Sydney College of the Arts the University of Sydney
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Sydney College of the Arts The University of Sydney MASTER OF FINE ARTS 2017 RESEARCH PAPER IMPERFECT KNOWLEDGE – TERRA INCOGNITA! by Angela Porritt A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts September 2017 i This page has been left blank intentionally ii Statement This volume is presented as a record of the work undertaken for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney. iii This page has been left blank intentionally iv Table of Contents Statement ...................................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... v List of Illustrations ........................................................................................................................ vii Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... xi Foreword ..................................................................................................................................... xiii Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter One .................................................................................................................................. 5 What is Knowledge? - Building boxes ...................................................................................... 5 Why do we need to know? ....................................................................................................... 6 Knowledge Sharing ................................................................................................................... 7 Knowledge Acquisition .............................................................................................................. 9 Chapter Two ................................................................................................................................ 19 Imperfect Knowledge .............................................................................................................. 19 How do we know what we think we know? ........................................................................... 19 The Changeable Nature of Knowledge ................................................................................... 21 What we don’t know we know: unknown knowns................................................................. 22 Dichotomies of Art .................................................................................................................. 23 Taking the Wonder out of Wonderland .................................................................................. 27 Chapter Three ............................................................................................................................. 33 Relativity is Everything ............................................................................................................ 33 Making art and expanding boxes – Terra incognita! .............................................................. 36 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 69 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 71 Appendix A .................................................................................................................................. 77 Glossary ................................................................................................................................... 77 Appendix B .................................................................................................................................. 83 Issus Coleoptratus ................................................................................................................... 83 Appendix C .................................................................................................................................. 87 Working Drawings ................................................................................................................... 87 Appendix D ................................................................................................................................ 103 Catalogue of Work Presented for Examination .................................................................... 103 Appendix E ................................................................................................................................ 104 List of accompanying video files ........................................................................................... 105 Appendix F ................................................................................................................................ 108 List of Images ........................................................................................................................ 109 v This page has been left blank intentionally vi List of Illustrations Figure 1 Jenny Watson, Mare and Foal (1993) ........................................................................ 12 Figure 2 Jenny Watson, Objects of Desire: 60s Guitarist (2005) .............................................. 13 Figure 3 Necker Cubes ............................................................................................................. 14 Figure 4 Penrose Tribar ............................................................................................................ 14 Figure 5 M.C. Escher, Waterfall (1961) .................................................................................... 15 Figure 6 M.C. Escher, Puddle (1952) ........................................................................................ 16 Figure 7 John Tenniel, The White Rabbit (1865) ...................................................................... 29 Figure 8 John Tenniel, The Mock Turtle (1865) ........................................................................ 30 Figure 9 Andy Goldsworthy, Static Twigs Derwent River (1988) ............................................. 36 Figure 10 Andy Goldsworthy, Pebbles around a hole (1987)..................................................... 37 Figure 11 Andy Goldsworthy, Rowan Leaves and Hole, Yorkshire Sculpture Park (1987) ..... 3737 Figure 12 Experimental works in progress – Imperfect Perfection ........................................... 38 Figure 13 Experimental works in progress – Woven Objects .................................................... 39 Figure 14 Experimental works in progress – Crocheted Wire Pendant ..................................... 39 Figure 15 Arline Fisch, Pink and Silver Circles (2005) ................................................................. 40 Figure 16 Margaret and Christine Wertheim, Crochet Coral Reef (2007) ................................. 41 Figure 17 Alexander Calder, Antennae with Red and Blue Dots (c.1953) .................................. 42 Figure 18 Alexander Calder, Antennae with Red and Blue Dots (c.1953) .................................. 43 Figure 19 Jean Tinguely at work on Homage to New York (1960) ............................................. 44 Figure 20 Jean Tinguely, Fragment from Homage to New York (1960) ..................................... 45 Figure 21 Jesús Rafael Soto, Double progresion azul y negra (1975) ........................................ 46 Figure 22 Victor Vasarely, Vega Lep (1971) ............................................................................... 47 Figure 23 Bridget Riley, RA 2 (1981) .......................................................................................... 48 Figure 24 Experimental works in progress – Objects of Movement .......................................... 49 Figure 25 Experimental works in progress – Running Gears ..................................................... 50 Figure 26 Experimental works in progress – A Happy Accident! ............................................... 51 Figure 27 Experimental works in progress – Laser-cut Timber Wearable Objects .................... 51 vii Figure 28 Experimental works in progress – Laser-cut Acrylic Wearable Objects .................... 52 Figure 29 Experimental works in progress – 3D Printed Wearable Object Components ......... 53 Figure 30 Experimental works in progress – Gears and Balls .................................................... 54 Figure 31 Mangrove wetlands - Sydney Olympic Park .............................................................. 55 Figure 32 Angela Porritt, Terra Incognita, (2017) ...................................................................... 56 Figure 33 Angela Porritt, Terra Incognita (2017) – Complete view including substrata levels (stand) and superstrata (clear acrylic ceiling) levels ................................................. 57 Figure 34 View from Side A ....................................................................................................... 58 Figure 35 Arrangement of interlocking gears and green pendant with ball bearing chain on right hand side of Side A ...........................................................................................