Programme of Study Draft 002 28 Oct 2009

Study Title:

Rationale:

The Uncanny is a fundamental part of narrative storytelling. It was first discussed by psychologists in the early 1900s (see Jentsch 1906 and Freud 1919), although it has been a part of our culture and our storytelling for far longer (Royle 2003). The early work of Freud and Jentsch was limited by their own beliefs and knowledge of the topic (Royle 2003) but provided a spectacular starting point for discussion of the topic.

The Uncanny itself proves tricky to tie down. It has been referred to as the return of the repressed (Freud 1919), and the illumination of things that were once, and should have remained, hidden. It causes a range of feelings in different people, ranging from a mild unease to sheer morbid terror, and on to the experience of madness. Sometimes, the Uncanny has a positive, instead of detrimental effect. The Uncanny is the blurring of the lines between internal and external reality, dreams and the waking mind, the conscious self and the unconscious self. The Uncanny is uncertainty. It is a field ripe for exploration.

A lot of the work published on the Uncanny is psychoanalytic, or theory based upon the analysis of works created by authors or film makers. This Study seeks to explore not only the Uncanny as it is found in the works of film makers such as David Lynch and Satoshi Kon, and the nature of the Uncanny as debated by psycologists and scholars of literature. This Study seeks to explore how a creative can set about developing Uncanny projects.

Aims:

1. To explore the Uncanny in narrative and Uncanny narrative tropes.

2. To examine visual interpretations of the uncanny narrative.

3. To explore how both of the aforementioned topics influence my work as an artist.

Objectives:

1. Research the Uncanny (das Unheimlich) both as a psychological phenomena and as a cinematic device (narrative and audiovisual).

2. Reflect upon how the aforementioned research and reflection impacts upon my work as an artist and storyteller.

Methodology:

1. Text led research

2. Film studies

3. Creation of work

   1. 3D Picture Book

   2. Exploratory Sketchbooks / Design Bible

Expected Outcomes:

1. Masters Report

   1. The Report will examine the uncanny in narrative, and how uncanny narrative is represented in visual narratives.

2. 3D Picture Book

   1. The 3D Picture book will represent an uncanny narrative visually.

3. Exploratory Sketchbooks / Design Bible

   1. These Sketchbooks / Design Bible will be a practice based exploration of the subjects of the research. They will allow for a more personal examination and reflection of the topics and how they relate to the artist.

Schedule:

Reference Materials:

• Literature

  • On the Psychology of the Uncanny – Ernst Jentsch 1906

    • http://www.cpmg.org.br/artigos/on_the_psychology_of_the_uncanny.pdf

  • The Uncanny – Sigmund Freud (1^st Published 1919 in Imago 5 (5-6)

  • Screen Memories (Über Deckerinnerungen) – Sigmund Freud (1^st Published 1899 in Minatsschrift für Psychiatrie und Neurologie 6)

  • The Creative Writer and Daydreaming (Der Dichter und das Phantasieren) – Sigmund Freud (1^st Published 1908 in Neue Revue 1(10))

    • The Uncanny – Sigmund Freud (Translation published 2003)

    • Translation & Editorial matter Copyright – David McLintoch 2003

    • Introduction Copyright – Hugh Haughton 2003

    • Penguin Classics

    • Penguin Books Ltd, London England

    • ISBN: 978-0-14-118237-7

  • The Interpretation of Dreams – Sigmund Freud (1^st Published 1900)

    • This edition published 1997

    • Wordsworth Editions Limited 1997

    • Introduction Copyright – Stephen Wilson 1997

    • Text from 3^rd Edition (1932) Translation by A.A. Brill, authorised from 1^st Edition German (1900)

    • ISBN: 978-1-85326-484-9

  • The Uncanny – Nicholas Royle 2003

    • Manchester University Press, England

    • ISBN: 978-0-7190-5561-4

  • The Terror that Comes in the Night; An Experience-Centered Study of Supernatural Assault Traditions – David J. Hufford 1982

    • University of Pennsylvania Press, USA

    • ISBN: 0-8122-1305-X

  • Lynch on Lynch – Edited by Chris Rodley 1999 (1^st Published 1997)

    • Faber and Faber Limited, England

    • ISBN: 0-571-19548-2

  • Dreams on Film; the Cinematic Struggle Between Art and Science – Leslie Halpern 2003

Journal: