ERIC ED380082: A Reader-Response Analysis of "A Book from the Sky."

21 Pages·1995·0.75 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
IR 017 003
ED 380 082
Ma, Yan
AUTHOR
A Reader-Response Analysis of "A Book from the
TITLE
Sky."
PUB DATE
[95]
21p.; In: Imagery and Visual Literacy: Selected
NOTE
Readings from the Annual Conference of the
International Visual Literacy Association (26th,
Tempe, Arizona, October 12-16, 1994); see IR 016 977.
Illustrations may not reproduce clearly.
Research/Technical (143)
Reports
PUB TYPE
Speeches /Conference Papers (150)
MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Age; *Art Criticism; Art Education; *Chinese;
DESCRIPTORS
Cultural Influences; *Data Interpretation; Ethnicity;
Foreign Countries; Imagery; Professional Occupations;
*Reader Response; *Reader Text Relationship; Sex;
Visual Arts; Visual Literacy
*Book from the Sky (A); China; Gender Issues; United
IDENTIFIERS
States
ABSTRACT
This study applies reader-response criticism to
investigate subject positions of gender, age, ethnicity, and
profession through the poststructural analysis of an art work
entitled "A Bcok from the Sky," and examines the relationship among
viewer, text (the art work), and artist. A description of the art
work is provided as an introduction. The study's general concern is
"What meanings do viewers with different ethnicity, gender, age, and
profession construct from viewing this work of art?" The study
compares the similarities and differences of the interpretations
given by United States (novice) viewers and Chinese (expert) critics;
ascertains the author's intention in making the "Book"; compares, his
intention with viewer reactions; and describes the codes in the
"Book." An introduction to the Chinese language is provided, and the
foll,wing language codes are defined: images; sounds; radicals;
(Contains 39
grammar. Three illustrations of the "Book" are provided.
references.) (MAS)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
A Reader-Response Analysis
of A Book from the Sky
THIS
EDUCATION
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE
U.S. DEPARTMENT Of
and Improvernont
BY
)Mice of EducattOnal Rataitoch
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED
INFORMATION
Yan Ma
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE ICS )
CENTER (ER
Alice Walker.
as
bean felooducd
0 This document hall
Of organization
recchvO0 from the periOn
ohgmatmci
made to improve
C Minor changes have been
reproduction quality
stated in this docu-
RESOURCES
points of clew 04 Opmi One
TO THE EDUCATIONAL
represent official
ment do not necessarily
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
OERI position or policy
of mass production
Introduction
because
in
the
The late twentieth
industrial society.
This study applies reader-response
century has witnessed the innovations of
criticism to inve3tigate subject positions
technology
ranging
from
telephone
of gender, age, ethnicity, and profession
networks, communication satellites, radar
through a poststructural analysis of an art
systems, programmable laser videodiscs,
work entitled A Book from the Sky
robots, biogenetically engineered cells,
(hereafter referred as Book). This study
computer
networks,
rocket
guidance
examines the relationship between and
systems and to artificial intelligence. Bill
among viewer, text (the art work), and
Nichols (1988) has carried Benjamin's
It
artist.
explores
the
relationships
inquiry forward as he describes the mass
between and among subject positions of
production in the age of cybernetics. The
viewers, text, and historical moments of
aura of a cultural product has been lost in
viewing, and investigates how the art
of copy
production
mass
machines,
work positioned viewers in the social
computers, etc. Although critiques of art
change and meaning construction.
Since
works based on the ideas of Benjamin and
the Book possesses political, social, and
Nichols have been carried out in the
cultural values, the study is a postmodern
West,
Eastern
scholars
have
not
educational enterprise. The study is also
articulated these ideas.
An ambitious
contribution
a
work of art, however, has appeared in
to
postmodern
art
education. For the purpose of the study,
China
of
incorporates
it
both
and
both textual analysis and social science
Benjamin's major topics, namely, the
research methods, such as survey and
aura of an art work and the nature of
interviews, were used.
mass
reproduction
with
letterpress
printing.
Description of A Book from the Sky
The art work is entitled A Book
from the Sky.
In his essay The Work of Art in the
One copy of the Book
Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Walter
consists of four volumes each 40 cm x 36
Benjamin (1936) described a crisis that
cm. The Book's format resembles that of
occurred in the late twentieth century.
The artist, Xu
Chinese holy classics.
He warned that the originality
or the
years making the
Bing,
spent
:nree
"aura" of an art work had been lost
volumes. The characters in the Book are
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
IVLA - 218
2
reacted differently to this Book.
The
made up, designed, carved, and printed
Book was praised highly and discussed
They look like real words
by the artist.
heatedly in China before the Tiananmen
The artist
but they are not real words.
Square incident on June 4th, 1989. From
has created a totally "new" language, by
1985 to 1989, there was a new trend in
combining traditional Chinese printing
Chinese art which was labeled as the
with book-making. He kept the aura of
Art works
"New Wave of Fine Arts."
original art by creating more than four
influenced by the New Wave were similar
"characters,"
the
individual
thousand
style
or
art
Western
in
method of printing
to
and
applied
the
After the June 4th
number of copies printed are related to
conceptualization.
incident, the government set a policy to
the concept of mass production discussed
The artist used
control arts. The Book was criticized by
in Benjamin's essay.
some conservative critics as an example
letterpress printing to print one hundred
of
"bourgeois
product
of
the
and twenty copies of the Book. When it
liberalization" during the "New Wave"
was exhibited, it was installed in three
(Yang, 1990).
thread-bound books,
ceiling
fashions:
(an exaggerated form of a
draperies
deprived of the
The Book
Chinese scroll), and wall hangings (an
is
of
communication:
means
exaggerated form of Chinese painting on
standard
reading. Though it is considered a book
walls).
in its form and format, it resists reading.
Because it resembles a real Chinese book,
Artist Xu Bing, spent three years
it invites viewers to read, understand, and
making these unrecognizable characters
interpret, but its characters are simply art
during the time when China was opening
It was presented to a United
forms.
its door to the rest of the world; allowing
States audience during the period from 30
the flow of Western ideas into China;
November 1991 to 19 January 1992.
ideas
rejecting
and
accepting
and
philosophy of old and new, Eastern and
The Book is a challenge to viewers
Western, traditional and contemporary in
not only visually but also culturally.
It
As Erickson (1991)
a mixed condition.
"denying the meaning of
challenges viewers to rethink the meaning
pointed out,
of language and the relationship with its
Chinese culture by deconstructing the
written word has political overtones in
culture.
Chinese
young
echoes
It
itself.
The general concern of this study
intellectuals' frustration with a system of
"What meanings do viewers with
constrained
by
the
tightly
is
culture
gender,
and
age,
ethnicity,
different
authorities and questions the validity of a
profession construct from viewing this
civilization that could produce such a
the
compares
situation" (p. 12).
study
The
Book?"
.
of
the
differences
and
similarities
interpretations given by United States
The appearance of the Book in
viewers (novice viewers) and Chinese
China spurred reaction from art circles
critics (expert viewers); ascertains the
and other viewers as well as reactions
author's intention in making this Book;
from other countries in Asia.
Viewers
viewer
with
intention
with different social, economic, political,
his
compares
educational, and cultural backgrounds
reactions; and describes the codes in the
IVLA - 219
3
Because
Book.
the
investigator
has
questions stated earlier, a research design,
available only the critiques written by
which consists of personal
interview,
Chinese critics, these critiques are used
survey, and a poststructural analysis using
for comparison.
reception theory to analyze collected data
is developed.
Objective and Focus Questions
are used to gather responses
Interviews
A number of focus questions are related
of the
from viewers
United
States.
to the objective of the study. Following
are used to
Interviews
ascertain
the
are the objective and focus questions for
intention of the artist who created the
the study:
Book.
Using reception theory to compare and
is used in case there are more
Survey
contrast between and among the artist, the
viewers than the investigator could handle
itself,
Book
and
the
viewers,
at one time. A questionnaire is mailed
the
researcher
asked following focus
the
only to those who have been to the show
questions:
and whose gender and age group
are
known to the investigator in order to
1. What is the intention of the artist who
avoid sensitive questions. Therefore, this
created this
Book?
group of respondents are those whom the
2. What are the codes in the
Book?
investigator personally knows.
3. What meanings are constructed when
viewers interact with this
Book?
Ttxtual analysis
is used in this study.
It
3a. How do Chinese critics react to this
cc; sists of the analyses of the text (i.e.,
Book?
the
Book);
the critiques of Chinese critics;
3b. How do the United States viewers
the
of
transcriptions
interview
and
react to this
Book?
questionnaire of novice viewers, and the
4. How do the Chinese critics' perception
artist: interview transcription.
Chinese
of the codes compare with the United
characters are the symbols of Chinese
States viewers' perception of the codes of
culture. When the cultural symbols
are
the
Book?
deconstructed
and
reconstructed
into
What
5.
are
the
similarities
and
familiar but new symbols, how do people
and among
differences
between
the
of different ethnicity, age, gender, and
of
intention
the
artist
and
the
profession construct meaning when they
.
interpretations of the Chinese critics and
are interacting with these new symbols (in
the United States viewers?
this
case
those
in
the
As
Book)?
What
6.
are
the
similarities
DeVaney (DeVaney & Elenes,
and
1990)
of
differences
the
interpretations
pointed out "A post structural textual
generated by the United States viewers
analysis
has
the
power
to
answer
questions about cultural meanings. " Codes
or syntax of the
from groups differing in gender, age, and
are analyzed
Book
profession?
because a close textual analysis
is of
primary importance to a further analysis
Methodology
of the relationship between and
among
reader and artist.
text,
The textual
In order to examine the research
analysis of the
consists of the
Book
IVLA - 220
4
following elements: codes of Chinese
Chinese characters; Vietnam and Korea
which formerly used Chinese characters,
language, codes of Chinese characters,
have kept some of the Chinese characters
codes of classic Chinese books, and codes
in their languages, making the population
of installation of the Book. These codes
of Chinese language users even bigger.
are used in analyzing expert viewers'
not
critiques, novice viewers' interview and
language
Chinese
Because
is a
phonetic based language, it causes more
questionnaire transcriptions, and artist'
difficulty in its use than do most of the
interview transcription.
world.
Chinese
languages the
in
characters consist of three parts: image,
A Book from the Sky
sound, and meaning.
The Book is a text in this study.
Chinese characters are the symbols of
When the
Codes of Images. Chinese characters are
Chinese culture.
cultural
deconstructed
constructed on the basis of the imitative
and
are
symbols
symbols or the characters
but new
carry
that
familiar
reconstructed
into
As an origin, a
symbols, how do viewers of different
imitative components.
ethnicity, age, gender, and profession
Chinese character is created based on an
The system of
image of a real object.
create meaning when they are interacting
an
basically
characters
with these new symbols (in this case the
Chinese
is
of
the
one.
"Because
ideographic
text)? In the fol! -wing discussion, codes
or syntax of the Book are analyzed
retention of the ideographic script,
in
is of
because a close textual analysis
China no conceptual separation occurred
dividing writing from painting and the
primary importance to a further analysis
other arts. Calligraphy, in fact, had been
of text, reader and artist.
The textual
'the mother of Chinese pictorial art and
of
fo!lowing
the
analysis consists
always its ally" (Miller, 1983, p. 44).
elements: codes of Chinese lanF.uage,
As a result, Chinese language becomes
codes of Chinese characters, codes of
Chinese books, and codes of
the only language in the world that is an
classic
Chinese characters
language.
artistic
installation of the Book.
square
shapes. The
remain
in
arrangements of components of each
Introduction to Chinese Language. T h e
character are constructed in a square from
Chinese language has a history of more
top to bottom, from left to right, and
than six thousand years (Zhen, 1983, p.
from Gutside to inside.
It is the oldest language still being
3).
used in the world today.
Unlike other
The Book strictly
languages, Chinese language grows on
follows
this
pattern of structures to create thousands
itself without the influence from others.
of new
retained
characters. These
Chinese language uses images as the basis
invented
newly
structures
the
of a character to combine with sound and
in
characters attracts a Chinese reader to
This combination forms an
meaning.
believe that they are real characters.
intricate and diversified language system.
Since China has the highest population in
the world and Chines:,
Codes of Sound. Chinese language is not
the official
is
a phonetic based language nor a language
of
country,
Chinese
language
the
based on images alone.
The special
language is used by the greatest number
feature is its combination of sound and
of people. In addition, Japan is still using
IVLA - 221
5
image.
This feature began even during
nouns have suffixes, such as -tion, -ness,
the time of inscriptions on bones. More
-ism and so on; adjectives have suffixes
and more characters bearing this feature
such as -tive, -ful, -less and so on; and
were added to the vocabulary.
By the
adverbs
have
suffixes
such
as
-1y.
Cling Dynasty (1644-1911), in the Kang
However, in Chinese there are no such
Xi dictionary, there were about 49,030
grammatical functions to differentiate the
characters which had the combination of
features of speech. The form of plural is
phonetic and image occupying ninety-two
reflected in measure words. The feature
percent of the total vocabulary (Zheng,
of possessive concepts, changes of tenses,
1983, p. 4).
Since so many characters
and conditions of mood are characterized
have phonetic components, the phonetics
by the uses of auxiliary words which is
give clues to the sound of characters and
"an unstressed form word that performs
the image provides the
clues
to
the
the grammatical functions of structure,
meanings.
tense, or mood (Departmer. of English
Language, Beijing Foreign Languages
The Book retains all the phonetic
Institute, 1985, p. 917). Therefore, it is
parts of Chinese characters, but newly
impossible to tell which word is a
noun,
invented characters do not carry
an adjective, or a possessive noun in
the
original
of
meanings
the
phonetic
Chinese language without knowing the
components.
Thus, in appearance, they
meanings of characters in a sentence.
In
seem pronounceable but actually they are
other words, it is possible to create a fake
not.
English sentence with correct grammatical
structure without retaining the meaning of
Codes of Radicals.
A Chinese character
individual words. For example, "This is
is put together by a number of strokes.
a
futication
that
was
grotectically
Several strokes, when combined become
precuted." This made-up sentence invites
character components or radicals, which
reader
to
believe
this
English
in
is
themselves
have
specifically
defined
language simply because the English
Radicals are the essence of
meanings.
grammatical
structure
was
retained.
Chinese language.
They are originally
Though it is not possible to do this in
individual, independent words. When
a
Chinese, Chinese radicals, square-shaped,
radical
becomes
of
part
a
a
new
well
constructed
characters
in
real
character, it carries its own meaning
over
paragraphical
arrangements,
sentences
to the new one, which is influenced by
arranged in book page formats provide
the meaning of the radical.
the syntax patterns or codes of Chinese
To arrange
language.
all
the
fake
Codes of Grammar.
Grammar is the
characters in book form, as was done in
of
system
structure
in
a
language.
the
Book,
invites
Chinese-speaking
Chinese grammar contains three basic
readers to read them.
Therefore, the
They are words, phrases, and
units.
fashion by which the Book was presented
sentences.
English
grammar
adds another element for the analysis of
is
characterized by the changes in verbs to
the Book (Figure 1).
indicate tense; and -s or -es
or -ies to
show
plural.
In
English,
nouns,
Traditional
Chinese
books
are
pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs have
protectively covered in wood boards
or in
their distinctive features.
For example,
wood cases.
The title is pasted on the
6
IVLA - 222
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cover board. The whole Rook was kept
pattern gets created by the conventions of
in a protective wood case (Figure 2 shows
production which are repeated daily. The
comparison of an
the
actual
syntax patterns or codes are culturally
classic
Chinese book covered in wood boards and
constructed.
They need to be examined
the Book covered in its wood case). The
for paradigmatic meanings, which
supplied by syntax patterns or
binding of this Book is traditional Chinese
stitched-binding style.
Stitched-binding
codes and readers can only work
of
represents
centuries
with codes with which they are
evolution
in
Chinese book-binding.
familiar and they are only familiar
with codes that come from the
Codes of Installation of the Book.
The
worlds or paradigms to which they
installation of the exhibition was not a
have access or which they have
traditional one in terms of the usual
experienced, in other words, their
exhibitions of Chinese prints. The whole
culture (DeVaney, 1991).
installation clnsisted of three parts: three
long, scroll-like strips were suspended or
Expert Viewers' Critiques
draped from the ceiling in a sweeping arc
Various
critiques
by
Chinese
(Figure 3 shows the comparison of a
critics are used for analysis.
Tie codes
in the Book are used to analyze the
Chinese scroll and the piece exhibited in
the Museum); printed
sheets of fake
critiques of expert viewers in order to
characters covered the walls from floor to
compare the similarities and differences
ceiling; and hundreds of stitch-bound
with the interpretations of the Book of the
books
in
traditional
Chinese
classic
United States viewers. The analysis also
format were laid open in rows on the
includes an examination of the expert
floor with a number of wooden cases on
viewers' readings of the Book at different
either end of the rows.
The main
historical moments.
In addition,
the
exhibition walls were black.
To bind a
analysis compares the similarities and
book in a roll dates back to the earliest
differences between the artist's intentions
of
history
Chinese
book-binding.
and the expert viewers' reception of the
Martinique (1983) indicated,
"the first
Book.
example of Chinese written literature to
be found was the rolled or folded slips of
Novice
Intervie
Viewers'
and
bamboo and wood" (p. 65).
Therefore,
Questionnaire Transcriptions
to a Chinese, a book in a roll signifies the
The data collected from United
To an
traditional
Chinese
classics.
States viewers' interviews and survey are
American, it may seem to be a precious
transcribed.
The poststructural textual
ancient document.
The installation was
analysis consists of an examination of
open to the viewers' reactions.
United States viewers' responses to the
codes in the Book; comparisons of similar
In summary
the codes of Chinese
and different interpretations of the codes
,
language: images, sound, and meaning;
by United States viewers of different
phonetic components; radicals; structures
subject
(i.e.,
positions
age,
gender,
of Chinese characters; Chinese grammar;
profession); and a comparison of United
form of the Book; and finally, installation
States viewers' responses toward the Book
of the Book are actually syntax patterns
and those of Chinese critics.
which may be called codes.
A syntax
8
IVLA - 224
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IVLA - 226