This drawing practice modified the painting method and environment of the first practice based on the conclusions drawn in section 4.3.4. It applies an improved method of depicting objects and alters the painting environment. The kinaesthetic distortion device, the objects and the main theme of this practice are the same; the Muscle-stimulating Conductivity Detector (introduced in section 4.3.2), fruit and vegetables with various degrees of conductivity and the exploration of drawing without seeing, presenting the invisible quality of the degree of
conductivity of the objects.
In terms of the drawing environment, this practice removed the black curtain making the conductivity detection easier and more efficient. If the copper nails of the detecting finger-stall got stuck in the subject, I could see and use both my hands to solve the problem. In terms of the drawing method, a linear technique was designed to prevent my habit of producing realistic still life paintings from counteracting the influence of the Muscle-stimulating Conductivity Detector on my hand movements.
This linear drawing method still required me to draw while performing the conductivity detection. It pre-determined the approximate drawing areas for representing the characteristics of the surface and inside of each object. Marks reflecting these characteristics were drawn on the canvas in sequence, from left to right and top to bottom (Figure 4.14). The method of perceiving the subjects and of using colour and water was the same as in the previous painting exercise. I perceived the subjects only by using the sense of touch, and once again the more conductive the subject the more red was used and the less conductive the subject the more white. Also the wetter the subject, the more water was used.
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Figure 4.14 The process of the linear drawing method
The drawing process involving the linear drawing method is:
1. Randomly place the subjects (fruit and vegetables) on a table next to the canvas.
2. Black the whole canvas.
3. Randomly pick up a subject with the detecting hand (the left hand) without looking.
4. Keep the drawing hand as relaxed as possible and draw marks from the leftmost side of the canvas to the rightmost to represent the surface of the subject. Each mark should be produced while perceiving the surface of the subject by touching and by using the conductivity detector. The direction, water and colour of each linear mark should reflect the sensed shape, moisture and degree of conductivity.
5. Apply steps 3-4 again to detect and present the characteristics of the inner material of the subject. The marks should be drawn just below the previous marks created.
6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 with different subjects, filling the canvas from the top to the bottom.
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Figure 4.15 The objects and their corresponding drawing areas
Figure 4.15 presents the objects next to their corresponding drawing areas on the canvas.
According to this linear drawing method, a row of brush lines representing the characteristics of the surface of the object is followed by a row of brush lines reflecting the characteristics of its inner material. These patterns are repeated until the canvas is full.
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The drawing
Figure 4.16 The drawing produced with the linear drawing method, 162 x 130 cm
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Observation and Analysis 4.4.3.1 The drawing
The drawing produced in this practice was abstract and had strong visual contrast, composed of the black background and the vivid, dynamic brush lines in red, pink and white (Figure 4.16). The interweaving and momentum of the brush strokes make the work look expressive. Due to the surfaces of most vegetables and fruits being dryer and less conductive than their inner materials, the colour layout of the drawing becomes a repeated pattern of a row of whiter lines followed by a row of redder lines, making the work very contrastive. The contrasts of the colours increase the visual tension of the work.
4.4.3.2 The drawing behaviour
During the whole drawing process I concentrated on expressing my bodily sensations rather than describing the form of the objects. This was made possible by the use of the linear drawing method, which not only provided clear steps to follow but also guided what to draw in each area of the canvas. By following the prescribed drawing sequence, decisions on the organisation, contrast and form were out of my hands. Therefore, I was able to be more aware of the tactile and kinaesthetic sensations and to concentrate on the interpretation and
expression of them.
However, being more focused on my tactile and kinaesthetic senses during the drawing process, I found there was a problem with the fluidity of the method. I prepared the paints and drew while detecting the conductivity of the objects, the muscles of my drawing hand
convulsing strongly. This strange perceptual experience attracted all my attention, distracting me from my interpretation of the sensation and from decisions about the use of colour and water. I was sometimes forced to stop the conductivity detection to allow myself time to refocus on them. Also, the tactile sensation disrupted my interpretation of the kinaesthetic
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sensation. Once I perceived the subjects with distinguishing, unique and special textures (such as the pineapple and the broccoli) with my left hand I was easily distracted from the on-going interpretation of the sensation of my involuntary right hand movements. To avoid the mutual interruption between the kinaesthetic perception and the tactile perception, the next drawing experiment conducted in this research was developed to have only one sensory focus. Because the intended emphasis of this research is on exploring the influence of distorted kinaesthetic sense on artists and their artworks, I decided to simplify the drawing method by removing aspects that rely on the sense of touch.
Although the method of the painting exercise introduced in section 4.3 also involved the tactile and kinaesthetic senses, I was not aware of this problem of mutual distraction. This may be because I focused more on the description of the subjects and the composition of the appearance of the paintings during that time, rather than my bodily perceptions.
4.4.3.3 The drawing environment
The black curtain used in the first drawing exercise was removed and without it I could use both hands to perform the conductivity detection, solving the problem of the copper nails becoming stuck in the object. The removal of the curtain facilitated the use of the conductivity detector, however it had a negative influence on the main theme of this drawing practice, which was to challenge the importance of vision to artistic production. I tried to avoid looking at the subjects by placing them to the left of the canvas, far enough away so that I could not clearly see them without turning my head. Nevertheless, it was inevitable that I would see them whenever I had to pull out the stuck copper nails using both hands. This, even a casual glance, I felt was a major flaw in the experiment. Therefore, the setting of the drawing environment had to consider both the practical use of the conductivity detector and the main focus of the drawing exercise.
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4.5 Experimental Drawing Practice Two