Within Public Lettering: Script, Power, and Culture:
1)
Writing was being brought out to more public
settings (by the powerful and only what they allowed) instead of being
restricted within a church or sacred building, yet artists struggled with how
to incorporate the unfamiliar symbols into their pieces, at first, causing
disharmony between the artwork and the writing. The artists discovered they
were able to leave a legacy by signing their own work. Later on, writing became
more decorative; a form of art.
2)
Graffiti. Writing as a form of expression by the
public, for the public, but now the “powerful” try desperately to control it
and keep it within its designated guides. By declaring war against the “meaningless”
graffiti, they intern gave it more import.
Within “Writing Without Paper: A
Study if Functional Rhetoric in Ancient Athens:”
3)
Writing was not just used for important
buildings or specific items, but for everyday use throughout Athens.
Directional signs were even discovered meaning the general public was literate
enough to figure out how to navigate.
Comment:
What these readings opened my eyes to most was how much some
try to control writing, whether it should be in a certain place or not, how big
it is, how it should be displayed, and what it says. The artist in me sees this
as a creative restriction just waiting for me to challenge it, but the
upstanding citizen within me agrees that words do need some restraints. If you
find today’s commercial and picture filled world dizzying, just imagine what it
would be like with no censorship.
Question:
Why do we find it so surprising/interesting to learn writing
was used for everyday life in Athens? Will future civilizations be surprised to
find this era was literate?
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