Experiential knowledge and improvisation: variations on movement, motion, emotion.

Douglas, Anne; Coessens, Kathleen

doi:10.1386/adch.10.2.179_1

Experiential knowledge and improvisation: variations on movement, motion, emotion.

Douglas, Anne; Coessens, Kathleen

Authors

Professor Anne Douglas
Emeritus Professor

Kathleen Coessens

Abstract

Improvisation is a way of knowing that is experiential, pivotal to the body's movement and growth in the world. It allows us to manage constraint and freedom in a rich world of possibility. Within this article we trace a trajectory from improvisation in life to improvisation in art. By focusing on practitioners who work with improvisation in precise ways in the fields of anthropology, ecology, visual art and music, we explore how improvisation and experiential knowledge are profoundly interconnected. To achieve this, we use the four characteristics of improvisation developed by anthropologists Ingold and Hallam as a framework for the evaluation of art practices of improvisation including the authors' own project work. We expand the framework through Dewey's analysis of art as experience. The article concludes with an evaluation of how the techniques and processes of improvisation from the case examples may be useful ways to shed light on the workings of experiential knowledge.

Citation

DOUGLAS, A. and COESSENS, K. 2012. Experiential knowledge and improvisation: variations on movement, motion, emotion. Art, design and communication in higher education [online], 10(2), pages 179-198. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1386/adch.10.2.179_1

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Oct 26, 2012
Online Publication Date	Oct 26, 2012
Publication Date	Oct 26, 2012
Deposit Date	Aug 18, 2014
Publicly Available Date	Aug 18, 2014
Journal	Art, design and communication in higher education
Print ISSN	1474-273X
Electronic ISSN	2040-0896
Publisher	Intellect
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	10
Issue	2
Pages	179-198
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1386/adch.10.2.179_1
Keywords	Improvisation; Experiential knowledge; Artistic knowledge; Artistic research; Cultural improvisation; Artistic improvisation; Music
Public URL	http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1034
Contract Date	Aug 18, 2014