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The archipelago of meaning : Methodological contributions to the study of Vanuatu sand drawing

Devylder, Simon LU (2022) In Australian Journal of Anthropology 33(2). p.279-327
Abstract

Vanuatu sand drawing has been listed by UNESCO since 2006 and has both fascinated and puzzled researchers from various disciplines for over a century. The inherent multi-dimensionality of the practice makes analysis complex, and until very recently developing a systematic methodology to study this intangible art form was difficult. This paper aims to contribute to filling this gap with the analysis of a corpus of sand drawings documented on the island of Paama in 2019. A detailed methodological toolkit is proposed to better understand the complex morphology of the drawings and their multi-layered meaning and function. This paper offers the first few steps along a journey toward designing integrated comparative methods of analysis that... (More)

Vanuatu sand drawing has been listed by UNESCO since 2006 and has both fascinated and puzzled researchers from various disciplines for over a century. The inherent multi-dimensionality of the practice makes analysis complex, and until very recently developing a systematic methodology to study this intangible art form was difficult. This paper aims to contribute to filling this gap with the analysis of a corpus of sand drawings documented on the island of Paama in 2019. A detailed methodological toolkit is proposed to better understand the complex morphology of the drawings and their multi-layered meaning and function. This paper offers the first few steps along a journey toward designing integrated comparative methods of analysis that can not only potentiate unprecedented insights into the cultural practice of Vanuatu sand drawing, but also more broadly help us understand how worldviews, beliefs and societal structures spread across time and space.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
art, cultural studies, culture, indigenous people
in
Australian Journal of Anthropology
volume
33
issue
2
pages
279 - 327
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:85135511862
ISSN
1035-8811
DOI
10.1111/taja.12428
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
88b24389-c984-4a1f-b036-f6c05d9b823e
date added to LUP
2022-09-06 14:05:30
date last changed
2023-12-05 19:59:10
@article{88b24389-c984-4a1f-b036-f6c05d9b823e,
  abstract     = {{<p>Vanuatu sand drawing has been listed by UNESCO since 2006 and has both fascinated and puzzled researchers from various disciplines for over a century. The inherent multi-dimensionality of the practice makes analysis complex, and until very recently developing a systematic methodology to study this intangible art form was difficult. This paper aims to contribute to filling this gap with the analysis of a corpus of sand drawings documented on the island of Paama in 2019. A detailed methodological toolkit is proposed to better understand the complex morphology of the drawings and their multi-layered meaning and function. This paper offers the first few steps along a journey toward designing integrated comparative methods of analysis that can not only potentiate unprecedented insights into the cultural practice of Vanuatu sand drawing, but also more broadly help us understand how worldviews, beliefs and societal structures spread across time and space.</p>}},
  author       = {{Devylder, Simon}},
  issn         = {{1035-8811}},
  keywords     = {{art; cultural studies; culture; indigenous people}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{279--327}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Australian Journal of Anthropology}},
  title        = {{The archipelago of meaning : Methodological contributions to the study of Vanuatu sand drawing}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/taja.12428}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/taja.12428}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}