Thinking Back, Making Forward - Artistic Research in Practice

Over the past three decades, practice-based research has transformed creative disciplines including art, design, architecture, creative writing, fashion, and beyond. Thinking Back, Making Forward explores how the growing “research turn” has influenced the ways artists and creative practitioners think, develop ideas, and make work.

Based on an open call inviting artists to reflect on the impact of PhD research on their creative practice, the book brings together 30 contributions offering diverse perspectives on research-driven making. The contributors reveal the opportunities, challenges, and unexpected effects of integrating academic research into creative practice.

Rather than presenting practice-based research as a straightforward or universally positive development, the book examines its complexities and varied forms. It offers valuable insights into how artistic research, creative practice, doctoral research, and interdisciplinary methods can shape contemporary approaches to making and thinking.

An insightful resource for artists, designers, architects, writers, researchers, PhD students, educators, and anyone interested in artistic research and practice-based methodologies.