Janine Pracht BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2015

Revision: The (In)visible History of Myths

Over the course of time, stories change to meet the social needs of authors and audiences. This has been noted with fairy tales and the adaptations of archetypes, but has also been prevalent in the way historical figures have been remolded to fit the views of the artist or political causes. Fundamental and inarguable points in history, battles lost and sacrifices that were made, are swept aside in order to focus on immaterial details that prove a point; beauty, femininity, or bloodshed are made more important than anything else. If an aspect of a persons life does not fit the cultural mould, it is thrown out.

Revision: The (In)visible History of Myths looks at how this phenomenon effected six historical figures turned myths. Antinous, Boudicca, Khutulun, Merlin, Mulan and Robin Hood are all displayed and analysed. Each character has a spread to themselves, in which an illustration, done in digital collage, a brief written segment on the historical figure, and brief written segment of the mythical figure is included. The goal of the project is to reincorporate aspects of the historical figure back into the myth that they have become, giving no preference to either version. This is the beginning of a longer book which includes more myths who have been disassociated from the historical figures they originated as.

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Spring 2015