User:Charlie/Paracosmos

General reader ☞☞☞ Ⓛⓘⓔⓢⓛⓔⓢⓒⓗⓣ.

Paracosmos

In my previous studies (Illustration BA) , Paracosmos was the title of my thesis and project (February 2024). Which broadly investigated the intersection between the concept of paracosms and art-making. A "paracosm", which can be translated to parallel cosmos/universe, is a specific term used to designed complex imaginary worlds, most often created by children as a form of escapism through fictional world-building. In my project, I appropriated the concept of paracosms to create a framework for artistic world-building and visual language development within an artistic practice. As references, I analyzed a set of contemporary artists whose artistic practice and aesthetics primarily revolve around personal childhood nostalgia and the distinct symbolism that emerged within their visual language. The project also partly looked at the reemergence of western medieval fantasy and folklore as a popular visual style and narrative carrier within pop culture and the visual arts, at the time.

In a second iteration of Paracosmos, I would like to revisit this concept, yet shift the focus by which I appropriate the concept of paracosms; From artistic world-building to a concept of personal para-reality through conspiratorial thinking, political fiction and myth-making. At the same time, I would like to further interrogate escapism through fantasy. Especially, look at western fantasy-media and its potential to embody dominant socio-cultural norms and political ideologies. [..]

Reader

Section of personal reader focused on:

• Politics & Narratives
• Design, Art & Media
• Folklore & Myths
• Storytelling and Fiction-writing

Annotation Index

.. = Quote/Excerpt from source text
➪ = Link to source text
✎ = Term in Word Stew (Personal Glossary)

Politics and the English Language ➪

by George Orwell

Published: April, 1946

Format: Essay

On the author:

George Orwell is best known for his two fiction novels Animal Farm and Nineteen-Eighty-Four, but his writing also includes many other genre such as e.g: essays, journalism and poetry.

Synopsis

In his essay Politics and the English language, Orwell discusses and criticizes the ways in which political texts of the time (1940's) were often written in an overly pompous and jargon-heavy manner. Using repetitive phrases and in-concrete metaphors for the sake of sounding intellectual and/or convincing, whilst obscuring the 'true' message of the text, and/or the lack thereof. A writing practice which Orwell describes as 'bad English' and as a contributing factor to the decline of literary culture and good (English) prose. Yet, also an insidious method used by political writers to conceal propagandist messages within their texts.

Research context

This text fits my current research (April 2025), because it acts as a template to critically analyze political texts, as well as, a guide to analyzing my own writing style. Especially when it come to metaphors. Orwell believes that metaphors (and analogies) should be creative and concise, a literary illustration to ones writing, to paint a mental picture. And that one should avoid "dead metaphors", metaphors whose original meaning has been lost to time or over-use.

Particularly the topic of metaphors in relation to political messaging is of interest in my research. Metaphors (and analogies) may often stem from or reference folklore and mythology; Narrative themes which historically, many political movements have employed to speak to, position themselves and lend credibility within a socio-political context.

Well-Played ➪

by Vicky Osterweil

Published: October, 2018

Format: Column

On the author:

Vicky Osterweil...

Synopsis

In her column, Osterweil ponders how, over the past two to four decades, video games have become a crucial part of mainstream American media consumption. Emblematic of the “digital age” , she aims to analyze the ways in which video games fit into the current economic model.

Notes & Annotations

By asking: "What has the medium's (video games) material role been under capitalism?"(Osterweil, 2018)Opening a discussion on how video games may embody and therefore reinforce cultural and societal norms, political practices and ideology.

With Fortnite as the main example, Osterweil argues that most popular video games often reproduce aspects of a Capitalist society ("socially, politically, economically")(Osterweil, 2018) In other words, game-mechanics often simply simulate and gamify the mechanisms of everyday life within Capitalism. For example: engaging in continuous monotonous labor ("grinding") as a way to advance and engage in consumption within the game.

Making video games a reproductive medium to capitalist ideology: "To perpetuate their own existence, mass media must succeed at representing the violent coercion of capitalist systems as natural laws: Of course you have to pay rent to live inside; of course you have to buy food to eat; of course you have to work if you want to survive." (Osterweil, 2018) (based on the Social reproduction theory.)

Research context

In the broader context of my research, Well-Played offers insights into the ways contemporary media (especially, interactive media such as video games) manages to propagate and implant capitalist notions through escapist fantasy.

Steering The Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Format: Book

Published: 1998

On the author:

Ursula Kroeger Le Guin...

Synopsis

Steering The Craft was written as a workbook for new and practicing writers to learn and practice the basic skills required to write and improve ones prose. Divided into a variety of topics such as rhythm, pacing, punctuation, grammar, verbs and tenses; alongside useful literary examples, each chapter includes one or two exercises that focuses on a specific writing skill.

Research Context

The book provides a resource for on how to write better prose. As I am interested in exploring story-telling as a key element of my work, and enjoy writing in general, I feel like I am in dire need of concrete and practical guidelines to improve my general writing skills. (Similar to Politics and the English Language by Orwell)

Myth in politics, an instrument of authority

by Éric Cobast

Format: Article

Published: 2025

Original language: French (translated and paraphrased by me)

On the author:

The article (original title: "Le mythe en politique, un instrument d'autorité") was published in the French magazine Le Monde/La Vie 2025 special edition L'histoire des mythes ("the history of myths"), written by Éric Cobast. Cobast largely works as a teacher on general culture, and as a frequent specialist adviser in media production on that same subject. He has written and contributed to many French educational publications on the subject of general culture, with a focus on history, mythology and politics.

Synopsis

The article introduces the reader to mythology and myths as a political tool. It mostly focuses on a selection of examples from history in which political authorities of various cultures have employed mythological legends and narratives for political gain and legitimization.

Notes & Annotations

The author states that myths provide an archaic attribute to political speech. Archaic in its dual meaning, from its Greek etymology ("archein"): "To commence/to begin" as well as, "to command". As such, they always constitute both a story of origin and a call-to-action.

To political agendas, myths act as an abundant source for ready-made fiction; A direct link to the collective imagination and the sanctified narratives that constitute and bind the collective consciousness of a culture. Therefore, whoever wields power over the narratives of a culture, wields power over that culture. Myths embody political authority.

The myth as a narrative tool operates in the realms of imagination and emotion, and always contains space for double-meanings open to interpretation. "Il sacrilise, légitime, fédère, mobilise, préfigure, prophétise, justifie l'action politique."(Cobast, 2025): The myth sanctifies, legitimizes, unites, mobilizes, prefigures, prophesies and justifies political action. As such, it comes as no surprise, that political agents continuously employ myths and the same mythological legends as a means to consolidate their power, all-throughout history.

Research Context

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The Politics of Design

by Ruben Pater

Format: Book

Published: 2016

Synopsis

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Research Context

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Lidia's Suggestions

   Stuart Hall's Notes on deconstructing the popular

   Antonio Gramsci Prison Notes (focus on chapters Ideology, Hegemony and Common Sense)

   (-> Read introduction on his work)

   Marx & Engels Ruling Class

   Michael Loewy Incandescent Flame

Protocols for Magic

Magic History - Forms of Magic

Source	Synopsis	Source Form
C. Gosden (2020), “Magic: A History: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present”		📚
DK (2020), “A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult”	Illustrated compendium on the history of magic practices through the ages	📚
L. Williams (2025), "Compendium Of The Occult - Arcane Artefacts, Magic Rituals and Sacred Symbolism"	Illustrated compendium on the history of occult practices through the ages	📚

Magic in theory and function

Source	Synopsis	Source Form
E. Bever, R. Styers (2017), “Magic in the Modern World: Strategies of Repression and Legitimization”	Contemporary analysis of modern magic practices and its function in society	📚
P. Stevens Jr. (2023), “Rethinking the Anthropology of Magic and Witchcraft: Inherently Human”	Anthropological theory on Magic's function in the human mind and society throughout history	📌👀
J. Sorensen (2006), “A Cognitive Theory of Magic”		📌👀
M. Mauss (1902), “A General Theory On Magic”		💾
R. Dukes (2002), “S.S.O.T.B.M.E. Revised - An Essay On Magic”	Theoretical concept of Magic as way of thinking, in comparison to scientific, religious or artistic thinking	💾

The Intersection of Magic & Art

Source	Synopsis	Source Form
J. Sutcliffe ( 2021), “Magic”	On magic's generative relationship with contemporary art practice	📚
S. Bellisario (2025), “Contemporary Visions: Refiguring The Esoteric; The Transformational Act of “Making” Magic”	Intersection of art and magic, symbolic value of artistic practice with the purpose of magic	💾
A. Davies (2023), “Art is Magic”	Intersection of art and magic, experience in a museum setting, contemporary art	💾
P. E. Moore (2019), "Art and Magick in the 21st Century; Reflections of a Neophyte", TULCA Festival Of Visual Arts, TULCA, Galway, IE.		🌐
J. Gilhooly (2010), “Enchanted Objects: Agency in the Magic and Contemporary Art Practice”	Secular” Magic and the agency of art and magic in “Technologies of Enchantment”	💾
H. Cornish (2022), “Sensing materiality in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic”	Multi-modal experience/perception of magic practitioners in a Museum space	💾
L. O., Haute (2023), ' Talismans pour celles qui ne savent pas de quoi ils parlent'	Zine (translation: Talismans for the ones who don't know what they talk about)	📚

Art & Artists

Source	Synopsis	Source Form

📚 = physical copy  💾 = .pdf  🌐 = online  📌👀 = still need a copy  ⏳ = waiting for copy

References

(Harvard Style of Referencing)

1. Cobast, É. (2025) 'Le mythe en politique, un instrument d'autorité', L'histoire des mythes , Monde SA, La Vie/Le Monde, special edition 2025, pp. 48-51.
2. Le Guin, U.K. (1998) Steering The Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story. First Mariner Books edition 2015, United States: Harper Collins.
3. Orwell, G. (1946) 'Politics and the English Language', Horizon, London. Available at: https://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/politics/english/e_polit/ (Accessed: 07/05/2025).
4. Osterweil, V. (2018) 'Well-Played', Real Life, United States. Available at: https://reallifemag.com/well-played/ (Accessed: 07/05/2025).
5. Pater, R. (2023) The Politics of Design. 9th edition, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: BIS Publishers