ACE: A Model of the Cognitive Strategies of a Contemporary Artist

ACE: A Model of the Cognitive Strategies of a Contemporary Artist Jude Leclerc (jude.leclerc@umontreal.ca) Frederic Gosselin (frederic.gosselin@umontreal.ca) Department of Psychology, University of Montreal C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada Weisberg, 1993), little has been done to study artistic creativity from this perspective. In fact, most of the computational models of creativity, in recent years, have been of the creativity involved in the process of scientific discovery (e.g., Kulkarni & Simon, 1988; Langley, Simon, Bradshaw, & Zytkow, 1987; Schunn & Anderson, 1998). In recent years, research on creativity has also converged on ideas and models similar to those found in situated and distributed approaches to cognition (e.g., Csikszentmihalyi’s systems model of creativity, 1999). This is why our project is conducted within the artistic creativity as situated problem solving framework (Leclerc & Gosselin, 2004). We are considering the problem-solving processes involved in artistic creativity to be situated, thus reflecting, and responding to, the environmental, social, cultural and economic conditions (Nersessian, 2004; see also Clancey, 1997; Hutchins, 1995; Norman, 1993; Thagard, 1999). The most significant element concerning the situated aspect of the project is its use of field methods and corresponding emphasis on ecological validity. Abstract Building on the analysis of Leclerc and Gosselin (2004), we present a partial but nonetheless substantial computer-based model of some of the processes involved in a contemporary visual artist’s practice. This model is based on fieldwork data and its purpose is the modeling of the tasks, goals, and operations involved in a real-world artistic practice. The project is being conducted within the artistic creativity as situated problem solving framework; we thus view creativity both as a problem-solving process and a situated process. Keywords: creativity; problem solving; situated cognition; computer model; field study; visual arts. Introduction This project consists of a field study of the real-life practice of a well-known Canadian visual artist, Isabelle Hayeur. The project was conducted over a three-year period and is ongoing at the moment of writing. The goal of the project is to uncover and describe the problems facing a contemporary artist in the context of a real-life practice and to describe sets of processes or strategies applied by the artist to face these problems or tasks related to her artistic practice. See Leclerc and Gosselin (2004) for a first qualitative analysis of this data – an analysis based on human problem solving theory (Klahr & Simon, 1999; Newell & Simon, 1972). This project has been conducted in two phases. In the first phase of the project, over a twelve-month period, from May 2003 to April 2004, we conducted a field study of this artist’s practice; in the second – ongoing – phase, started in May 2004, we have been modeling the gathered data. Our project is thus a field study – an ethnographic type of study – that has the uncommon goal of building a computer-based model of real-life artistic problem-solving processes 1 . Recently, Klahr and Simon (1999) have suggested that by using the concepts and vocabulary of human problem- solving theory (Newell & Simon, 1972) we may be able … to converge toward a common account of discovery in many areas of human endeavor , including the arts (p. 524). Much work has already been done to understand processes of scientific discovery with this approach (e.g., Klahr, 2000; Kulkarni & Simon, 1988). But, with few exceptions (e.g., Methodology Isabelle Hayeur: Contemporary Visual Artist Isabelle Hayeur 2 (IH) is a successful professional Canadian visual artist 3 . She works mainly with digital photography and video; her work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally. A great part of her work involves producing large-scale photomontages; these often show idyllic-looking landscapes… idyllic, but not quite; her images often evoke a feeling of strangeness in the viewer. She also works with video, Net art and does in situ – site-specific – projects. Data Collection and Analysis A detailed account of data collection and qualitative analysis is provided in Leclerc and Gosselin (2004). Briefly stated, multiple data types, from multiple sources, have been collected, on-site, to allow the modeling of a distributed set of cognitive activities (Clancey, 2001). These included: interviews, photographs of work space and tools, recording of activity at the computer, and extensive field notes. All data was digitally recorded and archived (except for the The study might be said to be interested in problem finding as well as in problem solving. Problems faced by artists in real-life practice are not ‘presented problems’ (compared to those given to subjects in the context of laboratory experiments, for example); those problems are rather discovered or taken on by the artist in the course of the artistic practice. Problem finding – as well as problem solving – has been found to be an important part of artistic creativity (e.g., Getzels & Csikszentmihalyi, 1976). Her work, artist’s statement and resume can be found on her Web site: isabelle-hayeur.com IH is considered a professional artist according to Quebec’s law on the Professional status of artists in the visual arts, arts and crafts and literature, and their contracts with promoters (R.S.Q., S-32.01).