THINKING THROUGH DRAWING: PRACTICE INTO KNOWLEDGE 7
Drawing Makes Sense
Contemporary research questions demand a
more fluid conception of where one discipline ends
and another begins. The familiarity and directness
with which artists experience the drawing process
can complement scientific inquiry, with the poten-
tial to help generate hypotheses and interpret data.
Artists themselves can be interesting subjects for
case study, while findings from scientific enquiries
can inform the practice and teaching of drawing.
Philosophical paradigms offer perspectives from
which to understand and critically consider these
relationships and their significance. These factors
all point to interdisciplinary
research and collaboration as
the future of this emerging
field. Some of the contributors
to this volume straddle several
camps, while others collabo-
rate across disciplines. Below
we introduce some of the com-
mon themes that engage our
contributors, drawing atten-
tion to particular papers and
connections between their
research.
Moore and Tversky, art-
ist and cognitive psychologist
respectively, exemplify the
spirit of this trans-disciplinary gathering. In her
keynote, Tversky painted a picture of the vast poten-
tial of drawing to extend the mind, memory and
understanding. Along these lines, the symposium
explored the power and value of drawing. It looked
at the boundaries of what might be considered
drawing; the cognitive and perceptual processes
involved in the act of drawing; the contemporary
educational and professional relevance of drawing
practices; the role of drawing in learning and appre-
hension and the application of new understandings
of cognition to the practice and teaching of draw-
ing. Common themes emerged; movement, timing,Drawing Connections
Angela Brew
University of the Arts London
Michelle Fava
Loughborough University
Andrea Kantrowitz
Teachers College, Columbia University
If an object, idea, daydream, pattern, place, or experience can be drawn, it makes more sense to me,
and can verify that I have experienced it. — Michael Moore
Lines, straight or messy, serve our behavior and our thought. — Barbara Tversky