This first week in Real-World Media, was an introduction to the studio and what will be covered across the course of this semester. As described in the studio, Real-World Media is based around the question- do we need the digital to be creative? The studio explores a range of mediums to practice and create, both digital and non-digital forms of media. Designed to encourage introspection regarding our own craft- how and what we create, and our own relationship with and reliance on technology.

The studio began by focusing on what it means to craft or create art. This discussion was based around a paper by Tim Ingold, ‘The textility of making’ (2009). This paper considers two main concepts- the hylomorphic model of creation and the textility of making.  The hylomorphic model describes creation as static and linear process- from the finished model to the intentions of the artist. Whereas the textility of making, an alternative to this model proposed by Ingold describes craft as a “practice of weaving” (p.91), of negotiation and “improvisation… to follow the ways of the world” (p.97). In contrast to the hylomorphic model process, the latter describes creation as “itineration” (p.97), considering it a journey from the formative stages to whatever the final product becomes.

The creative practice that we did as part of the studio was origami. On reflection this exercise allowed me to establish a link between Ingold’s textility of making theory and my own craft. Despite having instructions, I made errors, and the result wasn’t what I intended. I had to “improvise”, when creating the origami which formed my own journey from a piece of paper into a frog.

Reference

Ingold, T., 2009. The textility of making. Cambridge journal of economics, 34(1), pp.91-102.