Richard Keating Artist

PhD Archive

Welcome to the Phd Blog

Keeping the blog was an important thread in weaving the research, the drawing practice and community facilitation. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy was awarded by the University of Wales Trinity St. David in 2018.

Abstract

The research considers why aesthetics, the subjective ways in which we
experience and value places, and nature’s agency are not readily included in
decision-making processes. This action research adopts a hopeful, participatory
and auto-ethnographic inquiry into the potential for developing and applying a
relational and environmental walking-art practice to overcome this disconnect; an
approach which attempts to reconnect art and life, cultural and natural systems.
Metaphor is used as a method to reflect upon an emergent art practice. The
research considers Felix Guattari’s ideas of transversality, developing an ethicoaesthetic paradigm as a critical framework, taking into account the work of relevant
practitioners and specifically Grant Kester’s arguments concerning reciprocal
creative labour. The framework is developed through a weaving metaphor and
applied to three community-led land-use change case studies; a canal restoration
project, caring for a community woodland and Landscape Character Assessment.
The weaving metaphor becomes both a process and an art work capable of
revealing and helping to incorporate subjectivity into traditionally objective
decision-making processes. As well as facilitating community-wide dialogue, the
research has, in some cases, lead to action being taken alongside nature’s
agency.
The research evaluates the transformation of the art practice and its impact, which
suggests the positive agency of art as a practical aesthetic in a social and
environmental context.

The thesis can be read here:
https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/1311/13/Keating%20R%20Landscape%20final.pdf#:~:text=As%20a%20part%20of%20post,with%20people%20in%20the%20Stroud

  • The Weave

    Academy of Urbanism public open meeting. Arranged with Max Comfort of Stroud Commonwealth and Carole Garfield of Stroud chamber of Trade. Not very well attended but good discussion and commitment from some good people – Lizzi, Stella. Gerb, Steve, Alan and Val.

    The Weave has developed its own momentum and my role has shifted. It needs to shift again towards my initial intention of working with the wider community through drawing. The AoU visit will provide further framework for this work or point to the need to be outside of the processes.

  • Tutorial

    Tutorial with Dr. Robert Newell in Swansea. Discussed submitted introduction to Thesis and book of reflective drawings. A number of the reflective drawings have been made on boats and trains and other journeys. I’ve been thinking about how this relates to walking and drawing to develop an understanding of a sense of place. The later is more about the performance of drawing and is done with other people rather than making drawings of them.

  • The Weave

    preparing for the open meeting and Academy of Urbanism visit. Briefing Lizzi Walton from Stroud International Textiles.

  • WIRAD symposium

    11th and 12th October – preparation of slides and presentation to symposium at a post graduate forum from across Wales. Noticed the commonality with production designers engaged in consulting potential users on the designs of a range of goods. Also noticed differences which suggest to me some differences between design and what I’m doing.

  • end of late summer reflective period

    11th September until 10th October,

    good to be in a different place, a different culture and language. It helped to focus and shift perception.

  • start of late summer reflective period

    11th September until 10th October,

    reading, writing and drawing on Corsica – using drawing as a way of questioning and understanding. Also videoing as a way of seeing.

  • Festival of Nature

    Unfortunately pretty shattered by the day of the festival but did use “mother nature’s drawing machine” to invite people to make drawings around the festival site and made some sound recording. Interested in capturing the aesthetic of the event and some of the ideas behind it.

    Most people I approached were happy to join in and draw and liked the machine itself, on the whole people were amused by it. I didn’t lead specific walks, just hung around with the machine, walked with it and engaged people as I came across them.

    A surprising aspect of the “performance” was my “invisibility” amongst so many parents with their young children in similar buggies to the one I’d converted to the drawing machine.

    Took hours to dismantle the festival. Really felt as if I was doing too much at the expense of making the most of the opportunity to make a drawing. However, this is the nature of co-researching with communities.

  • Festival of Nature

    setting-up festival site, marquees etc.

  • Festival of Nature, Weave

    7th and 8th – making drawing machine for festival of nature and preparing for Weave Advisory Group.

    Have moved away from the idea of the drawing machine being based on Edwin Buddings original lawn mower – the idea of “mother nature’s drawing machine” seems a simpler message for the Festival of Nature.

    Meeting of Weave Advisory Group

    Preparing for Corsica

  • Weave Walk

    led a Rodborough Weave walk as part of the walking festival. No photos, no sound though…l