Session 11: Identity and Symbol

Session 11: Identity and Symbol
Chair: Joanna Kidman

Constructing a European Identity through Visual (and Verbal) Representation
Kenneth Marunowski
University of Minnesota Duluth, USA

In the four months preceding the introduction of the euro on January 1st, 2002, the European Central Bank launched the Euro 2002 Information Campaign.  Comprised of four television spots, eight print ads, a “Be a Euro Superstar” competition for children, and various print leaflets that explained the security features of the European common currency, the “overall objective” of the campaign, according to Professor Solans, Executive Board Member of the European Central Bank, was “Preparing people to be well informed and to feel confident in using the euro banknotes and coins…” In addition to this pragmatic statement of purpose, Solans noted that the first wave of television spots aimed to highlight “the notion of a common currency as a symbol of our European identity.”
Although only the first wave of television spots is cited as doing something other than providing essential information about the euro to the European public, each of these ostensibly visual texts contains much more than mere information; each of them, I argue, is also highly rhetorical as a component of a long-term persuasive strategy aimed at constructing a European identity.  To illustrate how these various texts of European integration work to achieve this aim, I employ Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca’s (1958) rhetorical constructs presence and communion in conjunction with Finnegan’s (2004) tripartite approach for “doing rhetorical history of visual images.”  Such a methodology can be used to identify how visual and verbal elements come to “occupy the foreground of the hearer’s consciousness” (presence), and how certain elements function to secure audience adherence through the celebration of shared values and beliefs (communion) in the production, reproduction, and circulation stages of a text.

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Carnvial as Visual Literacy in the African Diaspora
Malcolm Cumberbatch
School of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Development and Society, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, England

This paper will examine the origins, development, meaning and continued growth of carnival as visual literacy among the African Diaspora. It will focus on the Notting Hill Carnival in England as evidence of this medium of literacy and learning. Appropriate links will be made to the other large carnivals in former slave colonies such as Rio (Brazil) and Trinidad (Caribbean). The Notting Hill carnival emerged as a vehicle to reflect the experiences of Caribbean people in the UK. It arose in a quest to showcase culture and identity of a people under tremendous pressures in the 1950s. It was also a measure of defiance in the wake of the 1958 race riots, intensive police raids and the brutal death of one of their community, Kelso Cochrane. The event started indoors at St Pancras town hall, central London in 1959, unusual for an outdoor festival, but was a success. It soon moved to the streets of Notting Hill and at nearly 50 years old it is only second to Rio as the world’s largest street festival. Well in excess of 2 million people attend, what is now a European festival, over its 2-day programme. The 80 floats in full colour, ornate and spectacular in every sense of the word, each tell a story – social, cultural, political, historical and economic. They portray the ideas, experiences, creativity and ingenuity of a community that does not often get into print. Given their histories in the Caribbean and Britain, it seems as an apt description by Phillips & Phillips (1999) that the spectacle depicts a people with “faces in two directions”. Yet, it seems that there has been very little scholarly interest in the subject. This paper will also explore the impact of carnival on the Britain, British culture and what possible role it has or could play as an integrative force.

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The Art of Seeing: An Exploration of Visual Components in Performance Literature
Mark Ighile
Redeemer’s University, Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria

The vital place of hermeneutics and semantic representation of visual elements within the context of oral performance has not been fully explored and given desired attention in the existing studies. This paper attempts to bridge the apparent critical gap by investigating the crucial role that images play in the overall actualization of oral texts. It is the position of this paper that an analytical skill of visual sensitivity and interrogation is required for an understanding of the dynamics of performance literature. In other words, while the art of visual interpretation is a craft that must be developed, such expertise is required, not only by the performer but also the audience, for the ultimate success of the creative enterprise This is because visual elements share many features with the vocal form of literature and possess unique  stylistic attributes  and aesthetic functionality. The paper argues that the verbal and non-verbal interactions within the context of performance constitute visual constructs that need to be analyzed and appreciated by both the artist and the audience .The methodology adopted is essentially literary as relevant  literary materials were used for specific and general assessment of  existing literature and for determining appropriate valuation of performance literature  within the framework of visual literacy .This paper goes beyond the works of scholars like Finnegan, Hughes-Freeland and Okpewho  which have shown remarkable interest in areas such as the oral nature of literature,  communication in performance, indigenous concepts of performance and the contribution of film\video to  performance literature, This present work  stresses how visual tools, as imaginative materials in themselves, can boost performance  and suggests the need for all stakeholders of oral literary production to be visually literate, as the eventual realization of  texts is dependent, among other factors, on the effective application ,interpretation and reception of  images  at the scene of performance.