24-10-19 06 ΜΑΡΙΑ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΑΔΗ



Περίληψη στα Αγγλικά

 

The fairy tale consists of a blend of characteristics, where the didactic aspect, although central to its structure, is not immediately perceivable by the receiver, as the primary highlighted feature is its entertaining nature. Morphologically, it follows strict rules regarding the easy understanding of both main and secondary characters, where each word structurally carries specific symbolism. These symbols form a coded sequence of colors, places, spaces, clothing, weather conditions, and other elements in the composition of the story.

 

Psychology explores the fairy tale as a medium influencing the child on the path to adulthood, playing a crucial role in the psyche and agency through the symbols it conveys. Freud, in analyzing his patients' dreams, connected them to the symbols found in fairy tales. Similarly, Jung, through stories from different cultures, notes that fairy tales are part of the "collective unconscious" of individuals, as they embody archetypal ideas passed down through generations. For example, the idea of the mother is linked to Mother Nature, with simultaneous reference to the cycle of life. Water, depending on its clarity, momentum, and location, either represents the dark unknown or rebirth.

 

We find that fairy tales are essentially timeless and placeless. They unfold in "Once Upon a Time," but also in the now and forever. Characters are usually anonymous, bearing their main characteristic as a label; for instance, Snow White is described as "white as snow," or Aurora, the Sleeping Beauty, named after the goddess of Dawn in Disney's cinematic version. Furthermore, we discern the conflict between nature, represented by female elements, and human civilization, represented by male elements. The hero predominantly exhibits characteristics against the weakness of the female gender, and evil is often embodied by the woman, who takes on the role of a witch or stepmother.

 

This work utilizes two tools: the #MeToo movement and three well-known fairy tales that address the position of women in society, directing attention to their stance within a patriarchally structured environment. Its purpose, after identifying the topic of the exhibition and utilizing my initial museological steps toward research and finding exhibition material, is to illustrate the fairy tales. Ultimately, the goal is to create a poster that will provide interested parties with minimal but symbolically clear information regarding the where, when, and why, as well as an empathetic process of identification with the theme in order to attend the exhibition.

 

Conceptually, the battle of the sexes is depicted in fairy tales through the conflict of good versus evil. The masculine element signifies reason, a civilized society where marriage and sexual acts occur under predetermined conditions. Moreover, the masculine element is adorned with the hero's attributes, contrasting with the feminine, which is portrayed as a victim of desires, operating on different frequencies. It appears as an innocent, naïve child, in contrast to the formed adult woman, who holds a questionable role regarding her intentions or clearly embodies the role of evil as a witch or stepmother. In whatever role it occupies, the female figure represents humanity's primal instincts, even when discussing the wolf, which, though male, is part of primordial nature, thus contrasting with the Man-Hero hunter, who represents civilized social logic. Structurally, this main framework clearly separates good from evil in black and white, without intermediate gray shades.

 

Fairy tales have played a structurally crucial, socially moralizing role in educating children about the status of women, the awakening of female sexuality, and male leadership in relation to it. Identifying abusive elements against women within fairy tales is not a new discovery, except that abusive relationships are a product of women derived from the natural world, which deviates from the ideal.

 

The illustration of fairy tales has been a fundamental and inseparable part of the "magical process" of developing the reader's imagination. We observe that from the early editions of the 19th century to the 21st, illustrators have approached the key scenes descriptively, regardless of the techniques employed, even though all have not abstracted beyond the readable and symbolically clear meaning of the words.

 

The material is smooth, rich in detail, and clear in writing, making characters recognizable in the timeless place and space that situate them. However, we note that the points participating in recognizing the theme represent extreme semiotic writing, which exists even in caricature, where the material is constructed very abstractly and economically, such that even monochromatic sketches clearly and evidently identify the theme and characters. For instance, the cap and cloak of a little girl. With this in mind, the idea of designing the exhibition poster is delineated. The red eyes of a wolf, a skeletal fish tail, a spindle—each element represents a fairy tale, leading to three different posters for the same event, as each fairy tale is unique but simultaneously part of the singular idea that underlies the eternal battle between good and evil.

 

This perspective of the whole and the part provides the outlook for a representative poster with three peripheral ones. As a minimal poster, each one will first bear the name of the exhibition, where the term #MeToo in English with the word "fairy tales" in Greek will encompass shared fonts, letters, and semiotic references concerning the movement against female abuse. Secondly, they will present the key semiotic element of the fairy tale, with the three peripheral ones, and mainly the central poster of the exhibition will give the elements of time as timeless and placeless, with the concept of an hourglass signifying the eternal, the flowing.

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