“Convert Converse” by Steph Scott
Complicated text is complicated, but understandable.
How do my readers/viewers take in information in the form of text and art to be understood when the information is in various stages of scramble or unclarity? “Convert Converse” is an experiment in the communication of text directed towards finding complicated text structures that create a challenge in understanding the text's message. After writing an unscrambled script, I created a layout suitable to keep the conversation flowing. I then scrambled the text using fourteen text style variations in order of least clear to completely readable, such as Gertrude Stein's repetition layout and the removal of vowels. Finally, I placed characters cut from magazines and playing cards and filled in the comic not only to be aesthetically pleasing but to also distract from the text. Visual communication and text communication are not necessarily the same thing and both are extremely mold-able to be adequate to each particular message. Understanding methods to create a comic and the importance of relational aesthetics in text equaled the result of the comic: word order can be mixed to get the message across though not all words need to be present, images drastically contribute to understanding of complicated text and letter order can be mixed if a hint of the original word order is present. In the future, I will create more comic collages as a medium for communicating my opinions and giving examples of common artistic arguments.
Brett's perspective on "Convert Converse"
The workings of the mind are often fragmented and romantic, and, decidedly, each human’s brain processes thoughts differently. In “Convert Converse,” Steph has invited us into her head. Through the personification of intellectual mechanisms, readers are presented with the story of how Steph has put two and two together as we traveled through the educational labyrinth of Designing (and attempting to understand) Literature. Referencing and demonstrating the work of Gertrude Stein and the Dada Manifesto among others, Steph opens our minds and our eyes to a colorful display of literature that by not making sense at times is able to make sense overall; most definitely helping me come to greater understandings of such complex theories. I’m fascinated over that which is not presented as a familiar language in this piece, appearing to hold no meaning but in fact almost holding more meaning than the language that is discernable, because of the unknown–with the advantage of following the creation of this piece, I’m aware that these symbols, numbers, and “random” letters are sections of Steph’s original text for the piece that have been translated, yet with this knowledge their presence becomes even more fascinating to me. What is essential to Steph’s piece is the communication of art, be it visual or textual, to an audience that is open to communication with their own thoughts and ideas; the striking effect of Steph’s presentation is enough to draw anyone in and want to delve deeper into their own minds.
