Art Is the Evidence

Art-based research uses artmaking as a mode of inquiry and presents the art as evidence. While sharing many qualities with science, it is distinguished by the unique character of each expression and personal dimensions that must also transcend their creators in establishing relevance to others. Artistic intelligence is a gestating, unpredictable, and often challenging crucible of creation that furthers discovery ahead of conscious thought. Rather than treating art as data to be analyzed by social science procedures, it speaks for itself and offers empirical evidence of its contributions to human understanding. In discussing the practice of art-based research emphasis is given to how methods emerge, sometimes unplanned, from the research process in keeping with the nature of art rather than following fixed and preexisting institutionally approved methods. Although strongly recommending format freedom for the future, the practical discussion explores how to work creatively within prescribed structures and embrace tensions with new technologies as sources of artistic transformation. It explores the role of video and digital media in generating convincing art evidence, universal accessibility involving trained and untrained artists, and the future importance of natural art experiments happening throughout the world beyond academic and professional settings.