Provoke Abstract

Illustrating Methodologies

Linda Knight (Aus), Jackie Batey (UK)

Practice-based research can be highly speculative as often it’s embarked upon with no clear end
in sight, the act of research in itself can reveal new directions and discoveries (something that is
important to artists/illustrators) but this process can also reveal anxieties that seem to be inherent
in practice-based research. (see. Candlin, F. (2000) A proper anxiety? Practice-based PhDs and
academic unease.)

The authors, who hold PhDs in illustration practices, trouble the notion of the ‘method’ of
practice- based research by ‘co-illustrating’ our working methodologies . As two artists that
have completed a PhD by practice, we visually describe our processes to explore methodological
similarities and wild differences. We contribute an ‘artistic interlude’ comprising archived
materials from our PhDs to show our working process from the identifying of a research question
through to resolution in terms of artefact