Beyond the singular lens : sensuous dispositions and narrative inquiry at the "Beach Art Gallery"

Narrative inquiry has long been of interest to researchers seeking qualitative data, especially for those attempting to understand multi-sensory and embodied experiences. The use of experimental or creative writing (including Indigenous storytelling techniques) to evoke the complexity of such encounters has been promoted as an ideal medium to express and describe both visual and non-visual experiences of time and place. This article proposes a narrative inquiry methodology and offers preliminary findings from a research project that seeks to understand the impact of novel public art displays by investigating and interpreting audience's multifaceted aesthetic experiences. Through empirical analysis and drawing on key debates, this article claims that engaging in shared, embodied, multi-sensory experiences inspires new and creative behaviors, encouraging researchers to re-assess theories of knowledge acquisition and meaning making.