Ways of representing results of research

Discursive, serial, logical, and literal interpretations and descriptions of observations are employed by scientists to represent their activities and findings clearly and unemotionally.

Artists employ poetic, non-literal, symbolic and metaphoric interpretations of their experience. Compositions are designed to convey a vivid and imaginative sense of one's experience. The literal aspects of the research of artists is limited to the actual physical nature of the materials or media of expression; e.g., tactile (not visual) textures of paints or pastels, projected colored light (films), concave or convex volumes (sculptural forms), etc. Almost everything else is a representation or an interpretation of experience. Particular arrangements of shapes and colors can denote signs for hands or feet or facial components, etc. Signs become symbols when relevant associations are made. For instance, a pursed mouth in a carved mask may symbolize sadness within the culture where such an association has evolved. When technique and form merge into meaningful content, the artist's efforts may serve as a visual metaphor for feelings and beliefs. Two examples: Piet Mondrian's (1872-1944) Broadway Boogie Woogie is a visual metaphor for the dynamic, pulsating atmosphere of New York City; Hokusai's (1766-1849) The Great Wave at Kanaga creates a metaphor about the scale and power of natural forces.

Scientific research flows from the particular to the general. Findings from investigations of specific phenomenon are the bases for stipulating broader generalizations. These are often statistical in character: the mean (arithmetic average) temperature for a given month or decade in a particular city or region; the average life span for a given group; modal responses (the one expressed most often) to questions about race or religion; etc. Trends and central tendencies are of primary concern. For instance, generalizing about which broadcasting system has the most viewers based upon carefully surveying the viewing habits of a representative sample of the population.

Artistic research flows from the general to the specific. Works of art are created in response to life's experiences, which are reflected in distinctive statements that embody particular aspects of broad experience. The artist studies trees in general and then creates a particular work concerning trees. But particular works also embody generalizations. For example, a painting of a single elm tree may not only suggest all elm trees, it also may serve as a metaphor for grandeur or loneliness; a distinctive portrait of an individual may also project a general sense of ennui or dignity or a demeanor of restrained elegance, as in Van der Weyden's Portrait of a Lady.