Thesis (MA (VA))--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation investigates forms of excess in representations of the body in specific examples of contemporary visual art in South Africa and internationally. Representations of excess are phenomena that have gained increasing prominence in recent art practice both locally and abroad. The discussion is focused on two artworks that are examples of this increasing phenomenon of excess in contemporary art: the Swedish video artist Nathalie Djurberg’s video installation Experimentet (2009), and South African performance artist Steven Cohen’s film Golgotha (2007-9). My discussion of the two artworks revolves around the central question: what is the signifying role of excess in representations of the human body in contemporary visual art? This central question is asked throughout the dissertation with two aims in mind: firstly, to situate within a theoretical framework the phenomenon of excess in relation to depictions of the body in contemporary art; and secondly, to situate my own arts practice within this framework. The analysis of Djurberg’s Experimentet and Cohen’s Golgotha is spread over four discussions, each relating to a specific aspect of the representation of excess in relation to the body. Firstly, I investigate the grotesque body with regards to Mikhail Bakhtin’s notion of grotesque realism and Jacques Lacan’s psychological notion of the fragmented body, or corps morcelé. Secondly, I examine the ‘body spectacle’ as a cultural critique of capitalism, and make specific reference to Cohen’s use of real human skulls as shoes in Golgotha as a cultural critique of capitalism. In this discussion I also investigate George Bataille’s philosophical enquiry into the notion of expenditure as a critique of capitalism. The ‘body spectacle’ is situated in the context of late-twentieth-century theorist Frederic Jameson’s view of the postmodern and his exposition of the ‘waning of affect’. Thirdly, I investigate excess and mimesis in representations of the female body, with specific reference to Djurberg’s Experimentet. Here the discussion is situated within the context of French feminist psychoanalytical theory with Luce Irigaray’s concept of the role of excess in mimesis. The study then turns to investigating the experiences elicited in spectators by representations of excess in relation to the body. I draw from George Bataille’s writings of the function of taboo and Mikhail Bakhtin’s insistence on the ambivalence of grotesque imagery to explain my own observations on images of excess. Here I argue, in reference to both Experimentet and Golgotha, that excess is characterised by the paradoxical stance of being simultaneously attracted and repulsed. Lastly I discuss my own current art practice with reference to the theoretical framework outlined here around representations of excess in relation to the body. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek die voorkoms van oordaad in die uitbeelding van die menslike liggaam in spesifieke voorbeelde van kontemporêre Suid-Afrikaanse en internasionale visuele kunswerke. Oordaadsuitbeelding is ‘n verskynsel wat opvallender voorkom in huidige plaaslike en internasionale kunspraktyke. Die verhandeling fokus primêr op twee kunswerke ter illustrasie van hierdie verskynsel: die Sweedse videokunstenaar Natalie Djurberg se video-instellasie Experimentet (2009), en Suid-Afrikaanse ‘performance’- kunstenaar Steven Cohen se film Golgotha (2007 -9). My bespreking van die twee kunswerke wentel rondom die sentrale vraag: watter aanduidende rol speel oordadigheid in uitbeeldings van die menslike liggaam in kontemporêre visuele kuns? Ter beantwoording van hierdie vraag het hierdie ondersoek ten doel om, eerstens, die verskynsel van oordaadsuitbeelding van die menslike liggaam in kontemporêre kuns binne ‘n teoretiese raamwerk te plaas. Ten tweede gaan ek my eie kunspraktyk binne hierdie raamwerk plaas. Die oorsig van Djurberg se Experimentet en Cohen se Golgotha word oor vier hoofstukke versprei. Elke hoofstuk bespreek ‘n spesifieke aspek van oordaadsuitbeelding rakende die menslike liggaam. Ten eerste bespreek ek die groteske liggaam aan die hand van Mikhail Bakhtin se idée van groteske realisme en ek verwys ook na Jacques Lacan se psigoanalitiese idée van die gefragmenteerde liggaam, of corpse morcelé. Die tweede ondersoek in die verband van oordaadsuitbeelding verwys na die ‘liggaamspektakel’ as kulturele kritiek op kapitalisme, met spesifieke verwysing na Cohen se gebruik van egte menslike skedels as skoene in Golgotha. Ek bespreek ook George Bataille se filosofiese ondersoek na die idée van ‘uitgawe’ as kritiek op kapitalisme. Die ‘liggaamspektakel’ word geplaas binne die konteks van die laat-twintigste-eeuse teoretikus Frederic Jameson se opvatting van postmodernisme en sy verduideliking van die afname in gevoelsinhoud. Ten derde ondersoek ek oordaad en nabootsing in uitbeeldings van die vroulike liggaam, met spesiefieke verwysing na Djurberg se Experimentet. Hier is die bespreking geplaas in die konteks van die Franse feministiese psigoanalitiese teorie van Luce Irigaray se konsep van die rol van oordaad in nabootsing. Die studie verander dan na die ondersoek na die ervarings wat by die gehoor ontlok word deur die uitbeeldings van oordaad rakende die menslike liggaam. Ek verduidelik my eie observasies oor oordaadsuitbeelding deur gebruik te maak van George Bataille se skrywes oor die funksie van taboe, sowel as Mikail Bakhtin se aandrang op die ambivalensie van groteske beelde. Hier argumenteer ek, met verwysing na Experimentet en Golgotha, dat oordaad gekenmerk word deur die paradoks van gelyktydige aantrekking en walging. Ten einde bespreek ek my eie kunspraktyk met verwysing na die teoretiese raamwerk uiteengesit rondom uitbeeldings van oordaad rakende die liggaam.

This dissertation presents an investigation into two so-called live art works – Ugly girl at the rugby (1998) and Chandelier (2001-2002) – by the contemporary South African artist Steven Cohen (1962-). These works are explored with reference to the manner in which Cohen (as self-declared queer Jewish freak) uses performance art as a form of activism in order to expose practices of marginalisation and suppression (oppression) of non-normative or so-called deviant subject positions in terms of gender, race and ethnicity. The analysis of artworks is guided by the discourse of the carnavalesque and performative conceptualisations of gender with particular emphasis on Cohen’s use of drag as contemporary form of masquerade in order to propose an alternative subject position. The argument is as follows: that Cohen, by setting up an extreme alternative to normative identity constructs, manages to destabilise existing hierarchies that are structured according to binaries as these exist in spaces (such as a rugby stadium and a squatter camp) in the South African context. This destabilising of binary hierarchies gives rise to the argument that the symbolically encoded nature of spaces known for associations of suppression, exclusion and marginalisation are wrought open so that alternative meanings can come into being by activating these spaces as multifaceted and chronotopic constructs. The conclusion is that Cohen contributes profoundly towards the destabilisation of identities and in this way also helps to propose invigorating and fresh views of gender, race and ethnicity in a contemporary South African situation. / Thesis (MA (History of Art))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This dissertation presents an investigation into two so-called live art works – Ugly girl at the rugby (1998) and Chandelier (2001-2002) – by the contemporary South African artist Steven Cohen (1962-). These works are explored with reference to the manner in which Cohen (as self-declared queer Jewish freak) uses performance art as a form of activism in order to expose practices of marginalisation and suppression (oppression) of non-normative or so-called deviant subject positions in terms of gender, race and ethnicity. The analysis of artworks is guided by the discourse of the carnavalesque and performative conceptualisations of gender with particular emphasis on Cohen’s use of drag as contemporary form of masquerade in order to propose an alternative subject position. The argument is as follows: that Cohen, by setting up an extreme alternative to normative identity constructs, manages to destabilise existing hierarchies that are structured according to binaries as these exist in spaces (such as a rugby stadium and a squatter camp) in the South African context. This destabilising of binary hierarchies gives rise to the argument that the symbolically encoded nature of spaces known for associations of suppression, exclusion and marginalisation are wrought open so that alternative meanings can come into being by activating these spaces as multifaceted and chronotopic constructs. The conclusion is that Cohen contributes profoundly towards the destabilisation of identities and in this way also helps to propose invigorating and fresh views of gender, race and ethnicity in a contemporary South African situation. / Thesis (MA (History of Art))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Diploma thesis deals with three forms of Solaris. Specifically with novel by Stanislaw Lem, a film adaptation of Andrei Tarkovsky and the second film adaptation of Steven Soderbergh. The aim of this work is comparison of individual authors practices that led to different semantic tone. Thesis analyzes six basic aspects of individual works: basis, genre, semantic structure, syntactic structure - a dramatic structure, characters and space-time.

VERONESI, Raquel Barros. A reescritura das personagens 'womanistas' de The Color Purple para o Cinema. 2015. 160f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Letras, Fortaleza (CE), 2015. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2015-03-31T12:54:43Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_rbveronesi.pdf: 1893379 bytes, checksum: 8be8e578c998b24565a9290d5f0bf9ce (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2015-03-31T14:27:31Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_rbveronesi.pdf: 1893379 bytes, checksum: 8be8e578c998b24565a9290d5f0bf9ce (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-31T14:27:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_rbveronesi.pdf: 1893379 bytes, checksum: 8be8e578c998b24565a9290d5f0bf9ce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / The present dissertation analyses the translation of womanism in The Color Purple (1982), by Alice Walker, into its homonymous film adaptation in 1985, directed by Steven Spielberg. The term womanism, although it also refers to the black feminism, relates to a movement that transcends the social aspect; it is, therefore, a spiritual movement, committed to the survival and welfare of all people, independent on race, sex, religion, among others. The novel The Color Purple tells Celie’s story, a semi-illiterate black teenager who writes letters to God, telling situations about her life. Through friendship with other women and, consequently, the discovery of new ways of being and feeling, the character tries to overcome the trauma caused by the separation of her sister and her children, and the physical and psychological rapes she had suffered. In this research, we investigate, specifically, the rewriting of four female characters – Celie, Nettie, Sofia and Shug – since we perceive them as the main representative of womanism in the novel. Our hypothesis is that some womanist aspects, such as religion and homosexuality, were softened in the translation, due to contextual issues, whereas others were emphasized because they were adapted into both the poetics of the cinema of the 80’s, and of the director. As theoretical background, we take Even-Zohar’s postulates (1990), about the polysystem theory, and Toury’s assumptions (2012), which understand the studies of translation emphasizing the cultural factor, and considering the influence that the target culture has on the translation process. We also take Lefevere’s concept of rewriting (2007), which emphasizes the historical and cultural nature of the translated texts. Concerning the translation of literary works into the cinema, we use the studies by Cattrysse (1992), and the considerations of authors, such as Stam (2008; 2011) and Hutcheon (2013), who discuss the relationship between the two language systems. Finally, about womanism, the reflections by Maparyan (2012) and Walker (1983) are critical in conducting the analysis. The results showed that the strategies of softening and emphasis on the translation of the female characters’ womanist traits concern the translators’ poetic, as well as the specificities of the cinematic system. Therefore, in the adaptation, they reflect much more the poetics of Hollywood cinema of the 80’s, and of the director, than the womanism observed in the literary work. / A presente dissertação analisa a tradução do “womanismo” em The Color Purple (1982), da escritora Alice Walker, para o filme homônimo de 1985, dirigido por Steven Spielberg. O termo womanism, embora se refira também ao feminismo negro, diz respeito a um movimento que transcende o social; ele é, portanto, um movimento espiritual, comprometido com a sobrevivência e o bem-estar de todas as pessoas, independente de raça, sexo, religião, entre outros aspectos. O romance The Color Purple narra a história de Celie, uma adolescente negra semiletrada, que escreve cartas a Deus, contando sobre sua vida. Por meio da amizade com outras mulheres e, consequentemente, da descoberta de novas formas de ser e sentir, a personagem tenta superar os traumas causados pela separação da irmã e de seus filhos e pelos estupros físicos e psicológicos que sofreu. Nesta pesquisa, investigamos, especificamente, a reescritura de quatro personagens femininas – Celie, Nettie, Sofia e Shug – uma vez que as percebemos como as principais representantes do “womanismo” no romance. Partimos da hipótese de que alguns aspectos “womanistas”, tais como religião e homossexualidade, foram suavizados na tradução, devido a questões contextuais, enquanto outros foram enfatizados porque se adequavam à poética, tanto do diretor, quanto do cinema da década de oitenta. Como fundamentação teórica, recorremos aos postulados de Even-Zohar (1990), sobre a teoria dos polissistemas, e aos pressupostos de Toury (2012), que entendem os estudos da tradução com ênfase no fator cultural, considerando a influência que a cultura de chegada exerce sobre o processo tradutório. Baseamo-nos também no conceito de reescritura, de Lefevere (2007), que enfatiza o caráter histórico e cultural dos textos traduzidos. Sobre as questões de tradução de obras literárias para o cinema, empregamos os estudos de Cattrysse (1992), e as considerações de autores, tais como Stam (2008; 2011) e Hutcheon (2013), que discutem sobre a relação entre os dois sistemas de linguagem. Por fim, no que se refere ao “womanismo”, as reflexões de Maparyan (2012), bem como da própria Walker (1983) são fundamentais na condução da análise. Os resultados mostraram que as estratégias de suavização e ênfase na tradução dos traços “womanistas” das personagens femininas dizem respeito à poética dos tradutores, bem como às especificidades do sistema cinematográfico. Por isso, na adaptação, elas refletem muito mais a poética do diretor e do cinema hollywoodiano dos anos oitenta, do que o “womanismo” observado na obra literária.

De senaste decennierna har Sverige gått från en stat med starka inslag av korporativism till ett styrelseskick med pluralistisk prägel. Utvecklingen har inneburit en arena för nya påverkansformer och med den en ny yrkeskategori. Samtidigt som arbetet med att påverka statsmakten utifrån har ökat, finns det fortfarande begränsad kunskap om hur det arbetet bedrivs.  I denna studie används Hugh Heclos begrepp ‘policyprofessionella’ för förstå denna nya arena och dess aktörer. 2015 uppskattades antalet verksamma policyprofessionella till mellan 2000 och 2500 personer. Denna studie undersöker och analyserar en avgränsad del av denna grupp genom deras egen syn på sin roll i det nutida demokratiska systemet. Utgångspunkter i frågeställningen är makt, demokrati och legitimitet. Studien genomförs genom sex semistrukturerade intervjuer baserade på ett målinriktat urval av policyprofessionella konsulter.  Med hjälp av Steven Lukes tre maktdimensioner som teoretiskt ramverk framkommer tre primära slutsatser. Den första är den rörande oklarheterna kring de policyprofessionella konsulternas arbete och identitet. Varken den statsvetenskapliga forskningen eller konsulterna själva verkar veta vad de ska kalla sig. Den andra är den om konsulternas uppdragsgivare och vad deras arbete utgörs av. Studien visar på en viktig distinktion mellan att arbeta mot politiker och för dem. Detta aktualiserar vidare frågor om partipolitikens representativitet. Den tredje slutsatsen rör svårigheten av ansvarsutkrävande från gruppen.

Watershed I/IV, for Solo Percussion and Real-time Computer Spatialization was composed in 1995 by Pulitzer prize-winning composer Roger Reynolds. This work is a 25-minute choreographed music drama for one multiple-percussionist, in which Reynolds incorporates the musical transformation of percussion instrument families, the physical gestures of the performer, and the spatialization of processed sounds around the audience. This dissertation addresses several aspects of Watershed, which include: the expressive intent and extra-musical concepts; the formal organization, and several non-musical tools that Reynolds utilized in designing the piece (e.g. logarithmically derived sequences); the primary musical motives; the instrument setup and how the resulting physical gestures contribute to the musical intent; and the real-time computer spatialization. Throughout the document, specific musical passages are demonstrated with notated musical examples and embedded video/audio clips. In addition, transcripts of my interviews with composer Roger Reynolds, percussionist Steven Schick (premiere performer of Watershed) and engineer/technician Greg Dixon (engineer for my performances of Watershed IV) are also included.

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Denna uppsats undersöker hur samma historiska händelse kan ha olika betydelser i film. Idag är människor mer benägna att se en film om en historisk händelse än att läsa en historiebok, och detta innebär att vi måste lära oss att förstå de konventioner som används för att placera historia på film. Historiefilmen kan sägas besitta en palimpsestisk historiskt medvetenhet där lager av fakta och myt smälter samman, hellre än att skiljas åt. Men för att en historisk händelse ska passa in i filmens tidsram måste den bearbetas och detta resulterar i att vissa människor, händelser och rörelser prioriteras, medan andra utesluts. Därför undersöker denna uppsats vad som lagts till / uteslutits och effekterna på sammanhanget och trovärdighet, hur filmen hävdar sin autenticitet, och hur upphovsmannen påverkar trovärdigheten. Analysresultaten av två filmer om den kubanska revolutionen, visar att beroende på vilken del av den historisk händelsen som skildras, skapar filmerna helt olika berättelser med olika budskap. Medan filmen Che-Argentinaren (2008) fungerar som en hyllning av gerillanledaren Che Guevara som Kubas frälsare, visar en vänsterideologi och uttrycker USA förakt, skildrar däremot den andra filmen The Lost City (2005) revolutionens baksida. Den visar en högerideologi, familjevärderingar och USA som frihetens och drömmarnas land. Båda filmerna använder sig av liknande stilistiska strategier för att uppnå illusionen av autenticitet, och filmernas upphovsmän påverkar filmernas trovärdighet i olika grad. Vad jag i uppsatsen till sist menar är att historiefilmen inte bör tas som sanning, utan har en viktig roll som intresseväckare, som förhoppningsvis leder till att åskådaren blir intresserad av att söka sig mer kunskap. / This paper examines how the same historical event can have different meanings in films. Today people are more likely to watch a film about a historical event than to read a history book, and this means that we must learn and understand the conventions used to place history on film. The history film can be said to possess a palimpsetic historical consciousness in which layers of fact and myth come together rather than be separated. But for a historical event to fit within the film's time frame, it must be processed and this results in that certain people, events and movements are given priority, while others are excluded. Therefore, this paper studies what has been added/excluded and the effects on the context and credibility,how the film claims its authenticity, and how the author/filmmakers affects the credibility. The results of the analysis of two films about the Cuban revolution, shows that depending on which part of the historical event depicted, the films create entirely different stories with very different message. While the film Che-Part One (2008) serves as a celebration of the guerrilla fighter Che Guevara as Cuba's savior, according to a leftist ideology and the film is expressing U.S. disdain, the other film The Lost City (2005) however, portrays the revolutions backside, it shows a right-wing ideology, family values and the U.S. as the land of freedom and dreams. Both films use similar stylistic strategies to achieve illusion of authenticity, and the films' creators affect the films credibility in different amounts. What I finally conclude, is that the history film should not be considered as truth, but serve to arouse interest, which will hopefully lead the spectator to seek more knowledge about the historical event.