Department of Visual Arts

Permanent URI for this community

https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/647

Browse

Browsing Department of Visual Arts by browse.metadata.advisor "De Villiers, Karlien"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Childhoods revisited : a study of narrative and identity in selected autobiographic graphic narratives
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008-03) Clarke, Catherine; De Villiers, Karlien; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the manner in which creating autobiographic narratives can facilitate identity construction and deeper self-understanding. It approaches autobiography as a means of therapy and suggests that the assimilation, acceptance and reworking of one’s history – which speaking and writing about their past experiences offers individuals – can be therapeutic. This is an especially important concept in post-traditional societies, which frequently require that individuals draw their own plans and solutions in the face of significant personal transitions or shifts. Central to this study is the idea that the self is constituted in childhood: that childhood experiences influence the self in assuming a specific structure later in life, and that relationships with family members developed during childhood can impact either favourably or unfavourably on this outcome. Family restructuring as a by-product of marital dissolution as well as the distress divorce can cause children, are explored through visual narratives. Moreover, as a particular type of visual narrative, selected autobiographic comic strips are analysed according to their potential to reflect this childhood condition. In addition, use and the effect of narrative and the potential for these narratives to reveal identity issues and uncertainties is also considered. Of significance to the study is the intrinsic connection between narrative and identity, and narrative identity is propounded as the product of this relationship. Narrative is asserted as being not only an appropriate form for the expression of identity, but a constituent of and condition for its construction too.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Die wye wêreld in : ’n ondersoek na landskap en identiteitskonstruksie in Suid-Afrikaanse en Nederlandse prenteboeke
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2011-12) Van Zyl, Janienke Dorothea; De Villiers, Karlien; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The hypothesis of this study is that literary theory and theories concerning space, landscape and the construction of identity, are not only applicable to written texts, but also to visual texts. To prove this, the relevant theories were applied in the analyses of four selected Afrikaans and Dutch picture books, as well as to my own picture book, the practical component of this MA study. Space, which is transformed into landscape when observation becomes perception, interacts with the construction of identity in texts in different ways, inter alia because changes regarding space lead to changes regarding identity. Although social identity (how others see us) is important, it can lead to stereotyping, while a focus on selfidentity (how we see ourselves) is conducive in treating children as individuals – as is done regarding adults – with a wide variety of interests and inclinations. Space, landscape and the construction of identity are important vehicles to convey meaning in narratives – not only in literature for adults, but also in picture books, where it can play a role in both written text and illustrations to bring extra depth and dimension. Illustrations are most frequently in a complementary relationship with words because they activate additional meaning, but it can also convey messages in a contrapuntal or even contradictory manner. The utilization of these aspects links with the fact that many South African and Dutch writers and illustrators are of the opinion that both children and adults enjoy really successful children’s books. This study indicates that the use of theories on landscape and identity in the analyses of picture books can lead to the discovery of deeper meanings, which show the literary merit of the texts. In this regard, illustrations should not be regarded as having only an aesthetic, supplementary function, but should be appreciated as an equal partner in conveying meaning, which gives an extra dimension to picture books.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Distopie in die grafiese roman : V for Vendetta as voorbeeld
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008-03) Nienaber, J. E.; De Villiers, Karlien; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis examines the genre of dystopian fiction in the graphic novel, V for Vendetta in which a futuristic police state, run by a totalitarian regime is portrayed. Since V for Vendetta draws on a number of other dystopian texts, New Historicist theory is employed which begins its analysis of literary texts by attempting to look at other texts as well as the historical context in which it originated, to aid in the understanding of that text. Therefore, V for Vendetta with its thorough character development and multi-dimensional storyline that the larger format of the graphic novel allows, is studied alongside other highly regarded novels. The characteristics of the nightmarish anti-utopia is identified and analysed in V for Vendetta by looking at real examples of totalitarian regimes from history. The chapters are divided into what I identified as the main themes of the totalitarian dystopia. Chapter one explains the concept of the utopia in order to grasp the concept of dystopia, and more specifically, the Totalitarian dystopia. Chapter two looks at the social structure of V for Vendetta as well as the common Totalitarian dystopia. Chapter three discusses the issue of censorship which is a recurring theme in dystopian fiction. Chapter four examines the manner in which the totalitarian regime manipulates the populace of the dystopia through propaganda. Chapter five discusses the systems of surveillance and lack of privacy in the Totalitarian dystopia and a chapter on the protagonist in dystopia concludes this study.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The meandering narrative : poetry and illustration engage in a moment of indiscipline : demonstrated in an analysis of Sara Fanelli’s illuminated poem - And all men kill the thing they love
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04) Kreuser, Carla Louise; De Villiers, Karlien; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This is a study about the inner workings of an illuminated poem – about the dialogue that develops between poetry and illustration when they encounter each other on the page. However, the illuminated poem is more than just a relation between words and images, it is also a composite art in its own right. This study explores the dynamic of this particular type of imagetext by firstly claiming that the illuminated poem embodies a moment of indiscipline and secondly, by positing that illustration should contribute to this pairing by acting as a manifestation of illumination, instead of posturing as merely ‘illustrative’ or decorative. The inherent indisciplinarity of the illuminated poem as an imagetext is dissected – it is simultaneously two independent art forms and an integrated one; it can therefore be seen as both an interdisciplinary concern and a new art form. The illuminated poem as a visual art blurs the boundaries between words and images, upending the traditional, rigid boundaries of image-­‐text discourse. Additionally, a meandering narrative is set in motion when poetry and illustration engage in an illuminated poem – a slower, involved, cross-­‐pollinating reading that results in the activation of a reader’s imagination. The idea of Illumination is thus examined as both an orchestrated, visual choice and an active, conjuring process. Various strategies of illumination – with which illustration can open up a poem to new conceptual and narrative possibilities – are also discussed. These theories of interplay and interaction are then applied to an analysis of And all men kill the thing they love, an illuminated poem by Sara Fanelli and Oscar Wilde, revealing some of the ways in which illustration and poetry act as co-­‐conspirators and collaborators when they engage in a moment of indiscipline.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Narrating an unstable memory : a postmodern study of fictional pasts in the (auto/bio)graphic novel
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-03) Le Roux, Marike; De Villiers, Karlien; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: To write a life story the auto/biographer must reflect upon the past that was once experienced. When presented with this task of depending on memory and narrative, the auto/biographer often finds himself/herself in the position of creating and imagining, rather than reflecting or presenting the past as it was lived. Fragmentation, forgetfulness, selection, (re)construction and imagination are often inextricably connected to Memory which results in the reliance on an unstable memory to access the past. This dissertation explores how postmodern auto/biographies, specifically the (auto/bio)graphic novel, acknowledges the difficulty of writing about the past when concerned with truth. The (auto/bio)graphic novel disrupts the notion of truth by blurring the boundaries between fact and fiction, resulting in a hybrid form where text and image, reality and imagination co-exist to create new, and often more significant pasts (that can serve the present).
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Die plek van die inheemse kinderprenteboek in post-apartheid Suid-Afrika, met spesiale verwysing na die Nama taal
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011-03) Steenkamp, Janita; De Villiers, Karlien; Dietrich, Keith; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study discusses the role of the indigenous picturebook in South Africa and the positive aspects it holds with regards to developing a reading culture in this country. Specific focus is placed on postmodern picturebooks and it discusses why these types of books are more succesfulsuccessfulin teaching children to read than “traditional” picturebooks, and finally to promote a healthy reading culture. The main argument is that picturebooks occupy a void where different factors such as didactic and economic elements should be taken into consideration. The possible role picturebooks can play in the rehabilitation of the dying Nama language and culture is also considered as well as links between Nama and Afrikaans stories. HibridityHybridity theory is also taken into account and possibilities of merging Afrikaans and Nama to create a bilingual picturebook is also explored. The picturebook is also discussed as a form consisting of different factors.These factors include elements regarding narrative theory and semiotics. The premise of this discussion is based on Roland Barthes’ theory regarding the meaning of signs, namelysemiotics. Narrative theory is also taken into consideration with special reference to Perry Nodelman’s theory regarding the combination of narratology and semiotics in the dissection of picturebooks. In the conclusion it is discussed why it is very important for writers and illustrators to have a sound understanding of the theory regarding picturebooks in order to create quality picturebooks. The main theme in this study is that picturebooks are a perfect medium for children to learn how to read and develop their visual literacy.