Colour and Narrative Lens
This lesson discusses directly the process of creating a graphic narrative. Two key components include: the lens or perspective from which the author narrates the story; and the stylistic or aesthetic approach taken. By comparing three stylistic approaches in But I Live, along with the alternative narrative presented by Art Spiegelman in Maus, we can see how four Holocaust survivors’ stories were told.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- analyze and compare different artistic styles.
- examine how history is represented in a historical narrative.
- connect to the work.
Guiding Question
- How do we create a historical narrative?
- How does colour influence a narrative?
- How does the author and artist work together to build the narrative?
Preparation
- Excerpt passages from But I Live (one excerpt from each artist, ideally printed in colour)
- Maus image gallery, and the means to project it
Introduction
Art Spiegelman expanded the generic conventions of both graphic novels and memoir by integrating techniques traditionally used in fictional narratives into a true story, and by making the “graphic novel” a place where truth can be revealed. Art Spiegelman, both the writer and illustrator of Maus, broke that barrier by how he presented the characters and shared his father’s story—using animals to represent different ethnicities and highlight the Jewish population is a choice in and of itself. He was also one of the first artists to broach the subject of the Holocaust in a visually accessible form.
Watch Art Spiegelman’s interview about Maus
Discussion Questions
- How did Spiegelman introduce a new non-fiction medium?
- How has his work inspired more non-fiction graphic works?
- What are some of the stylistic choices he made? Would you make similar or different ones?
Lesson Activities
Narrative Art Processes
Looking at the Narrative Art and Visual Storytelling project you can now explore three different artists’ processes.
- Watch the three short films that discuss how each of the But I Live stories were created.
- Have excerpts from each of the narratives available for the students to looks at and review. Choose passages where colour and style play a prominent role.
- Give students time to read a narrative and start the class discussion by asking “what do you notice?”
Conclusion
Wrap-up by discussing the following prompts:
- What are some of the key stylistic choices the artists made?
- How does colour play a role in narratives art?
- How does the perspective or voice of the narrative change the story?
Support Materials
Culture.pl* – Maus image gallery
Interview with Art Spiegelman on Charlie Rose (1996) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlEsyyTQ_Fs
But I Live films (2023) – https://holocaustgraphicnovels.org/films/
*Culture.pl is part of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, a state-run cultural institution under the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
