Drawing as a parallel activity

I've been thinking about serial and parallel processes in image making, with reference to an essay by the mathematician and philosopher Brian Rotman. I find this essay particularly interesting because it begins with the analogy of a flock of starlings and a discussion of two modes:

the serial, which consists of doing one thing after another (the whole flock forming itself and moving through time) and the parallel (each starling flying in concert with the others) doing many things at once. (2000: 57) 

He goes on to point out that, even though an image is read by sequential eye movements, its parts are perceived simultaneously as a whole or in parallel.

By contrast, the process of drawing might appear to be serial (look, make mark, look again, make another mark). But, in fact, freehand observational drawing isn't a simple matter of conveying bits of what you see one by one onto paper. A good mark is usually made in relation to the whole subject (using a kind of peripheral vision) and in the context of the whole set of other marks already made. So although it is transferred to the paper in serial actions, the thought processes of an observational drawing are often parallel in nature.

I'm thinking that, as with Ingold, this might provide some insights into the differences between digital drawings (and models) created from co-ordinates and hand-made observational drawings (and models) for my project Solid Air. 

  

Rotman, B (2000) 'Going Parallel' in SubStance #91 pp56-79

Library of Lost Books comes alive

 

My resurrected book Mutter Erde is now on show at the Library of Birmingham as part of the The Library of Lost Books: 6 - 24 November 2013.

http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/event/Events/libraryoflostbooks

A blog about the project by curator Susan Kruse: thelibraryoflostbooks.blogspot.co.uk

Art that isn't looking away #3

My thanks to Megan Calver for pointing me at this article which makes me realise I have just dipped my toe into a stormy academic/art world debate.
http://www.metamute.org/editorial/articles/anti-political-aesthetics-objects-and-worlds-beyond

Drawing and flying - thinking via life drawing

I've been awarded a place on the national Artists Access to Art Colleges scheme and will be spending approximately one day a week at Plymouth University over the 2013-14 academic year, doing research in support of my bird flight project Solid Air.  While I'm there, I'll also be sharing aspects of my practice with students.

Having been introduced to the facilities and put up an informal introductory exhibition with the other artists (Tabatha Andrews, Sally Hall, Kaleigh Hill, Lee McDonald and Jamie Barber) my first period of hands-on work was to join the weekly life class.

I wanted to explore in a practical way the differences between drawing freehand with pencil on paper and creating digital drawings from data. What most interests me is the contrast that Tim Ingold describes in relation to line-making between 'the trace of a gesture' and 'an assembly of point-to-point connectors' (2007: 74-75).

A freehand drawing evolves during a process of discovery as marks are made and remade in response to the model. In Ingold's terms it is 'laying a trail as one goes along' (ibid.: 76). Similarly, when flying free, the bird maintains an overall goal such as searching for food, but makes its path through the air by responding to different stimuli in the environment (such as air currents).

However, by contrast, when flight co-ordinates collected by a bird are transcribed and plotted on the computer screen or digital printer, the drawing (or 3D print) is made by a process whereby 'every successive destination is already fixed prior to setting out' (ibid.: 73).

Ingold, T. (2007) Lines: A Brief History  London: Routledge