Some Definitions: Form - in the instance of attempting to define vispro, is the visible outcome of the work intended to be read as vispro: it’s visible shape, configuration, it’s external manifestation of the inward vispro idea.
Medium for purposes of discussion on vispro is intended to encompass the various “how’s” related to the creation of vispro. Such mediums include writing, asemic writing, computer generated images, cut-up text, collage, painting, drawing – any tool the vispro initiator uses in order to create the vispro form. Mediums such as asemic* writing are taken for granted in terms of all it conveys both in current and emerging theory.
Prose is generally defined as ‘ordinary language’ which follows regular grammatical conventions and does not contain a formal metrical structure. Prose encompasses areas of human conversation, textbooks, lectures, novels, fairy stories (although some – think Brothers Grimm would include poems), short stories, newspaper articles, research papers, essays, dissertations – unless otherwise specified. To David Stone**, prose is: “writing that is nonpoetic narrative, fiction or nonfiction, dramatic, expository, scientific, philosophic, legal, journalistic or critical, academic, literary or popular”.
Text – in the instance of attempting to define vispro, text is described as any piece of writing, written in prose format intended to convey information and meaning. This definition acknowledges that ‘text’ is not limited to written books, magazines, paintings, maps, works of art, movies – or even such occurrences as a person (walking, talking text) or a room full of people. Just as in the humanities different fields of studies are concerned with different forms of texts***, so this paper is focusing on ‘text’ described as any piece of writing in prose format intended to convey information and meaning, thereby evoking aesthetic emotion. It may be a stretch of language as short as one or two words (which are not intended to be poetry), or as complex as a Tolstoy novel. Nor is ‘text’ in this context concerned as to whether or not such text is written left to right (Hebrew), or vertically (Chinese/Japanese) or incorporates calligraphy of any kind.
Visual – (in this context) is a system of communication which by it’s overwhelming visual elements aid the viewer in perceiving and comprehending visual signs. Visual language/images seek to transmit such visible signs (colours, shapes, text, lines, images) as tools to decode the visual prose (vispro) image.
Visual Prose (vispro) – is thus an image, work, form, manifestation intended to be viewed as an integrated combination read as “visual prose”. It is not to be regarded as illustrated text or vispo, but as a separate artform, intended to be identified on its own merits.
*Asemic writing with its vicissitudes of meaning (or lack thereof) is taken to be writing having no inherent or specific semantic content. Its hybrid nature in all its many forms of ‘writing’ and calligraphy are deemed as a creative option and as an intentional practice. **David Stone is a philosopher poet and one of the most well-read people I know. We have collaborated on many works which include aleatory poetry, poetry and prose poetry. Email dated October 2021.
*** For example, cultural theorists work with a wide variety of texts including advertisements, signage, or literary theorists focus on primarily literary texts – be they novels, stories, poems. The definition proposed in no way discounts the evolution of text by the dynamics of technology.
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