The Art of Critical Making

Describes the world's leading approach to art and design taught at Rhode Island School of Design At Rhode Island School of Design students are immersed in a culture where making questions, ideas, and objects, using and inventing materials, and activating experience all serve to define a form of critical thinking albeit with one's hands i.e. "e;critical making."e; The Art of Critical Making, by RISD faculty and staff, describes fundamental aspects of RISD's approach to "e;critical making"e; and how this can lead to innovation. The process of making taught at RISD is deeply introspective, passionate, and often provocative. This book illuminates how RISD nurtures the creative process, from brief or prompt to outcome, along with guidance on the critical questions and research that enable making great works of art and design. Explores the conceptual process, idea research, critical questions, and iteration that RISD faculty employ to educate students to generate thoughtful work Authors are from the faculty and staff of the Rhode Island School of Design, which consistently ranks as the number one fine arts and design college in the United States The Art of Critical Making shows you how context, materials, thought processes, and self-evaluation are applied in this educational environment to prepare creative individuals to produce dynamic, memorable, and meaningful works.

Describes the world's leading approach to art and designtaught at Rhode Island School of DesignAt Rhode Island School of Design students are immersed in aculture where making questions, ideas, and objects, using andinventing materials, and activating experience all serve to definea form of critical thinking--albeit with one'shands--i.e. "critical making." The Art of CriticalMaking, by RISD faculty and staff, describes fundamentalaspects of RISD's approach to "critical making" and how this canlead to innovation. The process of making taught at RISD is deeplyintrospective, passionate, and often provocative.This book illuminates how RISD nurtures the creative processfrom brief or prompt to outcome, along with guidance on thecritical questions and research that enable making great works ofart and design.* Explores the conceptual process, idea research, criticalquestions, and iteration that RISD faculty employ to educatestudents to generate thoughtful work* Authors are from the faculty and staff of the Rhode IslandSchool of Design, which consistently ranks as the number one finearts and design college in the United StatesThe Art of Critical Making shows you how contextmaterials, thought processes, and self-evaluation are applied inthis educational environment to prepare creative individuals toproduce dynamic, memorable, and meaningful works.

Foreword 5John MaedaPreface 11Frank R. WilsonThe Art of Critical Making: An Introduction 19Rosanne SomersonGroundwork 32Leslie HirstText and Context: Outward in All Directions 52Daniel CavicchiConversation: Drawing 74Patricia C. PhillipsThingking 94John DunniganObject Lessons 116Sarah Ganz BlytheConversation: Materials 138Kelly DobsonGraphic Design, Storytelling, and the Making of Meaning 164Lucinda HitchcockThe Nature Imperative 190Neal OverstromConversation: Critique 210Eva SuttonActing into the Unknown 230Pradeep SharmaAfterword 245Mara L. HermanoAcknowledgments 251Contributors 253Illustrations 261Index 265