Technical Study and Tacit Knowledge

Our understanding of the working process of artists in the modern period has undoubtedly benefited from interviews, careful documentation, and technical study. However, it is apparent that although the method, material, and procedural aspects of artists’ practice (the “what” and “how”) can often be extrapolated through these techniques, the complex decisions, preoccupations, and aims inherent in the creation of works of art (the “why”) are often more elusive and difficult to articulate for both artist and those interested in understanding this process. This paper draws on a technical approach that articulates something of the tacit knowledge gained during the development of artistic process. It draws largely from recent research on the work of the sculptor David Smith (1906–1965) and discusses Smith’s process in terms of the tacit knowledge acquired over a life of active learning through careful investigation and considerable experimentation with material and technique.