers and makers. Here we discuss a specific finding about artists’ and creators’ relationships with nature. After conducting a first round of interviews with 11 participants, we identified that around half of them had talked about having found a valuable connection with nature since the pandemic—even though nature was not a topic in our sequence of questions. This led to a deeper analysis of nature and creativity through a second round of interviews with 11 further participants. For both rounds of interviews, we used a semi-structured questionnaire with a snowball sampling method for recruitment. We conclude that artists and creators developed new meanings and perspectives on their relationship with the outdoors as an unexpected result of the new first-hand experiences they were able to have outside, that is, as a result of the opportunities the pandemic enabled. We also argue that creators face an urgent need to find a healthy balance between the unstoppable advancement of digital technologies, accelerated by the pandemic, and the fundamental need to be connected with the natural world. These new creator-nature connections should be fostered, preserved, and researched further.

Performance, Art, Institutions and Interdisciplinarity

How have funding, art education, and politics affected the development of performance and interdisciplinary art? In England in particular, performance as an experimental and radical art practice developed largely from underground activities, political action and a range of art forms. Funding bodies, colleges and art institutions eventually accommodated, albeit to a limited extent, this activity. As financial circumstances were sometimes difficult, artists often provided their own support structures and organisations. Some of these became established as they became successful. Performance art split from the theatrical and became defined as live art. In more recent times, conditions shifted again, and critical, experimental, or avant-garde theatre, film, music, etc., found refuge within contemporary art. Performance however, became increasingly confined and restricted by: the regulatory and academic requirements within universities; the need for evidence for some form of public or social purpose by funding bodies; and the increasingly hostile social and political circumstances. This research draws partly from personal experience and reflects on cultural conditions since the 1970s.