Friday, March 21, 2008

Tromp l'oeil



What is real and what is constructed? This is a question all good media teachers must discuss.
Context
Today while teaching literary analysis, we discussed the phrase "willing suspension of disbelief" and how that is necessary in storytelling. The text book used a trompe l'oeil facade in a building in Cincinnati (see above) to visually illustrate this point. People walking in front of the building no doubt can see that it is just a flat brick wall, but are will to ignore that and see the stairs and plaza that is so realistically painted there. Several students pointed out the sidewalk chalk drawings that are so realistic as well. Here are a couple examples:
How could I use this in class
This images would be good anytime you want to discuss illusion versus reality, which is a common theme in literature, especially Shakespeare. Certainly talking about the constructed nature of film would be a good time to use these images. Discussions, of course, about the "willing suspension of disbelief" could incorporate these pictures.

No comments: