Beyond Art/Archaeology

Abstract

This forum aims to go beyond the usual art/archaeology discussions to explore the possibilities – and challenges - for work which might push beyond what is traditionally accepted as either art or archaeology. The articles comprise a diverse range of responses from academics and practitioners working creatively with heritage—in its broadest sense—from a range of disciplinary perspectives. This introduction sets these responses into context through the discussion of several interlinked themes - interdisciplinarity, practice, participation, and relevance - which surface throughout the forum.

‘Last Drinks at the Hibernian’: practice-led research into art and archaeology

“…Both of these positions, while compelling in their own ways, perhaps perpetuate traditional patriarchal understandings of 'artist' and 'archaeologist' as powerful genius and auteur. However, as Thomas et al (2018) comment in their recent overview, a feature of much contemporary art and archaeology practice is collaboration, public participation and co-production. While these modes are not without the potential for appropriation and exploitation, these authors at least welcome the 'creative turn's' ability to shake up knowledge hierarchies and exclusivities and turn archaeology's critical lens back onto its own practices and materialities.…”

“…This burgeoning of art/archaeology/heritage articulations in recent years may be seen as part of a 'creative turn' that has touched other humanities and sciences disciplines (Thomas et al 2018). But it may also be linked to a more critical focus on representation and inquiry into the strengths and shortcomings of different modes of research communication (e.g.…”

“…Several commentators have pointed to the parallel visions of artists and archaeologists, their shared attentiveness to materiality and epistemological concern with what it means to be human (Bonaventura and Jones 2011;Harrison and Schofield 2010;Renfrew 2003;Renfrew et al 2004). Despite a deep history of entanglement, and efforts to contextualise archaeology's 'creative turn' (Russell and Cochrane 2014;Thomas et al 2018), art and archaeology scholars continue to work through the breadth and nature of their influence upon one another. Perhaps because this work is actively ongoing there has been little literature that addresses the research potential and reasoning underpinning art/archaeology/heritage intersections.…”

Why Are Heritage Interpreters Voiceless at the Trowel's Edge? A Plea for Rewriting the Archaeological Workflow

“…Several such pieces are published in a full issue of the journal Internet Archaeology on the topic “Digital Creativity in Archaeology,” wherein the editors plainly aim to spotlight “the creative impulses that permeate, underpin and drive the continued development of even the most empirical digital archaeologies” (Beale and Reilly 2017). In the same year, an issue of the Journal of Contemporary Archaeology was published on the topic “Beyond Art/Archaeology,” exploring “the possibilities for creatively engaged contemporary archaeologies” (Thomas et al 2017:122); and an entire periodical, Epoiesen: A Journal for Creative Engagement in History and Archaeology , was launched, seeking “to document and valorize the scholarly creativity that underpins our representations of the past” ().…”

Art & Archaeology: Uncomfortable Archival Landscapes

“…The archaeological turn in visual art and the more recent creative turn in archaeology has enabled expansive archaeological and artistic explorations in landscape and place: for a recent example see Glasgow School of Art, Reading Landscape Research Group 'Practising Landscape' exhibition (Glasgow School of Art 2020). Art & archaeology research directions also provide some of the contexts for these explorations in potentialities (Russel & Cochrane 2014;Bailey 2014Bailey , 2017Thomas et al 2017).…”