Creating pieces of writing that serve a purpose as a piece of research is an interesting concept. From one perspective this can prove very easy in the form of a thesis or write-up of a study. But using other writing techniques allows for discoveries to be made that wouldn't otherwise from a standard essay format. I have been looking extensively into the work of the Oulipo, founded in 1960 by Raymond Queneau and François le Lionnais. “Everything done prior to us is worthless” (Matthews, 1998) The aim of the Oulipo is to invent restrictions of a formal nature and propose them to enthusiasts interested in composing literature. From the beginning the group has not been concerned with the literary works themselves, but the procedures and structures capable of producing them. In a broad sense, every Oulipian technique can be thought of as a writing machine. “Every literary work is constructed with as its starting point an inspiration… that must adapt as best it can to a series of instructions or procedures” – Jean Lescure (Matthews, 1998 p.176) Translation is a key principle to Oulipian research, although not in its usual sense between two languages; with one exception Oulipian techniques of translation are used within a single language. Each technique manipulates an element of the text that has been artificially isolated from the whole, whether it be meaning, sound, grammar or vocabulary. In addition to other methods including the use of cut-up machines and translation apps, I have begun to implement some of these rules on my own texts. I have also begun to venture into appropriating other people’s pieces of writing to see how its meaning can be altered. I have used Sherrie Levine’s "Statement" as one of those pieces. What drew me to the work was that it incorporated appropriated phrases from sources such as Roland Barthes’ “Death of the Author” to comment on appropriation. Using the Oulipian N+7 rule I am appropriating an already appropriated text. I have drastically altered the meaning of the text by replacing every noun with another, found seven entries down from the original in a dictionary. The structure and grammar of the piece remain unchanged whilst the meaning is changed. Because only the nouns are altered the actions performed and people present remain the same in any text this is applied to. Appropriating an appropriated text brings into question how far the process of appropriation can be taken before the original object makes no claim to the new work.
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AuthorThird Year BA Hons Fine Art student studying at Falmouth University Archives
April 2017
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