Making of

The purpose of this thesis is to describe and examine the continuum of processes around the creation of works of art, by developing a methodology sensitive to the particularity of these elements, in order to preserve their vitality and function in the overall ecosystem of ongoing artistic practice. The thesis hinges on the proposition that the process leading to a completed work of art draws on a multitude of elements from the context in which it was created; such a process should not be viewed separately from the everyday experiences it is embedded in. It then follows that in order to provide an accurate document of artistic practice, this wider context around finalised and exhibited works of art constitutes an integral part of the data set under consideration. The idea is to write about art while maintaining intimacy with the work and, indeed, to feed directly back into that process of creation. The thesis highlights the particular value of an ongoing art practice that includes reflection upon and discussion of work and making, in that these more explicit undertakings coexist with and respect the fragile balance of the creative process. The creative practice proposed in this thesis is permeable to the everyday actualities that surround it. Although this is not relevant or useful to every artist, a cohort of artists in various media, writers and film-makers can be seen to fit such a model, and their work forms the central body of evidence examined in the thesis, together with evidence provided by the author’s own artistic practice.