Semiotics of Clowns and Clowning, The: Rituals of Transgression and the Theory of Laughter - Couverture souple

Bouissac, Paul

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1472532783 ISBN 13 : 9781472532787

Editeur : Bloomsbury Academic, 2015

Synopsis

During the last 300 years circus clowns have emerged as powerful cultural icons. This is the first semiotic analysis of the range of make-up and costumes through which the clowns' performing identities have been established and go on developing. It also examines what Bouissac terms 'micronarratives' - narrative meanings that clowns generate through their acts, dialogues and gestures. Putting a repertory of clown performances under the semiotic microscope leads to the conclusion that the performances are all interconnected and come from what might be termed a 'mythical matrix'. These micronarratives replicate in context-sensitive forms a master narrative whose general theme refers to the emergence of cultures and constraints that they place upon instinctual behaviour. From this vantage point, each performance can be considered as a ritual which re-enacts the primitive violence inherent in all cultures and the temporary resolutions which must be negotiated as the outcome. Why do these acts of transgression and re-integration then trigger laughter and wonder? What kind of mirror does this put up to society? In a masterful semiotic analysis, Bouissac delves into decades of research to answer these questions.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Paul Bouissac is Professor Emeritus at Victoria College, University of Toronto, Canada. He is a world renowned figure in semiotics and a pioneer of circus studies. He runs runs the Semioticon [https://smartsemiotics.com], an Open Semiotics Resource Center, which has a global readership.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Bloomsbury Academic
• Date d'édition: 2015
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1472532783
• ISBN 13: 9781472532787
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 232
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
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