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I
hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that to the best
of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published
or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent
has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the
university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement
has been made in the text.
Date: 08.09.04
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Donna
Leishman (Candidate)
Department of Visual Communication
Faculty of Design
Glasgow School of Art
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Paul
Stickley (Supervisor)
Head of Visual Communication
Department of Visual Communication
Faculty of Design
Glasgow School of Art
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The
author wishes to thank the staff at Glasgow School of Art and my fellow
PhD student cohort who provided me with support during the research period.
Similarly I would like to thank all my virtual correspondents who have
been in contact with me via girl@6amhoover.com, and who have over the
years, provided me with inspiration, kind words and debate.
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Particular
thanks to:
My supervisor Paul Stickley for his questioning and reflectiveness. Bob
Rich for this proof reading, Dr. Anja Rau for her insightful comments
and help with the production this thesis and all my expert readers who
generously participated and provided feedback on the Deviant project.
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| David
Schofield for helping me cope, and so much more. |
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| Foreword |
| The
work as presented in this thesis is articulated through and resides within
digital practices and in order to maintain an intellectual consistency and
continuity of the argument the work is submitted in an entirely digital
format. The structuring of this thesis in done in a manner that reflects
the epistemological grounding for the research. This grounding was contextually
multiplicious and interwoven. Thus the body of commentary texts where appropriate
contain links to the practice, live external websites, and extended commentaries.
The extended commentaries are of a richer than normal footnote style and
are intended to offer to you the reader a further discursive vein. Please
note if you choose not to explore the various links or the extended areas
of reference you will experience another type and more surface reading of
this thesis. |
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| The
results of this practice-led research study comprises of: |
| 1. |
Thesis
- this volume. |
| 2.
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Sketchbooks,
notes, and a computer hard disk, which combined, provide additional supporting
material for the thesis. Please note indicative samples of such materials
are digitally represented in this volume. |
| 3.
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The
website: http://www.6amhoover.com
 (2001+) which
served and continues to serve as a basis for contact and the dissemination
of my practice into a broader context. |
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| Guide
for use |
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- Icon denotes a live URL external pop-up window |
- Icon denotes an offline external pop-up window |
- Icon denotes return back to previous location |
- Icon denotes link to Chapter 1 |
- Icon denotes link to Chapter 2 |
- Icon denotes link to Chapter 3 |
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| Please
note: when within Chapter 1 for example, the
icon represents a link to another section of the same chapter. To return
to your previous location please use the "Back" button in your
browser, ditto with Chapter 2
and Chapter 3 . |
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| The
icons when present outside their designated Chapter, will significantly
link to a new location in another chapter. To return to your previous location
please use the "Table of Contents" menus on the left hand side
of the thesis interface. |
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| Technical
Notes |
| To
read/participate with this thesis the suggested technical requirements are: |
| 1.
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Please
enable pop-up windows & JavaScript. |
| 2.
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DSL
or Broadband Internet connection. |
| 3.
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Screen
Size Minimum: 1024 x 768 pixels. Preferred Size: 1152 x 864+ pixels. |
| 4a.
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In order of preference -- Internet
Browser PC: |
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Internet
Explorer 6.0 + or Netscape Navigator 6/7+ |
| 4b.
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Internet
Browser Mac |
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Safari,
Netscape Navigator 6/7+ or Internet Explorer 5.2 + |
| 5.
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Macromedia
Flash Player 7 |
| 6.
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Audio
Card & Speakers. |
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| Abstract
of the research |
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| Creating
Screen-Based Multiple State Environments: Investigating Systems of Confutation |
| Donna
Leishman, 2004 |
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| The
intentions of this practice-led thesis are to investigate the interplay
between Internet based digital narrative, image and interaction, and ultimately
develop new practice, which primarily within the experiencing of the artwork
articulates a new contribution to the field of study. The dual literature
and contemporary practice reviews highlighted this as desired output. The
predominant research in the field is not focused on the production of new
projects but uses various forms of literary and critical theory to search
out new interpretations and structural understanding of the artefacts in
question. Similarly the reviews revealed a strong set of visual hegemonies
- namely the ascent of neo-minimalism and a preoccupation with the replication
of reality. My practice sits between these poles as being a hybrid of detailed
line art, handcrafting and popular imagery, and as such, functions with
uniqueness. The interstitial paradigm is used to support the practice, as
parallels are drawn not only in the aesthetics of the work but also the
politic of the communication. |
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thesis is organised in three sections, Chapter 1 is theoretically orientated,
aimed at defining the context for the practice. Chapter 2 is focussed on
the artworks and in the main discusses the thinking behind, development
and the production of two new projects -- The Bloody Chamber and
Deviant: The Possession of Christian Shaw. Chapter 3 presents the
discoveries rooted in the practice, concludes the thesis and finally offers
some possible vistas for further research. |
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research questions were set-up to investigate the structural and aesthetic
possibilities on offer to the practioner when aiming to create artworks
that interstitially function on the premise of confutation and resistance
whilst still attempting to create a sense of narrative immediacy. |
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| Through
a combination of making practice, reflective evaluation and the appraisal
of existing artworks I developed a new aesthetic in answer to the research
questions. This aesthetic is termed as the "fragital". The fragital
is an uncommon pairing of the digital experience -- that being the individualized
remote onscreen touch, and the sense of a material and sensitive tangibility.
This was used as a means to significantly and emotionally immerse the participant
within the multiple state environment, whilst still in the structural accessing
of the project, utilising the powers of confusion and disturbance as inherent
in interstitial practice. |
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culmination of the research and an example of the fragital at work -- is
located in the project Deviant: The Possession of Christian Shaw. The artwork
is elucidated using critical insights from a group of twelve invited expert
participants and an in-depth self-analysis. This group was invited on the
basis of their interdisciplinary abilities, personal voice and commitment
to my research area. The objective viewpoints of these participants was
used not only to aid further understanding of the perception of the project
but also to help me as the artist to extract extra arguments, complement
my subjective understanding and gain additional contextual insights about
my work. |
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different strands of the presented research work together to offer new insights
into the production and concept of screen-based multiple state environments,
and an original artefact Deviant: The Possession of Christian Shaw,
which stands as a method to experience the core of research argument. The
insights and discoveries as located in this thesis would be of use to other
digital narrative practioners and those studying new media art. |
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