Postmodern Magic
Ritual semiotics, symbolism and storifying
Storify (verb)
- To narrate or describe in story[1]
- The composition of a story from real or fictitious sources so as to create change in the listener’s, reader’s and user’s emotions, thought, and behaviours in the desired manner[2]
This ongoing practice as research inquiry applies principles first encountered in Patrick Dunn’s Postmodern Magic — a guide to approaching magical practice from an information paradigm[3] — and later also informed by texts by John Berger, Roland Barthes and Susan Sontag.
This part of my practice explores the magic of ritual semiotics, symbolism and storifying as it interacts with (auto)biographical memory and identity formation, trauma mediation and the curation of the digital and social public/private interface.
Self portrait. Digital remix. Brittany, France, 2019
Trace of a series of works exploring labyrinth forms. Pencil crayon on paper, and digital remix of originals on paper, from left to right: oil pastels, soft pastels, ballpoint pen, pencil crayon. Cape Town, South Africa, 2018
Study on perspective and how to disappear completely while remaining in plain sight. Digital series. De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa, 2018
Mixed media self portrait. Digital collage of originals: oil pastels on tissue paper, digital photography. Cape Town, South Africa
Digital photography remix. De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa, 2018
Digital collage. Natures Valley, South Africa, 2021
Untitled semiotic study 2016a
Trace of ritual exploring composites of meaning. Inspired by dives into The Book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images (ARAS, 2010. TASCHEN) and the many anecdotal meanings associated with gemstones. Cape Town, South Africa
Untitled semiotic study 2016b
Digital assemblage. Cape Town, South Africa
Hypatia, Eye Remember
Ritual trace of multimodal exploration into the genealogy of knowledge. Movement, freewriting, collage, and sound work. Cape Town, South Africa, 2017
Heimwee/Groot Karoo
Trace of multimodal ritual inspired by intense longing for my childhood home. Mediation of archive. Cape Town, South Africa, 2017
Hierophant
Ritual trace of multimodal semiotic study into communication via shapes, colour, symbolic meaning of component parts, relative composition. Movement, sound, gemstones, Golden Tarot of Klimt, cloth. Cape Town, South Africa, 2017
Watermoon
Trace of full moon ritual, an exploration into autobiographical identity formation. Cape Town, South Africa, 2017
[1] Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Storify. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/storify
[2] IGO-Global. (n.d.). What is Storifying. In IGI-global dictionary. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/storifying/67013
[3] Dunn, P. (2005). Postmodern Magic: The Art of Magic in the Information Age. Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications