How A/r/tography Improves Reflection and Inquiry of Art Workshop Practitioners

A Case Study Using Comics

Abstract

In this paper, I researched how A/r/tography, a methodology of inquiry of artists/researchers/teachers, improves the reflection and inquiry of art workshop practitioners. I did a case study on an art workshop practitioner's inquiry through manga (comic) to determine if the feature of A/r/tography that includes both visual and written processes is effective for the practitioner's reflection and inquiry related to their workshop practices.

As manga contains both pictures and words, reflection and inquiry through it requires visualization of one's thinking process that could be better expressed in a visual or a written way. Through the case study it became clear that through reflection and inquiry, the practitioner extracted important scenes/episodes related to his/her research question and expressed them as consecutive “koma” (manga panels), utilizing the character representing him/herself and the dialogue/narration that shows his/her thought through the reflection and inquiry.

In addition, it is suggested that reflection and inquiry including both visual and written aspects can improve the practitioner's cognition–expression cycle, as well as provoke inner discovery, leading to a deeper reflection and inquiry process.