Library Research Lecture Notes

Dissertation or Extended Written Piece

Library Research - Chris Graham

Books in the library to help with writing a dissertation, research and referencing. 

EStudio -> Student Resources -> Library

Library Catalogues.

SCONUL Access - scheme to allow you to use any university library in the UK.

Harvard Referencing resources. 

Library Portal through LCA Website

Defining a topic 

FOCUS - the more focussed the topic is, the easier it will be to research. This will make the research more RELEVANT. It is important to narrow down the title as soon as possible. 

Beware of using the word ‘and’ in a dissertation question. Be careful not to set yourself two separate questions within the same title. Don’t set yourself a bigger task than is necessary, most students struggle to cut their dissertation down to the word limit rather than trying to reach it. 

Break down each part of the research question into areas to explore. 

Question example - Does illustration have the capacity to generate anti-capitalist social change?

Primary and secondary research.

Gather your own first hand research as well as using other sources. 

Corroboration, disagreement, triangulation, theoretical underpinning, etc…

Research methods - visual practice, experimentation, interest and enquiry, questionnaires (do a pilot run), interviews, case studies, site visits…

Literature - books, journals, websites, blogs, forums, videos, DVDs, CDs, tv, radio, newspapers, maps, reports, printed ephemera, etc

Knowing where to look for the most effective outcome. 

Using related term when searching for sources. 

Use the contents page and index to find out whether the book will be relevant or not. Reading the introduction or abstract will also help you decide whether it is relevant or not.

Use the bibliography to find other useful sources for further reading.

Book Search

The British Library has a copt of every book published. Free to use. Some magazine articles are available online. www.bl.uk

SCONUL Scheme - www.sconus.ac.uk/sconul-access

Use university email and library number to request access. 

JSTOR - enclose search terms in quote marks to search for the phrase rather than individual words. 

Art Full Text - similar to jstor but more specific to art and design subjects.

Open Athens - activate account. 

BoB National - store of all terrestrial radio and television programmes. 

Google Scholar 

Don’t bite off more than you an chew. 

Create a sense of momentum. 

Start bibliography right at the very beginning because it will save backtracking at the end. 

Untitled - By David Shrigley

“In his studio the artist has no social responsibility but when the artist displays his work the situation changes.”

The text on this image tells us that Shrigley thinks producing work for yourself means you can be as free as you want and your work is a reflection of what is in your own mind. This is fine until other people are able to view it. He is basically saying that speaking your mind to the public is not always okay. 

Description of aesthetics: crude, unpolished, aggressive, transfixed, forceful. 

The man in the image has quite an intense and aggressive facial expression and is almost in a warrior-like pose. It appears quite confrontational which may connect to the idea of confronting society with your thoughts and opinions. It could be trying to show that it takes a lot of guts and force to do this. 

I think the fact that the text is sitting on ruled lines but is still not well spaced or even suggests that there is an element of attempted control. Almost like a reflection of the control society has over us but this does not always mean that everyone follows those rules. The ruled lines don’t fit in with the painted textures of the rest of the piece. 

The Velvet Revolution and Iron Necessity

The Velvet Revolution and Iron Necessity - Eva Hauser

From the book 'The Subversive Imagination - Artists, Society and Social Responsibility' Edited by Carol Becker

‘I continued to write short stories, but I was only partially successful in getting these published, because they didn’t convey the image of contemporary society required by the official culture.’ (page 84)

• This supports the idea that things will only be published into the mainstream media if they fit in with the desired image of society. 
• What ways are there to avoid this censorship? Self publishing?

‘I was a bit distressed when I had to tell our graphic artists, “People really want kitsch, and we need to sell. Could you please do something more commercial?”’ (page 88)

• Is this inhibiting the potential of the artist or is this just how the creative industry works?

‘ “We live in an era dominated by commerce, so the connection of art with life is mediated by money. But I don’t believe in this as a principle. Consumer art - craft, if you like - is not real art. I do this craft, my television script writing, so I have food to put in my family’s mouths, but actually I would much prefer to do the real thing.” ‘ (page 92)

• Can commercial work be the ‘real thing’ if it remains true to your values?
• Does the creative industry allow artists to grow to their full potential or are there barriers in place within the realm of creativity?

‘ “Good art is about the reality within which the author lives, and, if it is well done, the reader lives it with the author. The reader learns something from the author’s sensitivity. Human beings secrete art in the same way that trees secrete resin when they are wounded, as a restorative. I am convinced that when this sick and stupid humanity of ours is healthy, harmonic, free of anxiety, art will die.” ‘ (page 93)

• This suggests that art will only continue to exist while bad things are happening in the world, which implies that art feeds off negativity and/or promotes positivity. In a perfect world there would be no need to promote positivity and no negativity to spark creativity. 
• Art is a problem solver. 

‘Nevertheless, artists now enjoy the fact that everyone has a voice and, for the time being at least, don’t seem to mind so much that this voice is usually weak and only a few people listen to it.’ (page 94)

• Does an artist feel a sense of social responsibility because they want to make a change or is it more of a selfish act feeling like they could make a change? 

Place, Position, Power, Politics

Place, Position, Power, Politics - Martha Rosler

From the book 'The Subversive Imagination - Artists, Society and Social Responsibility' Edited by Carol Becker

‘Unlike many other fields of specialised knowledge in advanced industrial societies, art’s institutional base is not stable, and art is not consistently useful to the aims of the state.’ (page 61)

• The practice of art is not loyal to one purpose. It expresses opinions and puts forward arguments that sometimes support the state but sometimes oppose them as a form of rebellion. 

‘Moral panics may take place in social practice (repression of people of colour, lesbians and gay men, Jews or Muslims, or even artists, for example) or in the symbolic realm (campaigns or witch hunts agains pornographers, blasphemers, and so on). Subcultures with their own publics are mostly insulated from the criticisms of the larger culture or the state. Artists care because of the monetary value attaching to their work, and the mainstream institutions that support them are forced to bray in protest as well when the right engineers a generalized withdrawal of state support.’ (page 62)

• I’m a bit confused about what this quote is getting at but I get the impression that people who apparently don’t fit in with the general culture of the state form subcultures, and as a collective they are less affected by the repression inflicted on them by the wider public. 
• The state may feel under threat by ‘moral panics’ and therefore give little or no support to the things relating to them. 
• I think I need to revisit this quote after reading some more.  

‘Alas, poor artists! They pour their life and blood into the furrows that others may reap the harvest.’ (page 64)

• This quite paints artists as giving people, working purely for the good of the world. It makes out like their discipline is almost selfless. Is it possible to have a selfless practice? 
• I sense sarcasm. 

‘After the work was installed, I was stung by a friend’s criticism for putting it in a Manhattan museum. I accepted the suggestion of a local activist with whom I’d worked on pollution issues, to send out a press release. It assuaged my conscience and brought in some local people. Coincidentally, the producer of a local NPR radio show saw the work and invited me on the show; I agreed, bringing the activist along. I felt a responsibility to the work and the community to obtain a wider venue no matter how ephemeral.’ (page 68)

• The artist here states that she ‘felt a responsibility’ to spread the word about her work. She mentions a responsibility to her work and the community, the latter would suggest a social responsibility but do artists also have a responsibility to what they produce? Would it be seen as wrong for them to not share what they had produced for it to reach its full potential and make maximum impact? 

Moral panic: an instance of public anxiety or alarm in response to a problem regarded as threatening the moral standards of society.

The Heuristic Power of Art

The Heuristic Power of Art - Elizam Escobar

From the book 'The Subversive Imagination - Artists, Society and Social Responsibility' Edited by Carol Becker

Heuristic: enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves.

‘There was a time for me when art was a simple, spontaneous, pure, innocent, pleasurable activity. However, in my first years of grammar school I discovered that art, besides being materially or symbolically rewarding, could also mean me “social status”, a reputation among my young peers as well as my elders.’  (page 36)

• Why is it that art brings a social status with it? Does this social status relate to class, maturity and/or personal morals?
• In what ways can this social status be used? Can it be abused? 
• Does the idea of social status tie your profession to your personal life? Is it possible to keep these separate? On the same note, is it possible to keep your personal morals separate to the basis of your practice?

‘I failed because, among other significant reasons, no one seriously thought that my art work was a “real job.” Art was a privilege, and I felt guilty using the time that others devoted to “real work” to do something that had “nothing to do with necessity or reality,” with the “real world,” unless it was put directly in the service of political ideology.’ (page 38)

• At what point does making art become a real job? Is it only a job when you are making enough money or making enough of a difference?
• This quote suggests that if art does not have a political purpose of some sort, it is not a job, but a ‘privilege’ . 
• Can art be a job if its purpose is purely decorative and has no serious purpose in society?
• This quote states a sense of guilt for not doing ‘real work’. This does suggest a social consciousness and a sense of responsibility for the ‘real world.’

‘Some lessons became clear: Art is not considered a “real job” unless it is commercial or politically direct, or you are a recognised artist within a market.’ (page 38)

• This is an interesting point, being commercially viable makes art a ‘real job’ but also being recognised within a market. This suggests that the starting platform for an artist’s success is not an even one. I can see the connection between social status and being recognised within a market. Is it more a case of who you know rather than what you stand for?

[In relation to prison…] ‘“Creativity” means cultivating the manual ability to assemble ready-made craft objects, the reduction of art to an “elevator music” kind of painting.’ (page 45)

• It could be said that his is not true creativity, instead it is a structured process of following instructions. Not stimulating but mind numbing. 
• This quite suggests that the authoritative body in prison do not encourage true creativity and free thought. Could this be mirrored on the outside world through censorship, the education system and selective sharing of information?

‘Neither independent thinking nor creativity is encouraged in prison. The criterion of truth is authority. Everyone is supposed to follow or give orders. Everyone is below someone else who gives orders and follows orders. The chain is infinite, and no one is the real author of these orders. Orders simply circulate from functionary to functionary. Anything else disrupts the “inherent logic” of the prison code.’ (page 45)

• Again, continuing on the theme of authority and how it inhibits creativity. This example is in prison but you can see this in effect in society too. 
• The use of the word ‘disrupt’ suggests that anyone who goes against the system is a disturbance and a problem. Do artists have a responsibility to go against the system or comply with it?

A Plea For Irresponsibility

A Plea For Irresponsibility - Ewa Kuryluk

From the book 'The Subversive Imagination - Artists, Society and Social Responsibility' Edited by Carol Becker

‘At twelve I decided to become an artist. No doubt, my loss of faith was the first step towards art. Ever since I have been convinced that art makes sense, if at all, only when it uses personal perception to counter the power of some collective belief.’ (page 13)

• Becoming a skeptic and losing her faith in Stalinism is what drove her to creating art. 
• It suggests that there must be a driving force or a strong belief you have to truly be an artist. 
• Used as a method of rebellion. 

‘Of course, every artist is also a political creature. No one can jump out of his/her skin - white or yellow, black or red - and in this sense every artist is a medium of his/her time and place. But this doesn’t mean that all art is political.’ (page 18)

• ‘every artist is also a political creature’ is this in the sense that they all have opinions or is it that they have the power to get across an opinion if they wanted to?
• What is the actual meaning of ‘political’ if not all art has to be political but all artists are political creatures?
• Can the word ‘political’ have a meaning other than the government or a country’s public affairs? Personal politics?

‘The artist is a captive of his or her class consciousness in Marxist aesthetics only. In the modern world the artist - independent, solitary, and peripheral - tends to be the moving spirit of cultural change.’ (page 18)

• The modern view is that the artist is an individual and drives the development of cultures, this goes against the Marxist ideology that the artist is a product of the present. 
• This opinion tells us that artists are able to influence the future and drive change. 

Stalinism: the ideology and policies adopted by Stalin, based on centralization, totalitarianism, and the pursuit of communism.
Personal politics: specific ways one particular human deals with and responds to interaction with other humans.

Definitions and Questions

These are some terms I have come across while reading around my subject. I have compiled a list of terms and their meanings (found online) so I can refer back to these throughout the rest of my research process. I can imagine that this is a list that will continue to grow as my research becomes more in depth. 

Social change: refers to any significant alteration over time in behavior patterns and cultural values and norms. By “significant” alteration, sociologists mean changes yielding profound social consequences.

Social awareness: (or social consciousness) is defined as consciousness shared by individuals within a society. It essentially means to be conscious or aware of the problems within a society or community.

Social responsibility: is an ethical framework and suggests that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the ecosystems.

Society: the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community.

Culture: the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively or the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.

Politics: the activities associated with the governance of a country or area, especially the debate between parties having power or activities aimed at improving someone's status or increasing power within an organization.

Political: of or relating to the government or public affairs of a country.

Marxism: the political and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, later developed by their followers to form the basis of communism.

Communism: a theory or system of social organization in which all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs.

Social status: a person's standing or importance in relation to other people within a society.

Political ideology: a certain ethical set of ideals, principles, doctrines, myths or symbols of a social movement, institution, class, and/or large group that explains how society should work, and offers some political and cultural blueprint for a certain social order.

Authority: the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience or a person or organization having political or administrative power and control.

Subculture: a cultural group within a larger culture, often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture.

Questions to think about…

Does illustration have to power to drive social change or purely raise awareness?

Is being socially responsible about only putting out a good message or informing people and raising awareness of a bad message?

What sort of issues can be tackled with illustration?

The environement, politics, health, advertising, the economy, role models, etc? 

Are there any issues that can’t be tackled with illustration?

Can an illustrator afford to have strict morals?