Visualising the voices of Redan an experimental application of forensic anthropology and narrative identity to a disappearing landscape

Abstract

This creative-production project explored the manner in which the principles and practices of forensic anthropology can be appropriated as a design methodology and tool for the visual representation of a landscape’s personal identity. In particular, this exploration was aimed at the representation of the narrative identity of the Redan rock engraving site, a neglected national monument and provincial heritage site near Vereeniging in the Gauteng province. The creative process consequently explores the manner in which the principles and practices of forensic anthropology can be appropriated as a design methodology, theoretical framework and visual language to represent the narrative personal identity of the Redan rock engraving site. This was achieved through the documentation and reconstruction of its aesthetic principles and narratives. The communication goal of this body of creative work is that landscapes ought to be afforded an equal degree of moral care, concern and respect in legal terms as human beings. This exploration thus took place within the context of environmental awareness. An interactionist dualist stance on practice-led research was investigated as an appropriate research approach and context. Therefore, Scrivener’s Model for Creative Production Projects (2004), consisting of six steps, was employed as research methodology. In fulfilment of step one, the Redan rock engraving site was identified as the subject matter of this practice-led research project through reflection on past practice. The pecked images that are a significant aspect of this site’s aesthetic are being eroded away and its narrative is not well known. Both of these aspects of the site’s identity are at risk of being forgotten altogether. The subsequent literature review, conducted as part of step two, identified forensic anthropology and narrative identity to be appropriate theoretical frameworks for this project. In completion of step three, these were used to reframe the Redan rock engraving site as a human entity and its dilemma as worthy of concern. The latter refers to the Redan rock engraving site as both an abandoned heritage site and damaged landscape. This process of reframing first took an explicit knowledge approach through the conceptualisation of the project. Thereafter, tacit knowledge formats were used to reframe the Redan rock engraving site through the production of a five-part artist’s book in service of the project aim and communication goal. This was also in fulfilment of step four. In step five, the creative production project was reflected on as a whole. The application of Scrivener’s Model to this project culminated at step six in a critical and well-reasoned report that consists of three parts – a project report in the form of this minidissertation, a series of reflective journals and an exhibition of the artefacts produced. Hierdie kreatiewe produksieprojek het ondersoek gerig na die wyse waarop die beginsels en praktyke van forensiese antropologie toegepas kan word as ‘n ontwerpmetodologie en instrument vir die visuele voorstelling van ‘n landskap se persoonlike identiteit. Hierdie ondersoek was spesifiek op die voorstelling van die narratiewe identiteit van die Redan-rotsgraveringsterrein, ‘n verwaarloosde nasionale monument en provinsiale erfenisterrein naby Vereeniging in die Gauteng provinsie, gerig. Die kreatiewe proses ondersoek dus die manier waarop die beginsels en praktyke van forensiese antropologie toegepas kan word as ‘n ontwerpmetodologie, teoretiese raamwerk en visuele taal om die narratiewe persoonlike identiteit van die Redan-rotsgraveringsterrein te verteenwoordig. Dit is bereik deur die dokumentering en rekonstruering van die estetiese beginsels en die naratiewe van die Redan-terrein. Die kommunikasiedoelwit van hierdie kreatiewe werk is dat landskappe in dieselfde mate as mense in wetlike terme geregtig is op morele besorgdheid, versorging, bemoeienis en respek. Hierdie ondersoek het dus binne die konteks van omgewingsbewusmaking plaasgevind. ‘n Interaktiewe dualistiese standpunt oor praktykgeleide navorsing is voorts ondersoek as ‘n gepaste navorsings benadering en konteks. Gevolglik is Scrivener se Model vir Kreatiewe Produksieprosesse (2004) wat uit ses stappe bestaan, as navorsingsmetodologiese raamwerk gebruik. In stap een is die Redan-rotsgraveringsterrein geïdentifiseer as die onderwerp van hierdie praktykgeleide navorsingsprojek deur middel van refleksie op vorige praktyk. Die uitgekapte beelde wat ‘n belangrike aspek van die werf se estetika is, is in die proses om uitgewis te word en die Redan-narratief is nie algemeen bekend nie. Albei hierdie aspekte van die Redan se identiteit loop die gevaar om in die vergetelheid te versink.. Die daaropvolgende literatuuroorsig, wat as deel van stap twee uitgevoer is, het forensiese antropologie en narratiewe identiteit as toepaslike teoretiese raamwerke vir hierdie projek geïdentifiseer. Na voltooiing van stap drie is hierdie gebruik om die Redan-rotsgraveringsterrein as ’n menslike entiteit en sy dilemma as ’n waardige besorgdheid te herraam. Hierdie herramingsproses het eerstens ‘n eksplisiete kennisbenadering gevolg deur die konseptualisering van die projek. Daarna is ‘n tacit versweë kennisbenadering gevolg vir die herraming van die Redan-rotsgraveringsterrein deur ’n kunstenaarsboek, bestaande uit vyf dele, te produseer ter wille van die projek- en kommunikasiedoelwitte. Dit was ook ter vervulling van stap vier. In stap vyf is op die kreatiewe produksieprojek as ‘n geheel gereflekteer. Die toepassing van Scrivener se Model het in hierdie projek gekulmineer in stap ses wat neerslag vind in ‘n kritiese en goed beredeneerde verslag wat uit drie dele bestaan: ‘n projekverslag in die vorm van hierdie skripsie, 'n reeks reflektiewe joernale en 'n uitstalling van die artefakte wat geproduseer is.