2: Morphology

The description of graphic expressions and their development in the ontogeny − usually described as manifestations of "children's drawings" − has always pointed to a general structure of picture development.

However, with regard to the earliest expressions − mainly characterised as "scribbles" − no standardised perception and presentation of this structure has formed in the literature, which has induced us to undertake a far-reaching re-examination of the earliest pictures. Our reasons for re-subjecting early graphic aspects to an extensive investigation were as follows:

• Previous studies did not follow a consistent terminological and methodical standard.
• The existing empirical foundations are scientifically unsatisfying − small in number, partially questionable in their composition, often comprising individual case studies, inconsistent in their structure, frequently insufficiently identifiable (in particular, the picture collections they are based on are inaccessible).
• The existing empirical foundations are cited and cross-referenced in the literature in an inconsistent manner.

We have inferred that the lack of representational and methodical standards and the lack of trusted empirical foundations prevent any theoretical founding of perceptions on the origins and the early development of the pictorial aspects. The same applies to the associated aesthetic expression. This necessitates a morphology of early graphical expressions on the central theme of corresponding research projects.

Several authors share this position, either directly in relation to the early graphic period, or as a generally held view on the development of pictures in the ontogeny (cf. Richter, 1987, p. 26, p. 370; Wichelhaus, 1992, p. 50, or 2003, p. 77; Schoenmackers, 1996, p. 91-93; Willats, 2005, p. 1; Wallon, 2007, p. 124; Stamatopoulou, 2011, p. 164, referring to Adi-Japha et al., 1998).

As there are so far no robust empirical bases, we have carried out a broadly based study of our own for the European area. This study started by building up an archive of original drawings and paintings by over 450 children (pre-school age) from Switzerland (the majority), Germany and France. This first body of about 143,000 pictures was then subjected to a regulated selection from which a second, reduced body emerged, consisting of about 25,000 pictures by 182 single children or from individual collections of different children. The originals for this second body were reproduced digitally, along with the information relevant to them.

The pictures from the digital archive formed the basis of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. Within these studies, on the basis of a catalogue of attributes, single pictures were related to picture qualities, and the result of the allocation was evaluated statistically. As a final step, a general early development structure for graphic elements was compiled, which can claim to stand as a reference for the context of Europe, in the literature often – but dubiously – named a context of "Western culture".

This re-examination has resulted in a formulation of early picture development, which is supported both methodically and empirically and is identifiable in its derivation. (With regard to the entire research, cf. Maurer und Riboni, 2007a, b, 2009a, 2010a-d; for the description of the inter-individual early development structure, cf. Maurer und Riboni, 2007a/2010a, part 3).

This new description of early picture development induces a re-examination of some basic principles, as they are frequently represented in the literature. In the foreground are the questions of (1) the intentionality and the form of early graphic expressions, (2) the self-references of the graphic aspects, and (3) their relationships to non-graphic aspects (analogies, indices, in a strict sense coded pictorial aspects as symbolic aspects, expressions, and impressions of graphic aspects, as these types of references are classified in our morphological description).

Put simply, we interpret the morphological findings to the effect that early graphic expressions cannot be reduced to sensomotoric manifestations, and their differentiation and development cannot be reduced to analogy formations. Early graphic expressions are not to be understood as "scribbles" but as pictures, and they embrace much more than "object analogies".

However, the morphological description using finished pictures, as we present them in our version, requires additional clarification. With regard to the phenomenological or documentary perspective − the description of early pictures aside from an experimental condition in the strict sense and without predetermined questioning − this clarification relates to two issues; on the one hand the relationship of the early graphic process to the finished picture as a product and, on the other, the influence of the broad context (in the literature named "cultural context") on early pictures.

This study addresses the first issue of the relationship between process and product in early graphic expressions.

For our study addressing the second issue please refer to Maurer et al., 2012.

All links for a direct access to our digital publications are given in chapter 11. In this chapter, we also indicate our digital reedition of the historical archive of Rhoda Kellogg and our digital edition of the archive of Gilles Porte.