The artistic communication of the experience of temporal perception

<p> </p> <p>This thesis describes attempts by the researcher as reflective practitioner to communicate the experience of time and evaluate the effectiveness of the attempts.</p> <p>The qualitative research obtained visual data gathered by unstructured, field observation from a fixed point in the landscape. This data was used in the production of artwork that was shown to a group of participants, all from the same accessible source. The communicative power of the artwork was tested using a series of open interviews, unstructured group discussions and collaborative experimental workshops.</p> <p>The most significant contribution of this research is to the role that fine art plays as a visual code and the question of whether, as a shared language, it is an effective means of communicating such things as experience.</p> <p>The research recognises and addresses three main problems: identifying temporal perception, identifying the shared language and improving the shared language.</p> <p>Major findings include:</p> <p>i. 'change' confirmed by the test participants as the means best suited to</p> <p>conveying the experience of time.</p> <p>ii. a diversity of understanding, as explored in the literature review, demonstrates that no single perspective on time can be adopted</p> <p>iii. the expectations of the viewers played a significant role in recognising the</p> <p>shared language and, therefore, in the interpretation of the works of art.</p> <p>iv. even a limited art education expanded the test participants' shared visual</p> <p>language which greatly influences these expectations.</p> <p>v. overwhelmingly representational artwork, together with the traditional means of presentation and formats were the preferred means of communication for the test participants; any deviation from this norm only served to obscure the message and confuse the viewers, thereby necessitating additional information.</p> <p>As well as the responses of interview and workshop participants the visual codes developed in the researcher's art practice are also discussed.</p> <p>All the conclusions are intended as general suggestions, specific to the confines of this research and are not intended as rules generally applicable to the entire field of fine art.</p> <p>Suggestions for future research are also given at the end of the thesis.</p>