The Workshop as Art: Insight Into the Subjective Experience of Perceptual Illusion Through an Expanded Art Practice

Hall, Antony (2021) The Workshop as Art: Insight Into the Subjective Experience of Perceptual Illusion Through an Expanded Art Practice. Doctoral thesis (DPhil), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

This thesis documents and analyses the development of a series of artistic workshops based on re-creations of scientific experiments which explore the subjective experiences of perceptual illusions. It explains how reflections on expanded art practice led to a re-positioning of the workshop as art, in effect re-framing the scientific experiments performed within the workshop as part of a co-creative artistic experience. I argue that this shift in perspective had transformative effects on the experience of the workshop (for both practitioner and participant), which renders a utility and significance for the workshop beyond educational research or as an engagement tool. This investigation uses a mixed-methods approach, which combines artistic research with experimental psychology. The workshops were based on multisensory perceptual illusions, which employ combinations of tactile, sonic, and visual stimulation. Specifically, three experimental models were used: the 'rubber hand', 'Ganzfeld', and 'strange face' illusions which are studied widely in experimental psychology. A key challenge of this research was to capture the subjective experiences of subtle sensory phenomena that exist at the limit of perception. In light of this, a theoretical framework encompassing practical aspects of mindful practice to enhance self-awareness is developed. This thesis provides an in-depth exploration of participants subjective perceptual experiences and shows how they informed the development of three new limited-edition workshops. The thesis articulates emergent findings and benefits that are of value to both scientists and artists. These include reflections on the performative roles of participants within the workshop (which led to a re-positioning of the 'workshop as art'), and new experiments that raise important questions relating to the role of imagination and sensory suggestibility in perceptual illusion. The documentation of the workshops and the resources (instructions and scores) required to re-create them, are presented as an online exhibition supporting this thesis. The research provides new knowledge and a much needed transferable framework of practice for artists and researchers working in the field of science art collaboration, transdisciplinary practice.