Reading, Writing & Research Methods

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Reading, Writing, and Research Methodologies 2016-17

Led by Steve Rushton (trimester 1&2) and Steve Rushton & Kate Briggs (trimester 3)


Handbook description: "The Reading, Writing, and Research Methodologies Seminar is tailored towards (further) developing research methods within the first year of this master. By establishing a solid foundation of research skills, it will eventually prepare students for their Graduate research in the second year. Through reading core theoretical texts, they will establish a common vocabulary and set of references to work from. They will learn the practice of classic ‘essayistic methodologies’, including close reading, annotation, description and notation, students learn to survey a body of literature, filter what is relevant to their research and create comparative pieces of analysis. The seminar helps students to establish methodical drafting processes for their texts, where they can develop ideas further and structure their use of notes and references. The course takes as axiomatic that the perceived division between ‘practice’ and ‘theory’ is essentially an illusion."

Curriculum:

The seminar over the two trimesters will involve:

(a.) Identifying the object of your research: description and analysis of your work

(b.) Contextualizing your work through description and reflection on contemporary and historical practices.

(c.) Identify research material key to your practice.

(d.) Synopsis and annotation of key texts

(e.) Writing machines: creating methods for group and individual writing.

Throughout, there will be an emphasis on working collectively, whether in a larger discussion group or in smaller reading and writing groups.


Outcome: Text on Method

The specific outcome for the RW&RM seminar of 2016-2017 will be a 1500 word text which reflects on your own method and situates your work in relation to a broader artistic and cultural context. The various texts produced within the RW&RM seminar will serve as source material for your text on method. In common with all modules on the course RW&RM serves to support the other elements of the course (Self-directed Research, Issues in Art & Theory, Practice-Group Critiques &c.). Therefore, the text on method will inform your Self-Evaluation at the end of the third trimester and provide the basis for your Graduate Project Proposal that you will produce in the fourth trimester.

Here are the Text on Method guidelines; and here is the link to previous texts on method: '''FINAL VERSIONS''' deadline 6th May

Wiki Basic style sheet

Titles and works = italics

Essays = Title in Caps

Notation = Harvard System (writer, page number) = (Smith, 26)

URL = make link

Some tips on normative writing

Essay guide

general tips

Active / passive mode of address Orwell's Politics and the English Language &c




TRIMESTER TWO

Session one 26-1-17. Writing Machines

This is the task for this session

Set yourself a writing assignment, design a writing machine.

Use the texts you have generated in this class as a resource, including Steve’s notes on what you want to achieve with writing over the next two years (last session).

Use the methods employed so far to develop a procedure / constraints for writing (AKA a writing machine) which addresses a key project you have worked on, or are working on.

Word count 1500 words max

If last time you didn't get a chance to speak to Steve about what you want to achieve with writing over the next two years, sign up here and we will do it today:

http://pzwiki.wdka.nl/fineart/Calendars:Fine_Art_Calendar/Fine_Art_Calendar/26-01-2017_-Event_1

Timetable for this session

10:00 Steve's intro

11:00- (1) make plan

12:00 (2) execute plan

16:00

Session 8 december

10:00 Steve gives intro to: 'why the hammer can only think nail'.

A field exercise in which:

The subject is

1) an ecology

2) a machine

3) a discourse


11:00 - we go into the field, observe the subject and take notes.


15:30

Group performance of our notes in three acts

1) an ecology

2) a machine

3) a discourse


This session's outcome: a recording of the above archived on the wiki.


OUTCOME SESSION 5

ecology

machine

discourse


UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Please upload my notes from the last session here:

Steve's notes on what I want to do with writing

Session 24 Nov. What kind of writing practice do you want to build?

This session’s agenda

10:00 : Kate Briggs

will extend an invitation for you to become involved in the February Writing Event on the 14 of February 2017. The first of these events took place last year. Students gave readings of texts they were working on and we invited some professional writers to come along and talk with the students individually about the role of writing in their studio practice. Kate will outline the project and discuss with you how you might participate.


11:00-16:30

Continue from the last session:

Task4


11:00-16:30

Meetings with Steve:

Aim: to talk about your ambitions over the next two years, specifically related to writing. What kind of writing practice do you want to build? Agenda: please consider these points of discussion beforehand:

1) What role does writing currently play in your practice?

2) What role would you like writing to take in your practice over the next two years?

3) What you read and how you read it – what you write and how you write it (from tweets to shopping lists)

4) Throughout, Steve will take minutes and hand them to you for your own use at the end of the session.

Sign up here:

http://pzwiki.wdka.nl/fineart/Calendars:Fine_Art_Calendar/Fine_Art_Calendar/24-11-2016_-Event_1


16:15 Upload texts below:


16:30 Meet in Project space to recap the day’s activities

Upload outcome of Session 4 - 24 Nov

Task4

Session Three 10 Nov

10:00- 11:00

Meet in project space for update with Steve

Feedback from readers (continued from last session)

In groups of 2

(1) give feedback on the second draft of the What? How? Why? texts.

(2) Make edits to your text and upload changes

Session: weaving research strands, making collective notes

Task three

11:00-17:00

Select three things

1) a piece of media (YouTube clip, film, TV show)

2) a text you are reading which has a useful relation to your work

3) a work of art (by another) which delights or infuriates you

Make a link to media, text &c (where possible) here:

https://pad.pzimediadesign.nl/p/Steve_Rushton

Bring a lap top


( When we discuss the texts you choose, Steve will outline handy note taking technique)

Outcome of Session Three

Please upload your wiki content on a new page here

Three things Nick

three things alex

three things Timur

Three things SOphie

Three things Sophie V

Three things Anne

Three things Collette

Three things Larisa

Three things Anastasia

Three things Katharina

Three things Victor S

Three things George

Three things Marta

Session Two 27 Oct

Task Two:

10:00 Intro

10:00 - 12:00

Describe three of your works

for each work describe

What (100 words max)

How (100 words max)

Why (100 words max)

300 word description of three works = 900 words (max)

12:00

Outcome of Session Two

Nick's WWH

Sophie B'sWWH

alexander's what? how why

George's W,W,H

Marta's WWH

Sophie V.s WWH

TimUr's WWH

Johanna's WWH

Shraddha's WWH

George WWH

Victor WWH

Larisa WWH

Katharina's W?W?H?

Collette's WWH

Anne

Anastasia WWH


12:15 - 13:00

In groups of three,

Read each other's texts

Readers: give feedback (what were you given to understand by the text? how can it be improved to make it clearer?)

Writer: remain silent, do not try to defend the text, concentrate on what the text is actually communicating to your readers.

Make notes of your reader's comments

13:00 LUNCH

14:00 Continue reading in groups and making notes

15:00 Make changes to your text

Keep original draft

17:00 Meet in large group to review and to wind up

Steve will introduce next session.

17:30 FINISH

Session One: 13 Oct

10:00: Introduction to RW&RM by Steve Rushton

(a) What happens in the seminar?

(b) How does this fit in with the other aspects of the program?

(c) How does the the seminar feed into the course over two years?

For every session there is a different task, which employs a different writing method. I will set no assignments outside of the class, but you must commit to trying the methods I suggest for at least the day of the seminar. Over the three trimesters you will accumulate a collection of texts and approaches to writing which serve as a resource as you go into the second year.

10:30: Steve will outline the task for this session:

www.servinglibrary.org/space

11:00 We will catch the 21 or 24 tram to the

Stedelijk Museum Schiedam

PLEASE BRING:

1) NOTEBOOK AND PEN

2) an OV CHIP CARD with a few Euro on it

3) and a PACKED LUNCH

4) STUDENT CARD/ and or/MUSEUM PASS/ ROTTERDAM PASS

Exhibition: The Volkskrant Art Prize 2016-17: Alexis Blake*, Jan Hoek, Anouk Kruithof, Jay Tan* and Evelyn Taocheng Wang

AND

Ten Years of the Volkskrant Art Prize A group show of recent work by past winners Nathalie Bruys (2006) | Guido van der Werve (2007) | Eylem Aladogan (2009) | Navid Nuur* (2010) | Ahmet Ögüt (2011) | Tala Madani (2012) | Femmy Otten (2013) | Floris Kaayk (2014) | Bram De Jonghe (2015) And public's favourites: Sharon Houkema (2010) | Nik Christensen (2011) | Sarah van Sonsbeeck (2012) | Zoro Feigl (2013) | Floris Kaayk (2014) | Levi van Veluw (2015)

(*Piet Zwart alumni / alumna)

16:00: Meet up back at the Piet Zwart to review work done.

17:00: Finish

Useful links

Venue:

http://www.stedelijkmuseumschiedam.nl/nl/

Route: 21 or 24 tram (25 mins)

https://www.google.nl/maps/dir/Centraal+Station,+Centrum,+Rotterdam/Stedelijk+Museum+Schiedam,+Hoogstraat+112,+3111+Schiedam/@51.9191103,4.4171624,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x47c434a5b6024787:0x332d3e78fcabe64e!2m2!1d4.4692218!2d51.9250827!1m5!1m1!1s0x47c4356ad919961b:0x6e314d010ad71885!2m2!1d4.3981296!2d51.9159847!3e3

Outcomes of Session One

here are the notes:

Media:2steve.png

and here is the sound file of your collective reading:

http://pzwart1.wdka.hro.nl/~acastro/descriptive%20description.mp3


previously...


Links to Steve's Intro Talk: Bibliography