Course:MDIA300/Making

"Making" by Tim Ingold

“Making: Anthropology, Archaeology, Art and Architecture” is a book by Tim Ingold, first published in 2013 by Routledge.

About Author

Timothy (Tim) Ingold was born in the United Kingdom in 1948, and has since received his BA in Social Anthropology (Cambridge, 1970), and PhD (1976). His anthropological research focuses included Skolt Sami people in the far northeast of Finland for his doctoral research, ecological anthropology and linear approach to anthropology. He is currently an emeritus Professor of anthropology at the University of Aberdeen.

Major Points

Participant-Observation:

Participant-observation is the act of not just observing, but also participating in the processes of the world around them, with their emotional and logical responses becoming known as knowledge. Ingold characterizes this method as being a discipline which “..lies in the observational engagement and perceptual acuity that allow the practitioner to follow what is going on, and in turn to respond to it,” citing the work of anthropologist Dan Sperber to enlighten it as “..a space for generous, open-ended, comparative yet critical inquiry into the conditions and potentials of human life. It is to join with people in their speculations about what life might or could be like, in ways nevertheless grounded in a profound understanding of what life is like in particular times and places.”

Consciousness, Materials, Images, Objects:

In the section, “The Materials of Life,” Ingold introduces a diagram that explains the process of consciousness and materials. Two vertical lines parallel each other, where one is a flow of consciousness, and the other is a flow of materials. The flow of consciousness stops to form an image, and the flow of materials stops to form an object. Instead of letting these stoppages occur and resolve naturally, Ingold argues that ideas and objects are instead basing themselves off each other and usurping the flows of consciousness and materials, rather than letting the natural movement of both create on their own accord. Instead, Ingold suggests that the maker should join forces with the active and vibrant matter being worked, and instead characterize the process of an object as a fluid, spontaneous evolution of mind and matter, rather than its finished, tangible form.

Design vs. Expression:

Expanding on his previous point, Ingold uses ancient medieval cathedrals as the basis for which the debate of design versus expression takes place. On the side of design, he uses surviving architectural drawings by masons to indicate that prior ideas did indeed inspire a final form, of which materials and consciousness were simply bystanders. On the side of expression, he theorizes that the construction and design of the cathedrals were instead part of engagement with natural material processes and creative problem-solving. He specifically cites the process through which the stone for the cathedrals was cut, which did not follow precise, calculated measurements, but operated off not just pre-existing rules and practice, but also subjective choice and skill gained from experience.

Gesture, Speech, and Performance:

Ingold appraises the book Gesture and Speech (1964) by André Leroi-Gourhan, a book which establishes the evolution and timeline through which humans began to settle into the structure of society and symbolic culture, through which the purpose of both the hands and the face changed drastically. Hands were now used for interaction and operation, while the face was now used as a tool for expression, language, and speech. He forms a foundation of rhythm, pointing to repetitive movements such as sawing, and moreover, the connection between tools, humanity, and materials. This foundation then evolves into a realization on the importance of performance, with it being the keystone of infinite variation and individuality, be it through voice, demeanor, or action, lending meaning and allowing for the person to participate and observe with gesture, speech, and individual performance.

‘Meshwork’ vs. ‘Network’ (and its evolution):

In the penultimate chapter, Ingold assembles the individual points and ideas discussed and connects them together with other key theories, one being the concept of meshwork. Although similar in name to its relative network, meshwork is a web of lines that do not intentionally connect, while a network is composed of nodes and lines that do. Whereas a network’s lines are defined by the journey it takes between any two points, a meshwork’s lines are never ending, moving, growing, becoming, etc. The lines of a meshwork aren’t a completed passage between two key points, but rather one that is progressing, exploring its landscape and taking observation in its surroundings, with knots in the mesh being a surprise meeting and clash between two things, another stoppage in the flow of consciousness and materials. A meshwork is not complete, but rather it is the history of matter and its states, past and present alike.

Importance to Media Studies/Impact

Tim Ingold provides a significant critical lens for Media Studies students, his theory directly addressing the relationships of mediation and interactions. His basis of “thinking through making” bridges the gap between academic learning of media theory and active media production. His emphasis on the natural world and its interactions with humanity lend a new perspective to how Media Studies students may interpret a wide range of mediums and messages. “Making” provides a dynamic framework for more intentional and deep learning and understanding of media.

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