See literature in a new way through the work of Greek artist Nina Papaconstantinou
Author: Communications
Posted on Apr 1, 2016
Category: UNB Fredericton
The University of New Brunswick’s Centre for Hellenic Studies, in collaboration with the faculty of education’s Year of Creativity, is hosting a free public lecture on the evolution of text copying and handwriting in the 21st century. The lecture, titled “A Curse To Thee, O Pen!” will be presented by Eleni Karavanidou on Monday April 4, in Carleton Hall 106.
Ms. Karavanidou will explore the works of Nina Papaconstantinou, a Greek conceptual artist who, in the age of digital technology, painstakingly copies entire texts by hand on a single canvas in a modern mimesis of medieval scriptores – a Latin word for manuscript copiers of the time.
Nina Papaconstantinou views the text as an intricate pattern of words, interwoven like the threads of a tapestry, through which one can explore a variety of topics including the history of writing, modern art and other ways of perceiving written language.
“I conducted a case study for my master's in education focusing on the creative process of Nina Papaconstantinou. The fact that she found a new way to ‘see’ literature by copying whole books onto a single surface really fascinated me,” Ms. Karavanidou said.
Each of the drawings of Nina Papaconstantinou is a palimpsest that combines the history of writing modern art, linguistics and ways of perceiving written language. Intrigued by these paintings, Ms. Karavanidou will examine their implications for children’s literacy and handwriting in the digital age.
Ms. Karavanidou presented a version of her research and the direction it has taken as a doctoral student in the faculty of education Works in Progress (WIPS) in December 2015. This lecture will emphasize on another aspect of Nina Papaconstantinou's work, relating to the history of writing.
Media contact: Hannah Classen