The Diagram as Thought in Motion: Experimentation in Art Foundations

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Abstract

This paper examines the pedagogical potential of re-conceiving diagramming as an art practice within an undergraduate art and design course. Drawing from Deleuzean and Latourian theories, it explores how diagrams, understood as emergent and (non)visual processes, can facilitate experimental and transformative learning. Through arts-based practitioner inquiry, the study investigates the impact of diagramming as a practice on students' engagement with open systems, abstraction, representation, and temporality. This work suggests that diagramming can bridge explanatory and generative modes of thinking, move beyond representational frames, and offer new ways to conceptualize art education and material practices. This approach challenges traditional notions of documentation and encourages a fluid interaction between process and form.

Author

• Chris Moffett, Teachers College, Columbia University