As both a linguist and an illustrator, I see myself as a 'visual interpreter', meaning that I look for connections between visual, spatial and cognitive processes and translate them from one form to another. Both verbal and visual languages are based on systems of signs and meaning. And similarly, in art just as in languages direct translations do not always work. The relationship between idea and interpretation is arbitrary, ever-changing, dependent on the context and dialogue with the viewer, with several challenges, some of which I will discuss in the following chapters:
I. The first part of this thesis explains the role of perception based on the works of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, analysing the phenomenon of visual-spatial experience and its effect on our conceptual thinking and the way the sense of space and motion are interrelated.
II. Part two of the thesis focuses on form and space in visual expression in the context of drawing and new media. I will investigate the balance between of interpretation and free association, as well as the underlying structures of composition that can help create a spatial experience and analyse how spatial dynamics have been used in art.
III. In conclusion, I will look into the ways the experience of space can be expanded on and explored further in the form of new media, the way these ideas of visuals relate to each other, and how these ideas are reflected in my artwork.
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