Robert Racine

Artist Statement

 

 

Philosopher, Michael Polanyi, directed much of his attention to the exploration of the types of knowledge and the ways in which we know things.  He noted that the majority of what we “know” is knowledge that we cannot tell.  We cannot fully explain in words how we recognize a face, the love we have for our mother, or how we know how to ride a bicycle.  He refers to this knowledge as “tacit” knowledge as opposed to “explicit” knowledge consisting of measurable or objective facts which can be encapsulated in to words.  Years ago, an English teacher in one of my classes at the University of Southwestern Louisiana paraphrased Polanyi thusly. 

 

“There are two types of knowledge, that which one can tell, and that which one cannot tell.  That which one can tell, one learns through telling.  That which one cannot tell, one learns through dwelling in it.”   “Most of what we know, we cannot tell.”

 

This philosophy has been instrumental in my understanding and beliefs about creativity, craft, and art. 

I believe that the conveyance of knowledge that “one cannot tell” distinguishes Art from craft.  This influences my approach to all of my creative work, from the writing of song lyrics, to the design of sound, and especially to the art of storytelling. 

 

A simple application of this philosophy would be to apply it to exposition.  Expository passages of dialog or narration are one of the most common techniques used by students new to storytelling to address the need to deliver information to their audience.  Exposition is one of the simplest forms of communicating the facts of a story, but it is quite ineffective at creating a meaningful and immersive experience for the viewer because it creates explicit knowledge. Exposition is “telling”.  It stands to reason that, if most of what we know, we cannot tell, then effective storytelling should be comprised mostly of information that one cannot tell.  I have read many student scripts, and find that students initially find it quite challenging to avoid “telling the story”.  The admonishment to avoid "telling" the story seems a bit contriadictory to many at first, given that we are “storytellers”, but I think it is the more effective approach.  

 

To me, Art is that part of a work which remains in the soul even after the work itself has gone, and experiences that create tacit knowledge are much more likely to create lasting impressions than the direct delivery of facts.  Whether one is creating a documentary or a dramatic narrative or a multi-sensory installation, the creation of immersive environments, fully developed characters, well-motivated, meaningful interactions, and purposful stimulation of the senses allow the viewer to experience the story and develop a tacit knowledge of it.  This takes a tremendous amount of energy when compared to mere "telling".

 

In his book on sound design, David Sonnenschein delineates and explores types of energy that are involved in the production, postproduction, and exhibition of a film.  He refers to the physical energy of light and sound and the emotional energy of the filmmaker, the characters, and the audience.  He also describes the intellectual energy of screenwriter, filmmaker, and viewer.  I believe that the intellectual energy of the filmmaker has the most influence on the success of a film.  

 

Writing, design, sound, performance, on every level, whether one is creating a realistic drama or a stick figure animation, manufacturing a detailed and believable reality for an audience requires a tremendous amount of intellectual energy and attention to detail.  It takes still more energy to imbue that manufactured reality with meaning to such a degree that it can “exist” in the mind of a viewer and impress upon him or her lasting ideas from the mind of its creator. 

 

Filmmakers and artists who are willing to expend all of the intellectual energy they have, who can honestly evaluate the state of their work, who are unwilling to compromise their creative vision, and who have the persistence to relentlessly pursue it have the best chance of making a successful film and creating a lasting experience for their audience.