Tim Ingold’s article “Bringing things to life; creative entanglements in a world of materials” was very interesting and I found many parallels to author James Rolling within his exploration of Arts Based Research.  I feel that Ingold made very relevant point in regards to how things should be explored in the art world as the art processes unfold. Immediately upon reading, I thought of analytic arts based research methods we explored in our pedagogical, independent research. Ingold expresses the importance of materiality and process within art making. He emphasizes ideas that “forms” are actual tangible things and less subjective. I feel that he and Rolling share the same ideas in regards to knowing and investigating through means of naturalistic inquiry.

Ingold is questioning in the world, what are the relationships between people and objects? The entanglement of things-  how are things are intertwined?  Like the tree, and the inhabitants inside the bark, the bird in the nest. But the tree is not an object but a part of the thread of life. He poses other scenarios that suggest the disappearance of objects- like the desert, as a baron place without clouds. Ingold raises questions asking how open environments are cluttered wit objects. How do we live life with objects and what roles do they play in our life. Creatures? Algae?  How do we as humans decipher ways to to distinguish the difference between things and objects.

This is a good article as it opens the mind to think about how things come into existence and how they can transform with process to become something completely different- I think about the process of black and white photography and the emulsion process. Picture being in the dark room- developing your prints. The emulsion process brings your photo into existence, transforms it, allows and identity to manifest it. The photograph was previously a thing, but now it has significant meaning as it carries a narrative, therefore it has become an object.  I especially like the metaphor about the flow of the pebble that rolls as it flows in the river and transforms to become a rock.   Are clouds objects? Even though they hang around in the sky. This article expanded my way of thinking that allows for more freedom and exploration that will help m in my own practice.  As Ingold states, things leak, life leaks in regards to not only the flow of materials but the flow of life. The decay of things even should be celebrated ….