This paper aims to reveal the characteristics of illustrations as media on newspaper novels, by focusing on the forms of these illustration and their effects on the audience. Conducting the study based on Ahn, Seok-yeong’s artworks has the following...
This paper aims to reveal the characteristics of illustrations as media on newspaper novels, by focusing on the forms of these illustration and their effects on the audience. Conducting the study based on Ahn, Seok-yeong’s artworks has the following advantages: he had professional mind as an illustrator unlike the others of the 1920~1930s, and it allows his works to be fully qualified to represent the period, when the form of illustrations was first established; furthermore his works using various expressive techniques provide opportunities to look into the zenith of aesthetics of the illustrations from that period. Thus, this study would not only be the first theory to establish a research methodology on the illustrations in newspaper novels of the 1920-1930s, but also provide the significance of examining Anh, Seok-Young, an illustrator and a writer.
Chapter 2 deals with the forms of the illustrations. First of all, the illustrations can be seen as "double reflection images" of reality and fiction, and hence most illustrations are 'photographic images' that create the illusion of three-dimensional space-time in reality. Yet, the illustrations, which are still ‘pictorial images’ can also produce “non-photographic images.” Non-photographic images stand out when the illustrations depict non-realistic objects and expressions. These images show the unique aesthetic of the illustrations, as it cannot be simply replaced with photographs. Next, it is about the relationship between the illustrations and the novels. An illustration representing the narrative of a novel implies the fact that the illustration shows its own narrative while still capturing the story of the novel. In addition, the illustration is a "single still image" having a characteristic of the picture image with the corresponding story due to the existence of the text. Finally, the illustrator who creates the illustration is placed on a “dual status” of both a creator and an audience at the same time. Therefore, the process of the illustrations-what scenes to choose and draw from the novel-always inherently involve the illustrator’s interpretation about the story.
Based on the discussion of the nature of the illustration forms, chapter 2.2 seeks “the supplement description role of an illustration through the selection of scenes in a novel", which is the most basic effect of any illustrations. The illustrations are attached with some elements that are not clearly described in the novels. The illustrations embodied the main character's mind in 『Hyangwon‘s Love Affairs』, and emphasized the abuse of the dominance and the suffering of the farmers in『Hometown』. In 『Human Orbit』 and 『Moving Star Cluster』, which are written and illustrated by Ahn, the illustrations functioned as the metaphors of the stories.
Chapter 3 focuses on the illustrations as “a participant of the narrative of a novel.” The participation of illustration in the novel narrative can only be explained with the presence of the audience. In other words, it is a dimension that occurs in the mind of the audience, who connects the illustration with the text. Especially, the non-photographic illustrations required the audience to more actively participate in the novel, because in that way the audience had the longer time to appreciate them. In Ahn's illustrations, the non-photographic illustrations emphasize the emotions of the characters in the novels, which allow the audience the better understanding of the emotion of each character.
In chapter 3.2, centering on the three keywords- "abstract and symbolic sign", "uncertain expressions of characters" and “Cubism style"-the study will go through the aspects of illustrations, that capture the emotions of characters in a novel via non-photographic illustrations. In particular,『Moving Star Cluster』, one can observe the tight interaction between the illustrations and the novel through the change of uncertain expression on the characters. The application of Cubism style technique effectively expresses unstable emotions of a character, and also captures the temporality of “iterative narrative.”
Chapter 4 discusses the "changing perception through the illustration rule". There are cases which a number of illustrations compose a certain category that develops a new rule for illustrations. When the audience are repeatedly exposed to these illustrations, it leads them to naturally accept these illustrations, which can bring changes in the audience's perception. The change in a perception of the audience might have affected the narrative of the novel. The study tried to discover this point with the keyword "inner-side". These illustrations participate in the narrative of the novel in a way of 'expanding' it.
As an example, in chapter 4.2, the study seeks the images, "first-person view," "double gaze", and "juxtaposition of the scene". The "first-person view" image is a case which allows the audience to identify whose view is the illustration taking; it allows the audience to share the image of the character's eyes and heart in the novel. The image of "double gaze" is an overlap of the two layers, the view of a character in the novel and an object which is shown by this character. In this case, the object, both the visible and the invisible. is presented in the same format. This may have helped the inner side, an invisible object, to be considered as the narrative and description in the novel, just the same as a visible object. The "juxtaposition of the scene" image, in which multiple scenes are juxtaposed on a single screen, allows the audience to perceive the spatial flow of time. This may have weakened the linearity of time, and increased the effects of space relatively stronger in the narrative. Therefore, the inner-side provoked by these changes of space may have become thematically highlighted in the novel.
Finally, in chapter 5, the study calls the audience of the illustrations as “the mass audience of the illustration.” The mass audience of the illustration is an 'imaginary subject' in a dual sense. On one hand, the illustration is an imagination of the audience, which devolved on to that of an illustrator. It has an effect of replacing the audience’s mental image that they would have imagined by themselves in their minds as reading through the novel, if not the illustrations. On the other hand, “the mass audience of illustration” is an imaginary group combined by this common mental image. Furthermore, the mass-oriented propensity can be witnessed in Ahn’s view on art, and in such regard, his multifarious activities could be symbolized as the positivity that he was the only one to make all this possible. Overall, to put the existence of “the mass audience of illustration” in the literature field allows to see the advanced possibility of “field of narrative interpretation” that takes place on newspapers at that time.