Text and Image, a Trilogy - from Cheryl Penn

[Marie Wintzer]

Word lovers will be thrilled today (as I was), Cheryl is sending me three absolute goodies, putting on the balance text and image and how we perceive them. The first of them, "How text and image lie", was the original piece, which gave rise quite rapidly to additional thoughts and ideas, new work to complete her concept.
My first thought when I opened the first envelope was wow, if those images and text are lies, I can happily be lied to any time! I'm afraid it doesn't show on the pictures, but the tones of green and blue are fantastic, and such a happy combination with the red thread. The lady in green, who is she? Her staring eyes are chilling yet so compelling...

 

 

Of course a lot could be said about the double (triple?) meaning of Lie (not telling the truth) / Lie (horizontal position) / Lie (held within), one could dedicate a full blog to this wordplay, but what I read in this piece is the deception of our own mind through words and images. Words that are not what they seem to be, images we think have a meaning, the meaning we want them to have. The endless possibilities of words, the endless interpretations we have of them. Words lie, but only because our mind likes to be lied to? I think so more often than not. I know MY mind very often makes up its own cake with various layers of sentences, images, all tightly bound by imaginary thread. So yes, text lies, images are deceptive, and words do harm (that fantastic puzzle piece to Rob!).

 

 

The second card is a bundle of lies :-))  Text and image Lie in shades of grey too. Shades, yes. What defines the various shades of a text? Is it inherent to the text itself or is each individual performing its own grading (that can also vary in time). Does a text have a different shade depending on the image it is juxtaposed with? I think so. But here again, there are so many variables that are hard for me to pinpoint and analyze in depth (help, you word-experts out there!).

Just as I am writing this it strikes me that the word image has numerous definitions that can all be relevant in this context, and that the pairing of TEXT and IMAGE has got nothing to do with chance but has been carefully thought through. A few of them:

Image
- An optically formed duplicate, counterpart, or other representative reproduction of an object.
- One that closely or exactly resembles another; a double.
- A character projected to the public.
- A mental picture of something not real or present.
- A figure of speech, especially a metaphor or simile.
- A concrete representation [..] that is expressive or evocative of something else.

To me, an extremely interesting part of Cheryl's concept (with a fragrance reminiscent of Ether), about which a LOT more could and should be written.

 

 

The third card, Text in Knots, is from Cheryl's recent Ghostwriter series. The Ghostwriter is not exactly a ghostwriter as we know them. His true occupation is undisclosed, all we know is that he is looking for something. Is he the one who is writing the Text in Knots, or is he the one untangling them?

 

 

Text in Knots is a member of the Lying Text family. It is the most elaborate one, the one that requires the most skills and technique. An advanced and almost exclusive member of the family. More fun, certainly exhilarating, hence the most addictive and dangerous of them all.

Knot sure
Knot clear
Knot meant to
Knot kidding?
Knot what I wanted to say
Why Knot then

No wonder the Ghostwriter is having a tough time. But he knows he is after something big, and maybe we will soon know more about it (cf Bifidus' blog for a start)...

 

 

A lot more could be written about this series, as usual I feel like I have only been scratching the surface of what is a much deeper concept. We need more Text, we need more Image. I need to untangle those Knots! Cheryl, I am thrilled you sent me those two additional cards, the three of them work really well together, absolutely fab, thank you HS!

[Thom Courcelle]

first off--Cheryl--um,..WOW!!!

secondly, Marie, [more than] well-done engaging in Cheryl's pieces!

thirdly,... just need to say, I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how you all keep sending me back to my literary theory textbooks, and making my mind reel with conjecture and invention.  When we talk about "inspiring" one another with our art and conversation, it's concretely exemplified by the brilliance that goes on in these blogs and appreciations.

De Villo -- right ON about reference text and narrative anchor... the basis of thought (as well as debunking) literary theories of Phenomenology, Hermeneutics, and Reception Theories.  Terry Eagleton says, "most of us recognize that no reading is innocent or without presuppositions."  But those presuppositions inform our interpretation, and allow us to invent --as Cheryl beautifully says-- "wonderful things unfurl."  GOLLY... that is a beautiful turn of phrase, Cheryl!

These blogs are like a living, breathing window to practical application of art and literary theory.  YOU PEOPLE SIMPLY AMAZE ME with how wonderful you are.  Thank you!!.. for making my mind unfurl.

J'ouïs sens dans cette artifice!

Jouissance dans cette artifice!

Viva jouissance!!!

[cheryl penn]

I've just picked up The Existential Imagination again - From de Sade to Sartre - wonder if something will come of that?? I never know :-) X

Back to an old point - the viewers interpretation - when its in sync and expanded with the artist - wonderful things unfurl.  Marie - yes, a wonderful job- I feel quite privileged :-)X 

[cheryl penn]

Good point DVS - I keep forgetting that - the reference text - funny how one just DOES things a certain way. I suppose an eternal image/word/text just sparks off an internal dialogue?

[cheryl penn]

OK Sticky Pea - FIRST of all - your photographs - WOW! And your blog - you're the Queen Blogger for sure

:-)!!! Everything you say - yes and yes.  Text and image and interpretation - well, we know how often I've gotten into trouble for that!  Funny thing - dealing with asemics/unconscious writing and Ether took me into the realm of the unconscious narrative? Its just evolving as I  go, or depending what images I pick up?? As I said on Bifidus' blog - I saw the movie Ghostwriter - with Pierce Brosnen (Sp?)? The movie was just ok - but the interesting part (for me) was the window where another view of the world was presented - the 'outside' view - from the inside looking out? I think I'm babbling - but, thank you :-) XX

[1cgqtuoblpeqc]

it's all lyes.