Introduction

In Tim Ingold’s book, Making: Anthropology, Archaeology, Art and Architecture, he rethinks what it means to create. He re-evaluates ideas around anthropology and ethnography, arguing against the idea that concepts can be theorized in isolation from the world around us. He states that we don’t obtain knowledge by being a bystander; we learn because we interact with the world we experience. Ingold points out that making is a process of correspondence between human beings and the materials they work with. To make is not to impose onto a subject but to join forces with things already at work. This shift from passive observation to participation has a major implication on how we understand knowledge, materiality and creation. Reading Ingold alongside our course discussion on Materiality by Bill Brown and ideas proposed by Sherry Turkle’s Evocative Objects, reveals to us that making is not just a practical activity but a way of knowing and learning about the world. 

Making

Ingold introduces the idea that materials are alive. He argues that they are not innate objects waiting for human design, but rather that they are active participants in the processes of creation. The material in use shapes the maker’s actions and the outcome of the piece. The maker does not simply use these raw substances but works with them to bring out their potential. Ingold calls this “thinking through making” (2), arguing that the hand and mind work together to create something new. Ingold connects his ideas to Derrida’s Memoirs of the Blind. He uses Derrida’s ideas to back up his claim that making is exploratory; it’s an act of discovery rather than something guided by preconceived images in the mind. 

This view contrasts with a concept Ingold introduces called the hylomorphic model, a long-standing Western idea that imposes form onto materials. This model assumes that the form of an object originates in the mind and then is transferred into the material. This theory is reliant on the concept that a maker designs an “outline” for a creation and then proceeds to mould the material to their liking. Ingold argues that this model forgets to acknowledge that the materials themselves impact the final product.

Materiality

This idea of a symbiotic relationship between maker and material heavily connects to ideas about materiality introduced by Bill Brown, which have been central in our course. Bill Brown states that materials go past physicality; they impact how we experience life and mediate our senses. This concept is reflected in Ingold’s work as he argues that the concept of materiality has become too detached from the actual substance. We often focus on the physicality of an object rather than how it engages and shapes our experiences. Ingold views materiality as an embodied, relational practice rather than just a theoretical term. This is important to media studies, as artists, we usually approach creation with a predetermined plan of how we want to manipulate the materials. We forget to learn from the process of making and that the outcomes will never fully go to plan. Ingold’s work reminds us to embrace the challenges and nuance that come with making, rather than being too consumed by the “design” we want to execute. 

Ingold’s perspective on materials being alive and impacting our experiences aligns with the ideas present in Sherry Turkle’s Evocative Objects. Turkle’s work teaches us that objects are not merely things but mediators of thoughts and feelings. This connects to Ingold’s idea that materials impact our process of creation. Materials are mediators, as we gain knowledge from interacting with them. Both Turkle and Ingold remind us of the power of materiality and how it shapes our knowledge. 

Knowledge & Learning

Tim Ingold’s emphasis on process and correspondence also provides us with a new perspective on knowledge and learning. In this class, we discussed how knowledge is stored and transmitted in different forms. This is especially seen in the documentary on Umberto Eco, A Library of the World. He describes the library as more than just a collection of books but as a living being that changes as humans grow and evolve. This idea ties into Ingold’s reflections that knowledge is gained by participating rather than watching from the sidelines. Umberto Eco’s ideas about engaging with physical materials, such as books, through writing and directly interacting with them, connect to Ingold’s arguments on how knowledge comes from engaging with materials. Both thinkers remind us that knowledge is often connected to the materials that sustain it. 

Ingold highlights that knowledge is an embodied skill that comes from paying attention. He reiterates that we learn in the process of doing. He states that knowledge is “a process of active following, of going along”(12). He reminds us that furthering our knowledge does not solely depend on documentation, but that we learn by watching and working alongside the subject. This idea directly connects to discussions we’ve had in class. In Media Studies, we are taught to further our knowledge through reading, documentation and creation. These various skills are what allow us to expand our perspectives as we can learn through consuming other works and through creating our own. Ingold’s work reminds us that being makers or artists is not simply repeating others’ ideas, but learning from those ideas and bettering ourselves through the process of making our own art. 

Conclusion

Ingold’s Making invites us to rethink what it means to know. He reminds us that knowledge is not simply something we gain but something we do. His theories teach us, as makers, that we can learn through the process of creation. This work serves as a lesson to us. In Media Studies, we are often more concerned about our designs or plans rather than truly enjoying the process of making. He reminds us that we don’t have complete power over the outcomes of a piece, so it’s better to embrace that uncertainty rather than fight it. As makers, we must create a relationship between ourselves and the materials, as they have agency in our work. Materials mediate our experiences, leaving traces that should not be forgotten but celebrated. This book reminds us that Media Studies is about more than theory; it’s about learning through the process of doing. 

Citations: 

Brown, Bill. “Materiality.” Critical Terms for Media Studies, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, 2010. 

Derrida, Jacques. Memoirs of the Blind: The Self-Portrait and Other Ruins. University of Chicago Press, 1993.

Ingold, Tim. Making: Anthropology, Archaeology, Art and Architecture. Routledge, 2013. 

Turkle, Sherry. Evocative Objects: Things We Think With, MIT Press, 2007.

Umberto Eco: La biblioteca del mondo. Directed by Davide Ferrario, 2018.

By Aminata Chipembere