Five letters in a row: E, L, I, N, A. The E has several more horizontal strokes than the E Iwill later learn in school, the N is reversed, and the A is upside down. It doesn’t matter. Ican read it, and others can, too. Once I learned how to write my name, I couldn’t stop. Iwrote it everywhere—on my toys and on my bed frame, on the walls, the doors, theledges. There is something visceral about leaving marks and traces of oneself on differentmaterials and surfaces. Pencil on raw wood, pen on paint, and waxy crayon on plastic.Speaking and writing are part of a collective knowledge that is based on complexstructures and technologies. Walls and screens are flat surfaces that we use fororientation and as sources of information. We navigate. Slowly we are shaped. I’mtouching, tracing, and marking. Leaving something of myself behind. A record. Anencounter and exchange between my hand, the tool, and the surface. The surface isforever marked, forever destroyed, forever scarred. ELINA.In this master essay, Elina Birkehag collects her notes and reflections during her years ofmaster studies at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. The essay consists of two parts.The first is written in her studio during her final year of studies, the months before her soloexhibition MOUTH TO WALL at the end of 2022. The second part is a collection of notesfrom the forests and wetlands of Dalarna, as she has been looking for tree carvings leftthere by women tending cattle a few hundred years ago.

Vestígios arqueofaunísticos resgatados em sítios arqueológicos de Mato Grosso e Mato Grosso do Sul revelaram a existência pretérita de grupos humanos caçadores-coletores generalistas, nestes Estados. Inseridos neste contexto, estão os sítios arqueológicos Maracaju 1, MS e Santa Elina, MT, caracterizados por serem abrigos sob rocha, que apresentam painéis com inscrições rupestres, e por uma quantidade de remanescentes arqueofaunísticos, associados a outros vestígios da cultura material. Diante do exposto, o presente trabalho teve por objetivos (1) compreender, sob a perspectiva da arqueofauna, os padrões de subsistência das populações humanas pretéritas que ocuparam Maracaju 1, MS e Santa Elina, MT, dois abrigos em bioma de Cerrado; (2) delinear as atividades (específicas ou não) realizadas pelos grupos humanos que ocuparam estes abrigos; e, diante disso, (3) inferir a função destes abrigos para as populações pretéritas locais. Para tanto, estes registros zooarqueológicos foram estudados por meio de métodos e técnicas multidisciplinares (e.g. Taxonomia e Tafonomia experimental). Diante dos resultados deste trabalho, foi possível inferir que a caça e as atividades de subsistência, nas ocupações atribuídas aos caçadores-coletores, em Maracaju 1, ocorreram de modo sucessivo e, provavelmente, sazonal. Esta característica de ocupação fortaleceu a hipótese do elevado grau de mobilidade e das ocupações mais horizontalizadas na paisagem, característica desses grupos humanos. Do mesmo modo, a explicação mais parcimoniosa para o contexto zooarqueológico de Santa Elina, é a de que as ocupações humanas tiveram um caráter, provavelmente sazonal e ocorreram durante as alocações de recursos ligadas a outros eventos culturais, evidenciados pelos registros rupestres e pelos vestígios arqueológicos resgatados neste sítio. / Archaeofaunistic remains rescued in archaeological sites from Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul have shown the existence of generalists past hunter-gatherers groups in these states. Embedded in this context, there are the archaeological sites Maracaju 1, MS and Santa Elina, MT, characterized by being rock shelters, with rock art, and a quantity of archaeofaunistic remains, along with other traces of material culture. Facing the above, this work aimed to (1) understand, from the perspective of archaeofauna, the subsistence patterns of the people who occupied Maracaju 1, and Santa Elina, two shelters in the Cerrado biome, (2) outlining the activities (specific or not) done by human groups who occupied these shelters, and face it, (3) deduce the function of these shelters for local people. To reach that, these zooarchaeological records were studied using multidisciplinary methods and techniques (e.g. Taxonomy and Experimental taphonomy). Facing these results, it was possible to infer that hunting and subsistence activities, in occupations attributed to hunters-gatherers in Maracaju 1, occurred in successive and probably seasonal context. This occupation characteristic has strengthened the hypothesis of the high degree of mobility and more horizontalised occupations in the landscape, characteristic of these human groups. Similarly, the most parsimonious explanation for the zooarchaeological context of Santa Elina, is that the human occupation, probably had a seasonal character and occurred during the resources allocation related to other cultural events, evidenced by the rock art and the archaeological remains rescued in this site.

Vestígios arqueofaunísticos resgatados em sítios arqueológicos de Mato Grosso e Mato Grosso do Sul revelaram a existência pretérita de grupos humanos caçadores-coletores generalistas, nestes Estados. Inseridos neste contexto, estão os sítios arqueológicos Maracaju 1, MS e Santa Elina, MT, caracterizados por serem abrigos sob rocha, que apresentam painéis com inscrições rupestres, e por uma quantidade de remanescentes arqueofaunísticos, associados a outros vestígios da cultura material. Diante do exposto, o presente trabalho teve por objetivos (1) compreender, sob a perspectiva da arqueofauna, os padrões de subsistência das populações humanas pretéritas que ocuparam Maracaju 1, MS e Santa Elina, MT, dois abrigos em bioma de Cerrado; (2) delinear as atividades (específicas ou não) realizadas pelos grupos humanos que ocuparam estes abrigos; e, diante disso, (3) inferir a função destes abrigos para as populações pretéritas locais. Para tanto, estes registros zooarqueológicos foram estudados por meio de métodos e técnicas multidisciplinares (e.g. Taxonomia e Tafonomia experimental). Diante dos resultados deste trabalho, foi possível inferir que a caça e as atividades de subsistência, nas ocupações atribuídas aos caçadores-coletores, em Maracaju 1, ocorreram de modo sucessivo e, provavelmente, sazonal. Esta característica de ocupação fortaleceu a hipótese do elevado grau de mobilidade e das ocupações mais horizontalizadas na paisagem, característica desses grupos humanos. Do mesmo modo, a explicação mais parcimoniosa para o contexto zooarqueológico de Santa Elina, é a de que as ocupações humanas tiveram um caráter, provavelmente sazonal e ocorreram durante as alocações de recursos ligadas a outros eventos culturais, evidenciados pelos registros rupestres e pelos vestígios arqueológicos resgatados neste sítio. / Archaeofaunistic remains rescued in archaeological sites from Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul have shown the existence of generalists past hunter-gatherers groups in these states. Embedded in this context, there are the archaeological sites Maracaju 1, MS and Santa Elina, MT, characterized by being rock shelters, with rock art, and a quantity of archaeofaunistic remains, along with other traces of material culture. Facing the above, this work aimed to (1) understand, from the perspective of archaeofauna, the subsistence patterns of the people who occupied Maracaju 1, and Santa Elina, two shelters in the Cerrado biome, (2) outlining the activities (specific or not) done by human groups who occupied these shelters, and face it, (3) deduce the function of these shelters for local people. To reach that, these zooarchaeological records were studied using multidisciplinary methods and techniques (e.g. Taxonomy and Experimental taphonomy). Facing these results, it was possible to infer that hunting and subsistence activities, in occupations attributed to hunters-gatherers in Maracaju 1, occurred in successive and probably seasonal context. This occupation characteristic has strengthened the hypothesis of the high degree of mobility and more horizontalised occupations in the landscape, characteristic of these human groups. Similarly, the most parsimonious explanation for the zooarchaeological context of Santa Elina, is that the human occupation, probably had a seasonal character and occurred during the resources allocation related to other cultural events, evidenced by the rock art and the archaeological remains rescued in this site.

The diploma thesis defines the therm "cliché" in art and specifically in photography. This definition stems from examining concepts that are closely related to cliché: paraphrase, kitch, copy, reproduction. The thesis also pinpoints various examples of cliché in today's photography. It follows the development of certain clichés and aims to answer the question that concerns the repetitive search and imitation of certain images, even by authors who are undoubtedly aware of their existence, as well as frequency.

This essay aims to understand how meaning and materiality work in four picture books from the 00s and 10s; Gittan och gråvargarna by Pija Lindenbaum, I skogen by Eva Lindström, Vem ser Dim? by Maria Nilsson Thore and Vi blåste bort ibland by Viveka Sjögren. The essay uses two theoretical works about picture books: Bilderbokens pusselbitar by Maria Nikolajeva and Modernismens bilder – Den moderna bilderboken i Norden by Elina Druker. Questions to lead the analysis are: How can text and picture be understood as materiality? How can meaning be understood as a material-discursive phenomenon? How can reading and meaning be understood as performative processes? The chapter “Diffractions: Differences, Contingencies, and Entanglements That Matter” from Karen Barad’s book Meeting the Universe Halfway – Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning provides help to understand diffraction as a metaphor and methodological attitude. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s understanding of knowledge as performative in the book Touching Feeling – Affect, Pedagogy, Performativity is used to understand the picture book as an act of knowledge and meaning, and reading as a performative process where human involvement cannot be overlooked. The essay problematizes the theoretical texts about picture books by taking on different parts of the picture book’s form and drawing examples from the four chosen picture books. Parts that are examined are divisions of signs in semiotics (and in the picture book theory), the picture book’s limits between for instance framework and content, fiction and reality, and book and reader, mimesis and the analytical problems with looking for truth, the impact of the picture book’s size and shape, and lastly illustration techniques and the influence that illustrator, materiality and reader have on the book. The essay shows how different involvements affect the meaning that is created in the picture book, how solid delimitations of different kinds can be problematic, and how words such as picture, text, paratext and content should be treated gently and consciously. Different ways of breaking with methods and thoughts of habit are presented, for instance by using Barad’s concept of diffraction. The essay ends by emphasizing the complexity that follows meaning, materiality and reading, the responsibility it demands of us and how picture book theory sometimes simplifies analysis. This essay stresses the importance of questioning how the methods and words we use affect what is possible to understand, but not in the sense that we should read in a paranoid and closed way, but rather open minded and with room for failures, reconsiderations and other ways forward. / Syftet med denna uppsats är att förstå hur mening och materialitet hänger ihop i fyra bilderböcker från 00- och 10-tal; Gittan och gråvargarna av Pija Lindenbaum, I skogen av Eva Lindström, Vem ser Dim? av Maria Nilsson Thore och Vi blåste bort ibland av Viveka Sjögren. Uppsatsen går i dialog med de bilderboksteoretiska verken Bilderbokens pusselbitar av Maria Nikolajeva och Modernismens bilder – Den moderna bilderboken i Norden av Elina Druker. Frågor för att leda undersökningen är som följer: På vilket sätt är text och bild materialitet? Hur kan mening förstås som materiellt-diskursivt fenomen i bilderböckerna? Hur kan läsning och mening förstås som performativa processer? Avsnittet ”Diffractions: Differences, Contingencies, and Entanglements That Matter” ur Karen Barads verk Meeting the Universe Halfway – Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning fungerar som hjälp för att förstå diffraktion som metafor och metodologisk hållning. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwicks förståelse av kunskap som performativ i verket Touching Feeling – Affect, Pedagogy, Performativity används för att förstå bilderboken som ett görande, och läsningen som en performativ process där mänsklig inblandning inte kan förbises. Uppsatsen problematiserar de bilderboksteoretiska verken genom att ta sig an olika aspekter av bilderbokens form samt exemplifiera detta med hjälp av det skönlitterära materialet. Områden som vidrörs är semiotikens (och bilderboksteoretikernas) indelning av tecken, bilderbokens gränser mellan bland annat ramar och innehåll, fiktion och verklighet samt verk och läsare, mimesis och sanningssökandets analytiska problem, bilderbokens påverkan av storlek och format, samt slutligen illustrationstekniker och den inverkan illustratör, materialitet och läsare har på verket. Uppsatsen visar på hur olika inblandningar påverkar den mening som skapas i bilderboken, hur fasta gränsdragningar av olika slag kan anses problematiska, samt hur begrepp som till exempel bild, text, paratext och innehåll bör behandlas varsamt och medvetet. Olika sätt att komma runt upptrampade metodologiska tillvägagångssätt och tankespår presenteras, bland annat med hjälp av Barads diffraktionsbegrepp. Uppsatsen avslutas med att betona den komplexitet som följer med mening, materialitet och läsning, det ansvar detta avkräver oss och hur bilderboksteorin ibland fungerar förenklande i analyser. Denna uppsats lyfter vikten av att ifrågasätta vad de metoder och ord vi använder egentligen gör med vad som är möjligt att förstå, men inte i den mening att vi bör läsa misstänksamt och stängt, utan snarare öppensinnat och med utrymme för misslyckanden, omprövningar och andra vägar vidare.