creativity

creativity part 2

strategies

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

communication model

machine model

mapping model

catalyst model

diagnostic model

force/field model

pointing model

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

communication model

what does the artwork say?what do I want to say?

standard model

meaning meaning

artist

viewer

artwork

encode decode transmissi

onmedium

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

communication model

what does the artwork say?what do I want to say?

corrected communication model

meaningmeaningmeaningmeaning

artist

viewer

artwork

encode decode transmissi

onmedium “noise”

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

communication model

what does the artwork say?what do I want to say?

deconstruction/feminist communication model

meaningmeaningmeaningmeaning

artist

viewer

artwork

transmissi

onmedium “noise” “noise” “noise”

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

machine model

what does the artwork do?what do I want it to do?

In this model artworks do not create meaning, they create effects

artist

viewer

artwork

machine inventor effects

consumer

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

machine model

what does the artwork do?what do I want it to do?

applied arts such as advertising, interior & product design most often use a machine model– the machine is a “tool” used to alter the viewer

artist

viewer

artwork

“tool”

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

mapping model

What relationships does the artwork show?what do I want to show?

artist

viewer

artwork

representation

filter

scaleimportant features

level of detailstyle

territor

y &terrain

mode ofInvesti-gation

key

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

mapping model

What is the territory?How do I know what to look for?

What are the landmarks?How are they related?

artist

viewer

artwork

representation

filter

scaleimportant features

level of detailstyle

territor

y &terrain

mode ofInvesti-gation

key

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

mapping model

What style of representation is appropriate?At what level of detail (resolution)?

Have I provided a key?

artist

viewer

artwork

representation

filter

scaleimportant features

level of detailstyle

territor

y &terrain

mode ofInvesti-gation

key

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

catalyst model

What reactions does the artwork create?What reactions do I want?

artist

viewer

viewer

viewer

viewer

artwork

effect

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

catalyst model

focus on creating social change or interactionrather than communicating meaning

artist

viewer

viewer

viewer

viewer

artwork

effect

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

catalyst model

The artwork can be an object or design but often it is performative or an event

artist

viewer

viewer

viewer

viewer

artwork

effect

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

force/field model

What forces & fields are displayed?Upon what influences, powers & spheres should I draw?

What agencies, authorities & domains are in play?

viewer

artwork

“flow chart”

filter

scopeimportant featureslevel of complexity

style

perceptionanalysis

domain

forces

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

force/field model

In the “weak” force/field model the artist perceives,processes and encodes domains for display to the viewer

viewer

artwork

“flow chart”

filter

scopeimportant featureslevel of complexity

style

perceptionanalysis

domain

forces

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

force/field model

In the “strong” force/field model the artist is not an observer, The artwork is an effect of forces at work on the artist. The reception of the artwork is an effect of the forces at work on the viewers.

domain

forces

forces

forces forces

forces

forces

forces artwork

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

diagnostic model

What is the artwork a symptom of?What does the artwork indicate or reveal?

intendedmeaning

unintended meanings

symptoms

decodesymptoms

artwork

viewer

artist

meanings

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

diagnostic model

intendedmeaning

unintended meanings

symptoms

decodesymptoms

artwork

viewer

artist

meanings

in this model the artist’s intended meanings are the primaryfocus during creation, but are only of secondary importance

In the reception

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

diagnostic model

intendedmeaning

unintended meanings

symptoms

decodesymptoms

artwork

viewer

artist

meanings

artworks are” read” for clues or evidence of of underlyingforces or conditions at work in the the artist or in society

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

pointing model

artist

viewer

artwork

what discovery, experience or concept does the artwork share?

how do I present my interest so that the viewer shares my experience?

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

pointing model

artist

viewer

artwork

this model represents the fundamental function of all artworks: to redirect the attention of viewers. It is not so concerned with communication per say, rather it is an attempt toreplicate the artist’s experience, curiosity, or

enthusiasm in the viewer

shift paradigms

creativity

strategies

pointing model

artist

viewer

artwork

Although all artworks “point” in this way, by focusing on the pointing model artists make an important shift

from making work that is “about” a concept or experience to work that participates in the concept or

experience as much as possible

synaesthesia

creativity

strategies

medically: involuntary linking of 2 or more sensesartistically: translation of one sense into another

synaesthesia

creativity

strategies

hearing

arous

al

taste

balance

tensiontouch

smell There are the “traditional”5 senses, but also otherbodily sensations such asbalance, tension, arousal,hunger, etc.

becoming consciously aware of our physical responses & tapping into sense memoriesprovide important resourcesfor generating creative solutions to visual problemsthat are less prone to bebased on cliché symbols...

synaesthesia

creativity teach:

strategies

Symbolic approaches to depict “death”

black

coffin

skeleton

grim reaper

blood

ghost

black rose

clich

é

synaesthesia

creativity

strategies

synaesthetic approaches to depict “death”

acrid, sweet stench of moldering flesh; the smooth, or serene aroma of lilies. what does death smell like?

does death have the tension of rigor mortis or the repose of release? what does death feel like? is death as solid and weighty as packed earth, as open and airy as a picked carcass, or as ephemeral as a cold breath on your cheek? What is the tactile quality of death? does it sound like a hushed and empty silence or have the stretched, rounded sonority of a funeral dirge? What does death sound like?

creativity

tactics

creativity

tactics• externalize your thinking: keep a journal

creativity

tactics• research: the easiest way to get out of your

own head is to get into somebody

else’s

creativity

tactics• game 1: always assume that you are

wrong…

this will test your thinking and push you on to alternative solutions, conceptions & perceptions.

creativity

tactics• game 2: habitually play “could be…what if…”

look at things not just as they are, but what they could be

airplaneMccroskey (showing map): what do you make out of this? Eugene: This? I can make a hat, or a broach, or a teradactyl!mccroskey: gimme that!

creativity

tactics• develop x-ray

vision

x-ray vision is the awareness of seeing into or trough something. it is different from transparency in that we are aware of the surface and the depth simultaneously. for example, usually a windshield is transparent- we see beyond it w/o seeing the glass. however if the glass is dirty or it is raining we can see the glass AND beyond it simultaneously. in an x-ray we typically see traces of exterior structures simultaneously with the internal structures.

creativity

tactics• develop x-ray

vision

for the purposes of creativity x-ray vision has two uses, one metaphoric and the other literal

well…

i believe it is literal, but if it helps, you can think of it as metaphoric also…

creativity

tactics• develop x-ray

vision

as a metaphor x-ray vision refers to the ability to hold two frames of reference simultaneously and thereby reveal new aspects and relationships that were previously “hidden below thesurface”

frame 1 (surface): 1950’s stock photo image of girls gossiping or sharing a secret.

creativity

tactics• develop x-ray

vision as metaphor

frame 1 (surface):: 1950’s stock photo image of girls gossiping or sharing a secret.

frame 2 (depth): “encountering the double” (doppelganger; evil twin; ka; subconscious; id/ego;

inner voice, inspiration)

creativity

tactics

the key concept is to hold two frames of reference simultaneously

• develop x-ray vision

as metaphor

creativity

tactics

imagination & expectation play a big role in regular vision. the mundane fact that we seem to see things when we can physically only see light hints at how much imagination is already involved in “normal” seeing. X-ray vision takes many of the projective activities in which our preconscious brain already engages and attempts to put them under conscious control.

• develop x-ray vision

literally

creativity

tactics

a common example of x-ray vision occurs in figure drawing classes. typically students learn anatomy, especially bones, major muscle groups and insertions (where and how muscles connect to the bones). students use surface clues on the model such as boney landmarks to trigger projections of the internal anatomy which help them to draw the figure more accurately

• develop x-ray vision

literally

creativity

tactics

other common examples of projective vision (what we are calling x-ray vision) include rorschach tests, kuleshov effects in film, constellations and, of course, “undressing with the eyes”

• develop x-ray vision

literally

creativity

tacticsmany will argue that x-ray vision is as described here is not literal–that it’s not “real”. it is a point well taken, but real or not x-ray vision is a useful creativity tactic.

a final thought for doubters: are your dreams real? the vision that you experience in dreams IS real (in the sense that it really happens & can be verified with eeg and pet scans) even though it only simulates external events & is not caused by them.

• develop x-ray vision

literally

creativity

summerymental

habits

behaviors

techniques

strategies

tactics