some reflections on the words of Mr Farthing

Seeing as Stephen Farthing, professor of drawing, had taken the liberty to move to America ahead of our session where he was scheduled to be guest speaker (!), we got to listen to his wise words via video format instead. Although it was a shame he couldn't be there personally, I enjoyed the video-lecture. And now, following through with this rather techno trend, I'll share a few of my thoughts from it with you right here, now, on this blog!

So, basically: Mr Farthing's main premise was that drawing is a 'two dimensional representation of multidimensional events and ideas'. I like how broad and encompassing that is. Drawing is basically anything that captures the essence of a 'live' creative experience- it's a tool to flatten and make that experience portable and sharable, without it having to be physically realised or fully formed. It's a way of unravelling meaning, and a way to contain information about further processes that may already exist, or may be explored as a result of the drawing. It's a work that points ahead to something else. It's a transitional stage, and yet it can also be an endpoint in itself.

Basically: it's a whole lot more complicated than we ever realised!

And that's evidenced by the fact that Farthing himself spent 7 years trying to 'draw drawing', in order to define it. His maps and timelines depicted drawing as a landscape, which is an idea that (he he, excuse the pun!) I am drawn to.
 I think visualising it in this way helps to capture the expansive, varying characteristics of the many things that classify as 'drawing'. Just as a landscape has hills and flat terrain, wide plains, and ditches and streams running across it, there are many areas and functions to the act of drawing. It can be descriptive- detailing what/how something is. It can be instructional- informing how/why something works. It can be conceptual- imagining or containing symbolic meaning. Or it can be pictorial- giving a literal view of something. It's a big mix of communicating stuff about things with intention. (Those are my technical terms!). Farthing claimed that the best drawings are where the creator's intention is achieved. I think this is a good observation. After all, a drawing could be judged on it's technical precision, but if it was a drawing intended to capture the vibrant essence of a blossoming flower, or the flowing motion of a dancing figure, the idea of 'technical precision' would probably make for a pretty boring drawing. So 'achieving intention' seems a much more appropriate point of consideration.

I was fascinated by a historical element Farthing touched on- how Ancient Egyptian slate drawing was all about an appreciation for the beauty of line, where students would practise drawing in black ink, and would be corrected by, or copy from, the red ink of their teacher. I think it's interesting to note that even back to it's early origins, there has been a sense of needing guidance to draw...that it's an activity that is developmental, and can be improved on for the sake of ascetics or better communication of meaning. And I suppose that reflects the very purpose of drawing itself. The fact that it is a process of experimenting and adjustment- that often many drawings are made to explore an idea in all it's fullness, as it develops. But also, the more you draw in general, the more you can understand your self and develop your own style of communicating along your creative journey. And again- the amusing fact that Farthing had made so many drawings in his attempt to understand drawing... it's all about unfolding ideas. Progress, and expression.

Finally, referring to Farthing's penultimate attempt to draw the landscape of drawing- as a filing cabinet- I saw the humour in his depiction of the different areas as the different cabinet 'drawers'. Drawings...draw...drawers'...hehe. I do love a bit of play on words! And why shouldn't drawing be fun? I think sometimes a serious approach is what scares people away from it. The fear that they'll be bad and that it will be 'wrong', somehow. Well, if this talk has inspired me for the rest of this sketch innovation module - I think it has made me certain that I want to try and innovate fun, playful approaches. Let's see how that goes!

sketchy stuff!

Here goes the start of my official sketch innovation 'tops' blog:

"BOOM!"

...it seems- it's begun!

Our session today began with discussing what 'sketching' and 'innovation' even are. I found this rather interesting and thought provoking. We talked about how sketching is a form of visual recording, how it's often quick and personal- a way to capture an idea, and to begin to develop it. It was fun just to open things up and even simply ponder over the act of sketching as a practice- because as Pete, our tutor who is guiding us through the module pointed out- who ever teaches you what sketching actually is, otherwise? I think I am beginning to appreciate the value of sketching, this method of visually thinking and communicating through line and paper, a whole lot more than ever before, already.

And then onto the idea of 'innovation'. I thought this word sounded exciting. Some others in the group had more of a sense of fear about it! We discussed the fact that innovation requires departure- a move away from what is already known, existing and accepted...towards things that are untried and untested. It's a term that speaks of liberation and exploration. And also, likely, of failure. Because doing something 'new', doesn't necessarily mean it will be better. 

I like that. There's a sense of freedom to it. And surely, that's what being creative- that's what sketching (seeing as it's often the start point of a creative venture!)- is all about. The freedom to invent, explore; to dream up and visualise crazy, unseen things, that might never exist, and perhaps never should exist! But then along the way, a few sparks of genius may have the potential to be uncovered, too...

So that leads me to the name of this reflective blog. 'Sketchy stuff'. Ok, so partly I was looking for a ULR name that wasn't already taken (!), but also, I think it sums up the spirit of this unit quite nicely: that it's about rough, sketchy experimentation in the area of sketching, in the hope of making new stuff- some things that may be rubbish, but (hopefully!), also some things with substance.

This blog will be my online 'sketchbook'. So I hope that YOU, reading this now, will enjoy my journeying collection of ideas around the concept of sketch innovation.