John James Marshall thesis.pdf - OpenAIR @ RGU - Robert Gordon ...

technologies into their practice and whether there is any indication that this
might yield a greater integration between cross-disciplinary fields of enquiry. A
suitable model would not be categorised in terms of time but rather defined by
increased levels of integration of these technologies towards the development of
new orders of object (as described in section 3.6.1).
Compacting the five ACOT phases (‘Entry’, ‘Adoption’, ‘Adaptation’,
‘Appropriation’ and ‘Invention’) into three stages (‘Entry-Adoption’,
‘Adaptation’ and ‘Appropriation-Invention’) led to a greater objectivity in this
process. Trying to make distinctions between the ‘Entry’ and ‘Adoption’ stages;
and the ‘Appropriation’ and ‘Invention’ became too subjective. By limiting the
number of categories the adoption model is less specific but potentially more
useful. Nevertheless, again this classification system should be viewed as
indicative rather than conclusive. This is an area that would benefit from future
work of a more empirical nature being conducted.
5.6.2 Klein group model
The researcher’s development a contemporary version of Rosalind Krauss’s
‘Klein group’ model has offered a means of visualising the terrain of the field of
enquiry within which the researcher’s practice is located. This system was used
to structure both objects from the field of enquiry and also the works shown in
the ‘PBB’ exhibition. This was not done to define finite categories but to map
and make sense of existing developments across the art and design disciplines
within which the researcher’s practice is located. There are other possible
starting points and possible expansions but the one presented in this study
attempts to make sense of the researcher’s practice as set out in section 1.1.
Interesting future directions for this research would consider if this method can
help identify emergent research areas for practitioners as well as mapping
existing objects.
The researcher used the category of ‘digital sculpture’ as that which is ‘not
product design’ and ‘not building design’ as a starting point. This was expanded
to include the implicit relationship with ‘product design’ and ‘building design’.
From this the researcher indicated three hybrid forms of practice that this
conjunction makes evident (see Figure 72):
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