Research in Art and Science: Similarities and Differences

Some believe that research methodologies in the field of science and art are essentially different. But, the question is whether research itself can be scientific and/or artistic. To get closer to the answer, one must make a precise and explicit analysis of research. The following article attempts to prove that not only arttistic research methodology exists (and is valid), but also this type of method is more precise and specific in comparison to scientific research methodologies. Moreover, artistic research is quite different from ressearch about art - as it is possible to carry out scientific research on art. Nevertheless, this paper stresses that artistic research methodology has an important influence on the understanding of the innovative processes involved in art, whether before or after the creation of the art object. It is hoped that further knowledge about artistic and scientific research provide us with a reliable criteria to evaluate art and artists in the same way, something which has been neglected by the scientific methodologies dominating the modern era since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.