ABSTRACT

This introductory chapter gives an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. A/r/tography is infused with the theory, study, evocations and provocations found in the rich aesthetic, queer, feminist, political, cultural, ethical and ecological spaces of curriculum studies as advanced by a host of scholars in Canada and the United States. Some people have compared a/r/tography to other forms of arts-based research and have suggested that this might be a distinguishing feature—the commitment to participatory, collective, collaborative and co-labouring work. Originally written as a Studies in Art Education invited lecture for the 2012 National Art Education Association Annual Conference, it attempted to think through the work and art of a/r/tography across the previous decade. It describes an unfolding nature of learning together as we attempted to stretch the boundaries of research and inquiry in the university.