Research Blog: Entry 10

1. If some part of your research still needs to be developed for your thesis, what is your plan to solve the problem?
 When I began researching my topic of Remodernism, I struggled to find references in any academic sources because it’s a recent and very niche subject. Nevertheless, I managed to unearth some published essays on the topic that gave me enough quotes to support my work. I also dealt with the problem by expanding my field of inquiry to include more popular topics that directly related to my thesis, giving me enough academic material to cross-reference and provide insights into the context of my analyses.

2. How has your understanding of your topic increased or evolved in the process of research and writing so far?
 Prior to my research, I had already studied Remodernism and gained a fairly well-rounded understanding of the topic. However, during the process of my investigation, I was able to gain further insights which provided a greater context for my subject, in relation to the surrounding history of art. It also revealed connections between the artistic theories of Remodernism and other contemporary movements, creating fresh avenues of research for me to explore.

3. What have you uncovered in research that resonates with your own studio practice or art making intentions?
 During my research into Remodernism and how it relates to Modernism, I discovered a variety of artists and theorists that not only corroborated my research but also my own studio practice. Whilst reading about German Expressionism, I stumbled across the works of an art historian, Wilhelm Worringer (1881-1965), who wrote about abstract art and its relation to avant-garde movements. It turned out that his ideas were highly influential in the development of early British modernism, and his first book “Abstraktion und Einfühlung [Abstraction and Empathy] (1907)” contains a fascinating analysis of artistic abstraction, and the relationship between the perception of art and the individual.
 Overall, I’m very pleased with how my blog has developed in style. My ability to find relevant academic sources and conduct effective secondary research has greatly improved over the course of this semester. I’ve also managed to refine my process of referencing, to construct well organised reference lists and bibliographies.