Month: July 2020

Photo by Raimund Linke, Photodisc Collection, via Getty Images <https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/emperor-penguins-aptenodytes-forsteri-protecting-royalty-free-image/940475912>

 

Representational:

A penguin chick, nestled between its parent’s legs, the parent stooped over their child. Two other penguins stand on either side of the parent. Surrounding them is an icy surface, and more penguins out of focus in the background.

 

Non-Representational:

Three tall, protective penguins gather in a row, in watch of their vessel, their chick. The mother, bent, vulnerable and nurturing protects the babe nibbling at her feet. The adjacent two wear a farsighted gaze in watch of the unknown. Life is precious, but lost without guards, a fool without elders, a fixed form without growth. A featherless, precious thing has no way to go, thus it is on the wisdom of the old to show them how to swim. In a cold, rugged land, a desert of ice and snow, a small hatchling may be a burden on life, but the sole excuse for it.

 

Reflection:

This is all very new to me. As someone who mostly enjoys playwriting and screenwriting, I am often very literal in my descriptions. I’d even go as far as to say I am rather blunt. Yet any story needs strong subtext to keep it interesting, a philosophical position, or symbols that allow the audience to draw their own conclusions. I have done this in essay form in the past, but that rarely allowed me to construct a new creative piece without having to justify my interpretations. Making this was rather fun as a result. I could take any position I wanted and didn’t have to structure it as debate or conjecture. I could tell my own story, and I guess that is where non-representational writing succeeds. The audience has creative control.

 

Examples of Non-Representational Theory:

I can’t say I know too many examples of non-representational theory. I normally go for auteur driven films, books, TV shows. In a big way, this theory links back to what was discussed of the Soft Choreography concept. The text is ultimately shaped by the audience’s perception of it, not necessarily by the author’s intentions. So I guess the films I could consider a form of non-representation would be various silent films from the classic era.

 

A particular film I can think of is Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. Though I haven’t seen it all in a single sitting, the film encapsulates a dark fantastical world that prods the audience to think. The abstract, nightmarish imagery takes focus over a pointed story, and the reveal of it all being the dreams of a madman presents to the audience a sense of mystery around what the film is actually saying. 

 

Another more recent example (if you could call the 90s recent), is David Lynch’s Lost Highway. The film follows a disjointed narrative, with vague dialogue, and no explanation for what is occurring. Thus, the film continues to invite theories on what actually happened, why the story seemed to change halfway through then change back again at the end. Though many could argue the film lacked a proper narrative structure, it is because of this very thing that the text is so open to interpretation.

 

If I am to be honest, I do not particularly enjoy abstract films. I prefer stories that have a sense of purpose in themselves, characters to latch onto, events and plots to excite or move me. While I do want a story to invite discussion, I do not want an entire piece to feel alien. However, I can appreciate where non-representational art succeeds, and why people love making and viewing it. It has the potential to alienate us, yes, but also engage us in the creation of a work that representational art cannot.

From the looks of things, this course is more than just a subject combining film, essay and poetry. Here, we examine how we use language within these forms to communicate ideas and observations on a deeper level and uncover a new understanding. At least, that is how see it now. I’m aware that I’m in my first week, many concepts and words to describe concepts currently escape me. I can write reflectively but not in such a considered manner to what’s expected. A strong reflection, as described in Moon’s handbook, is a piece that can consider the perspectives of others as well as the impact on the self, what led the self to making certain decisions or acting in a particular way, and overall what lesson can be taken out of the experience. There are nuances to situations we often overlook as humans in favour of “being right”. I think it is important we take a measured approach to making conclusions.

The idea that interests me most are the definitions of “Hard” and “Soft” Choreography. The latter differentiates from the majority of auteur creations, in that its presentation is up to the audience. Art forms like improv, pantomime, even video games could be considered soft choreography, as they rely on an audience to actively participate to fully experience. It made me think about the changing nature between audiences and texts. The internet and the rise of fandom has given way to a sense of ownership in certain pieces of media, creation of fan art, fan fiction, theories, headcanon. Though works that generate such large followings are predominantly hard choreography constructed by a single auteur,  audiences assume, interpret and discover new things even from unchanging texts. In that regard, hard choreography is not rigidly set as the same experience for everybody, every time. It may not be soft choreography, it may not be open to chance encounters, but it is shaped by an audience observing it.

Of course, this is my first post. I am still wrapping my head around these ideas, and finding a way to structure my thoughts. This post is probably longer than ought to, so I’ll leave it with a question to myself. How do I intend to share ideas through work I write in the future?