In the research for this project I investigate several prominent definitions and examples of fantasy in contemporary visual art, notably associated with the Freudian “uncanny” and the Surrealist “marvellous”. In the dissertation I propose a sub-genre of fantasy: the Visionary Fantastic. The mode of this sub-genre, I claim, is manifest in the work of several contemporary artists. It is also a concept I find useful in describing and directing my own artistic practice during this project. The adopted research methods include: / - Surveying a number of concepts, theories and literature on fantasy, I have drawn upon a number of writers, noting two seminal essays, “The Uncanny” (1919), by Sigmund Freud and “The Surrealist Manifesto” (1924) by André Breton, and definitions by theorist Tzvetan Todorov. / - Investigating the subject by discussing elements of the Visionary Fantastic in the practice of six contemporary artists whose work has been of considerable significance to my practice. Fantastic art can hardly be referred to as an autonomous area and does not refer to a particular movement in art. Given that it rather possesses a system of inclusion based upon certain selective principles, these artists address elements of the Visionary Fantastic yet do not approach the concept of fantasy as their exclusive concern. / - Discussing the processes in my practice, addressing the subject loosely within tropes of Utopia (– Arcadian lands, fantastic communities and marginal societies), Obsession (– techniques of detailed repetition, miniscule facture), Monstrosity (– formidable creatures, instinctual domains, hybridity) and Enchantment (– meditative, mediumistic and altered states of mind). / The disciplines I have applied in the work for the end exhibition include painting, printmaking and drawing. The outcome, a selection of works produced within this research, will be displayed as a cohesive body of work. It addresses myriad fantasy manifestations within the four principles discussed in the dissertation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/282262 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Hanenbergh, Maria Rudolphine Irene |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Restricted Access: Abstract and Citation Only Available |
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