Narratology Essay

Narrative takes an infinite variety of forms and narratology is a study which spans a wide variety of mediums such as : literature, media, visual arts, music, performance and so on. But what makes the narratives in visual arts so special is the lack of written vocabulary used, yet artists have proven over and over again the power this form of communication has and its ability to catch the attention an audience, informing them of a rich subject matter. Narratology is the study of form and functioning in narrative (p.4 narratology f & f), It links common threads between narratives and how they may differ. (ref) In narratology the first person is defined as he who communicates the narrative, the second is he who who is spoken to, and the third

Artists can empower viewers and artworks which “have a narrative function can require the viewer to participate in the construction of meaning through the interpretation of its visual and narrative clues.”(storybook) In the sense that individual perceptions of an artwork can contribute to the overall meaning regarding the subject matter. Artists can relate to the everyday and seek inspiration in the banal, playing a very large and important role in society. For Kentridge it has allowed him to investigate the past and express his feelings regarding his countries conflict and empathise with those who also lived through these times and were greatly affected . "The political interest in what happens in South Africa is very much part of the work.not initially illustrating a society that one lives in, but allows what happens there to be part of the work, William Kentridge ( art 21). When one thinks of the role artists have played throughout the years and the ability they have to preserve the past and record history, long before photography ever existed. There is, undoubtedly a need for artists to continue to tell stories, narrate events and offer unique perspectives and angles as to how they document the past. Just as Kentridge created a unique way to translate the troubles in his homeland, artists constantly reinvent themselves and their work as a form of communication for many reasons, for Kentridge this was to ensure the history of his country was not