The title of this thesis 'South African History Painting : Reinterpretation By Women Artists' indicated that the focus was to be on South African history painting. As the research progressed, however, it became apparent that the initial title did not encompass a broad enough spectrum. Therefore a more suitable title for this dissertation is 'A Visual Reinterpretation Of Aspects Of South African History By Women Artists: Penelope Siopis and Philippa Skotnes'. It is the intention of this dissertation to examine the way in which two contemporary South African women artists namely, Penelope Siopis (1953-) and Philippa Skotnes (1957) visually challenge in their paintings and prints respectively the conventional depictions of recorded South African history. Poststructuralism, deconstruction, new historicism and Postmodernism are among the theoretical currents upon which this research is based. It is from a Postmodern standpoint that selected works by Siopis and Skotnes will be analysed. The intention of this analysis is to examine their attempts to access the Postcolonial condition in South Africa through their visual presentations. The work of Siopis and Skotnes reflectects an interest in Postcoloniality. Furthernore, their visual imagery addresses questions of culture and power in South African visual representation. Works such as those created by Siopis and Skotnes can be seen as uncovering some of the contradictions within the process of decolonization. Nederveen, Pieterse and Parekh (1995 ) describe decolonization in the following way: 'Decolonization is a process of emancipation through mirroring, a mix of defiance and mimesis. Like colonialism itself, it is deeply preoccupied with boundaries - boundaries of territory and identity, borders of nation and state. (Nederveen, Pieterse and Parekh 1995: 11)' The focus in this dissertation is on the works of Siopis and Skotnes and their use of specific deconstructive methods to undermine prejudicial historical imagery and question established perceptions within South African history. In other words, the visual presentation of these two artists explores the boundaries or margins of established history. Both Siopis and Skotnes confront in visual terms the prejudicial representations of women and/or ethnic groups who have been subjugated by what they perceive as white, middle class, patriarchal history. The primary concern of the research is the visual imagery produced by these two artists and the effect of deconstruction on their respective art works. In the first chapter selected works from Siopis's 'History Painting' (1980s) series are to be analysed. In the second chapter the focus is on Skotnes's etchings in 'Sound From The Thinking Strings' (1993) exhibition. The investigation then moves to a project entitled 'Miscast' (1996). Skotnes was the curator of the 'Miscast' exhibition. It does not contain original art works by Skotnes. It is however an extension of the ideas which her prints embody and is therefore relevant to this dissertation. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

My dissertation challenges the longstanding dismissal of love in James Joyce's texts by examining the ethical and political implications of his love stories. Primarily using Martin Buber's works (but also including perspectives derived from bell hooks and Julia Kristeva), I define love as an affirmation of otherness and adopt a critical framework that promotes the love of others over the narcissistic devotion to oneself. In so doing, I highlight love as the ultimate challenge to authoritarian systems because the embrace of the other is necessary to transcend the boundaries that alienate individuals from each other and that justify imperialist and racist political structures. I thus offer a love ethic that not only compels meaningful individual interaction, but also establishes a model for effective social and civic participation, encouraging a climate of cooperation that embraces the solidarity and empathy needed for progressive politics. I also argue that analyzing Joyce's works provides a fruitful opportunity to recognize the individual and political viability of this love ethic. Focusing on Dubliners, Stephen Hero, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Exiles, and Ulysses, I examine the relationships between his characters' pursuits of love and their socio-political struggles, arguing that their love for others directly influences their acceptance of otherness within the colonialist discourses of Joyce's Dublin. For example, James Duffy's refusal of Emily Sinico in "A Painful Case" also rejects her advice to engage in the political cooperation that would promote his socialist ideas. Similarly, Stephen Dedalus's promotion of symbolic romance over real-world attachments focuses his aesthetics on ideal beauty instead of everyday Dublin, which alienates him from his audience and limits the practical success of his art. By contrast, Leopold Bloom's love for his wife Molly reflects a broader empathy for others that encourages social dialogue and counteracts what Joyce called "the old pap of racial hatred," an element in both British imperialism and Irish nationalism. My dissertation's afterword anticipates the amorous potential of Finnegans Wake, reading ALP's concluding soliloquy as a demonstration of her enduring affection for HCE that is reignited through each iteration of the text's cyclical narrative.

Text in English, with abstracts and keywords in English and Xhosa / The study delves into traumatic memories rooted in the unconscious mind and the modalities of expression of traumatic memories of childhood. Specific reference is made to the trauma studies of Cathy Caruth and Bessel van der Kolk. Using a framework of contemporary trauma theory, I argue that trauma manifests through childhood sexual abuse (CSA) manifests in trauma and that a number of artworks by myself, Penny Siopis and Nathani Lüneberg, reflect such trauma. The research is conducted as practice-led research and focuses on interpretations of selected artworks as well as a theoretical component. The body of large-scale digital paintings plays a significant role in the research process, which implies that theory leads practice and vice versa. The work encompasses the visual exploration of CSA and it is specifically analysed according to my interpretation of symbols such as the naked female body and intimate scenes which illustrate, vulnerabilty, curtains that metaphorically represent a view into my unconscious mind. The symbol of the uterus or the womb, where a foetus or unborn baby develops and grows, is a symbol of nurturing and protection. The artworks are primarily considered according to notions of CSA that cause betrayal and traumatic associations with sex, angst and psychological fragility in children. The exhibition portrays the psychobiological and psyhoanalytical aspects of childhood trauma resulting from CSA. The creative work consists of four digital paintings and seven photographic artworks. The artworks in The Silent Wound Series portray CSA, childhood trauma, and traumatic memories in the unconscious. Dealing with the understanding and representation of childhood trauma such as CSA, these themes are continuously embodied in my artworks. As the portrayal of the fragile girl child’s body as a signifier in the artworks relates to my personal situation, I choose an empathic view of childhood trauma within the study, portraying traumatic events and the memories thereof in the unconscious. The aim of the study is to recognise how digital painting and photography enable the representation and understanding of CSA and traumatic memories and how the silenced and abused child’s voice can be expressed through the affective and transactive quality of art. The main study objective is to investigate if traumatic memories occur in victims of CSA. / Uphononongo lungena nzulu kwiinkumbulo ezoyikisayo ezendele kwingqondo eleleyo kunye neendlela zokubonisa iinkumbulo ezibuhlungu zobuntwana. Ngokukhethekileyo kujoliswe kuphando olwenziwe kwizifundo zomothuko zikaCathy Caruth noBessel van der Kolk. Ndisebenzisa isakhelo sethiyori yanamhlanje, ndivakalisa ukuba umothuko wokuxhatshazwa ngokwesondo ebuntwaneni (i-CSA) bubonakala kuloyiko kwaye eminye yemisebenzi yam yobugcisa, uPenny Siopis kunye noNathani Lüneberg, ibonisa uloyiko olunjalo. Uphando lwenziwa njengophando olukhokelwa kukuziqhelanisa kwaye lujolise kutoliko lwemisebenzi yobugcisa ekhethiweyo kunye nenxalenye yethiyori. Uvimba wemizobo emikhulu yedijithali idlala indima ebalulekileyo kwinkqubo yophando, oko kuthetha ukuba ithiyori ikhokelela ekusebenzeni kwaye nangokuphendulelekileyo. Umsebenzi uquka uphando olubonakalayo kwe-CSA kwaye ucazululwa ngokukodwa ngokokutolika kwam iisimboli ezinje ngomzimba wabasetyhini ehamba ze kunye nemiboniso esondeleleneyo ebonisa, ukuba sesichengeni, iikhethini ngokukwekwayo ezimele imbono kwingqondo yam eleleyo. Uphawu lwesibeleko okanye isibeleko, apho umbungu okanye usana olungekazalwa lukhula khona kwaye lukhule, siluphawu lokondla nokukhusela. Imisebenzi yobugcisa iqwalaselwa ikakhulu ngokwemibono ye-CSA ebangela ukungcatshwa kunye nomanyano oludakumbisayo ngezesondo, ixhala kunye nobu-ethe-ethe ngokwengqondo ebantwaneni. Umboniso uzoba iimeko zengqondo ephilayo kunye nohlalutyo lwengqondo elimeleyo yobuntwana ebangelwe yi-CSA. Umsebenzi wobugcisa unemizobo emine yedijithali kunye neefoto zobugcisa esixhenxe. Imisebenzi yobugcisa kwi-Silent Wound Series izoba i-CSA, umothuko wobuntwana, kunye neenkumbulo ezibuhlungu ezikwingqondo eleleyo. Ukusebenza nokuqonda nokutolika ukwenzakaliswa kobuntwana okufana ne-CSA, le mixholo ihlala iyinxalenye kwimisebenzi yam yobugcisa.Njengoko ukwenza uzobo lomzimba o-ethe-ethe womntwana oyintombazana njengomboniso kwimisebenzi yobugcisa kunxulumene nemeko yam yobuqu, ndikhetha umbono onovelwano wokwenzakala kobuntwana kolu phononongo, ndibonisa iziganeko ezihlasimlis 'umzimba kunye neenkumbulo zazo ezingqondweni ezileleyo. Injongo yophando kukufuna ukuqonda ukuba imizobo ngedijithali kunye nokufota kukwenza njani ukumelwa kunye nokuqondwa kwe-CSA neenkumbulo ezenzakalisayo nokuba ilizwi elithulisiweyo nempatho-mbi yomntwana linokuvakaliswa njani ngokomgangatho ochaphazelayo notshintshayo wobugcisa. Eyona njongo iphambili yophando kukuphanda ukuba iinkumbulo ezibuhlungu ziyenzeka kumaxhoba e-CSA. / Arts and Music / M.V.A.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Steven Millhauser has been recognized for his abilities as both a novelist and a writer of short fiction. Yet, he has evaded definitive categorization because his fiction does not fit into any one category. Millhauser’s fiction has defied clean categorization specifically because of his regular oscillation between the modes of realism and fantasy. Much of Millhauser’s short fiction contains images of labyrinths: wandering narratives that appear to split off or come to a dead end, massive structures of branching, winding paths and complex mysteries that are as deep and impenetrable as the labyrinth itself. This project aims to specifically explore the presence of labyrinthine elements throughout Steven Millhauser’s short fiction. Millhauser’s labyrinths are either described spatially and/or suggested in his narrative form; they are, in other words, spatial and/or discursive. Millhauser’s spatial labyrinths (which I refer to as ‘architecture’ stories) involve the lengthy description of some immense or underground structure. The structures are fantastic in their size and often seem infinite in scale. These labyrinths are quite literal. Millhauser’s discursive labyrinths demonstrate the labyrinthine primarily through a forking, branching and repetitive narrative form. Millhauser’s use of the labyrinth is at once the same and different than preceding generations of short fiction. Postmodern short fiction in the 1960’s and 70’s used labyrinthine elements to draw the reader’s attention to the story’s textuality. Millhauser, too, writes in the experimental/fantastic mode, but to different ends. The devices of metafiction and realism are employed in his short fiction as agents of investigating and expressing two competing visions of reality. Using the ‘tricks’ and techniques of postmodern metafiction in tandem with realistic detail, Steven Millhauser’s labyrinthine fiction adjusts and reapplies the experimental short story to new ends: real-world applications and thematic expression.