Considering the concept of the unreliable narrator, how can the physical presentation of a text (illustrations, fonts, page layout etc.) in a novel influence the reader’s perception of the story’s reliability? Are there any specific examples from English literature where ...
Contemporary Indigenous artists in Australia have been utilizing their art to incorporate traditional practices and narratives in order to challenge and redefine postcolonial identity within the global art market. Here are some key ways they are doing this: Preserving and Adapting Traditional MediumRead more
Contemporary Indigenous artists in Australia have been utilizing their art to incorporate traditional practices and narratives in order to challenge and redefine postcolonial identity within the global art market. Here are some key ways they are doing this:
- Preserving and Adapting Traditional Mediums and Techniques:
- Many Indigenous artists continue to use traditional materials and techniques, such as ochre paints, weaving, and carving, as a way to maintain connections to their cultural heritage.
- However, they often adapt these traditional forms to contemporary art practices, creating new hybrid styles that blend the old and the new.
- This allows them to honor their ancestral knowledge while also responding to the modern art world.
- Centering Indigenous Stories and Worldviews:
- Indigenous artists use their art to share narratives, myths, and perspectives that have been marginalized or erased by colonial histories.
- They depict cultural practices, creation stories, and connections to land and community, asserting the validity and importance of Indigenous ways of knowing.
- This challenges the Western-centric art canon and demands recognition of Indigenous epistemologies.
- Reclaiming and Reinterpreting Symbols and Imagery:
- Artists appropriate and reinterpret traditional symbols, motifs, and iconography that have been appropriated or misused by the colonial culture.
- By reclaiming these visual elements, they assert Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination over their cultural heritage.
- This decolonial practice disrupts the Western gaze and reimagines these symbols within their original cultural contexts.
- Engaging with Themes of Displacement, Resilience, and Activism:
- Many Indigenous artists address the ongoing impacts of colonization, including land dispossession, cultural suppression, and social marginalization.
- Their works explore themes of displacement, trauma, and the fight for Indigenous rights and recognition.
- By centering these political and social issues, they use their art as a form of activism and resistance against the legacy of colonialism.
- Navigating the Global Art Market:
- Indigenous artists must carefully navigate the global art market, which has historically been dominated by Western institutions and perspectives.
- They find ways to assert their artistic autonomy and cultural sovereignty while engaging with international audiences and collectors.
- This may involve collaborating with Indigenous-led art centers, curating their own exhibitions, or selectively participating in mainstream art events.
The unreliable narrator in literature complicates the story, and the way a text is physically presented—with regard to fonts, images, and page layout, for example—influences how dependable a reader believes a narrative to be. Visual dissonance is produced when illustrations defy the narrator's descrRead more
The unreliable narrator in literature complicates the story, and the way a text is physically presented—with regard to fonts, images, and page layout, for example—influences how dependable a reader believes a narrative to be.
Visual dissonance is produced when illustrations defy the narrator’s descriptions, leading viewers to wonder about the narrator’s point of view. For instance, the narrator may describe a scenario as ‘serene’ when it is actually chaotic, which could imply deceit or bias. Further, fonts may indicate unsteadiness. Distressed or handwritten fonts tend to convey an erratic or unstable state of mind, raising questions about the narrator’s reliability. Perception is also influenced by page layout since unstructured layouts or haphazard text reflect disorganized thinking, encouraging readers to question the reliability of the narrator.
Examples of this in literature are widespread: The narrators’ unstable character is reflected in Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves, whose erratic font and unconventional layouts drive readers to doubt their authenticity.
Thus, by using these graphic components, writers are known to gently nudge their readers towards doubting a narrator’s reliability, giving the story more nuance and depth as a whole.
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