While the values of research in the natural and social sciences are widely recognized, the fact that artists are also engaged in research must also be acknowledged. The research operations associated with creating art, however, are quiet different from the research activities of scientists. Because research in our society is highly valued, it is essential for us to understand why being engaged in legitimate art-making tasks implies that one is also engaged in worthwhile research activities.

Research in the sciences
Research in both natural and social sciences relies upon measures that generate quantitative data from which qualities are inferred; i.e., a high number equals intensity of agreement, pressure, what is valued, etc. Counting the number of times something occurs reflects on the level of its significance. For example, if when excavating an ancient temple a particular symbol appears again and again on a variety of objects, it is concluded that the symbol was important to the ancients who built and used the temple.

Specific instances of behavior are identified and quantified very carefully. These are translated into qualities which become the basis for formulating generalizations about phenomenon. These formulations become principles or constructs that govern our understanding of the natural and social world. For instance, "social stratification" is a construct for thinking about social status. It is based upon carefully observing how people live in terms of their wealth, place of residence, type of employment, numbers of years of education, and political power. Class distinctions reflect the extent to which individuals and groups relate to these categories.

Another example is "style" in art and architecture, a term used by both art historians and art critics. Style is actually a construct for thinking about reoccurring characteristics in works of art. A particular style is inferred from observing and categorizing common elements in works produced by a variety of artists, or in the works of an individual artist. The terms that evolve -- baroque, cubist, impressionist, realist, neo-realist, Ashcan, minimalist, etc. -- are descriptive of pervasive qualities associated with the works and/or other factors such as regions, religions, or historical periods. These terms have been developed and are used by social scientists called art historians.

The artist as researcher
Artistic research is not concerned with either identifying or quantifying data. Artists rely upon their individual perceptions of the natural and social world; e.g. focusing on the appearance of objects or their interpretations of feelings, beliefs, attitudes, and values associated with objects or events. Perceptions are translated into personal, often unique and innovative statements. A most obvious example: the varied, personal interpretations of nativity scenes associated with the birth of Christ.

The focus of research activity
Careful observation is central to the efforts of scientists. Examining phenomena -- the behavior of rats in a maze, the chemical reactions of compounds, the concentric rings in a tree trunk, the varying beliefs of a given population regarding political events -- is the basis for generating the information required for translating observations into facts and generalizations.

It is the experience of phenomena and the qualities that permeate such experience that is the focus of the artist's research. As artists respond to objects and events -- the physiognomy of a king, queen or saint, the struggle for democracy, the vastness of a mountainous area, the varying character of graphic media -- particular feelings or thoughts are evoked that are translated into personal statements. These responses relate to qualities such as the intensity of colors and variations in spatial forces and tensions that are associated with experiencing particular phenomenon. For example, when viewing a dramatic sunset, the artist senses the intensity of color and the disorienting light that skewers perspective and flattens space. A scientific response would be to observe the sunset as a predictor of hot weather based upon having quantified how often such sunsets are followed by hot days.