Audio Description in Abstract Art

Using Metaphors From a Functional Perspective

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v6i1.2023.263

Keywords:

audio description, video installation, abstract art, intersemiotic translation, functionalist approach, metaphor, creativity, accessibility, invisibility, conversation

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze the linguistic techniques used to develop the audio description (AD) for a multimedia video installation and to reflect critically upon creativity and “invisibility” of AD in abstract art. Considering AD as a type of intersemiotic translation, a functionalist approach to audio description (Mazur, 2020) was adopted as our theoretical framework. Taking into account that the main function of art is aesthetic (Eisner, 2022; Iseminger, 2004) and considering the main goals of the exhibition, we embarked in a challenging decision-making process to determine what linguistic and creative techniques to use our particular piece. Among those techniques, metaphors proved to be very effective tools. The results indicate that the main metaphors to describe abstract art were synesthesia, participation, and vocal emphasis metaphors. Another conclusion is related to the degree of creativity in audio describing abstract art and the boundaries that the audio describer can easily trespass by creating metaphors that go beyond the source domain of the original work. It is precisely here where the function of the art piece and the purpose of the exhibition play a crucial role in finding that balance between fidelity and creativity.

Lay summary

This article analyses the linguistic techniques used to create audio description —the translation of images into words mainly intended for blind audiences— for a multimedia video installation in an art museum. Taking into account that the main function of art is aesthetic (Iseminger, 2004) and considering the main goals of the exhibition, we embarked on a challenging decision-making process to determine what linguistic and creative techniques to use for our particular piece. Among those techniques, metaphors proved to be very effective tools (Luque Colmenero & Soler Gallego, 2020). The results indicate that the main metaphors to describe abstract art were synaesthesia —incorporation of sensations experienced by senses such as touch, smell or hearing—, and vocal emphasis. Another conclusion is related to the degree of creativity in audio describing abstract art and the boundaries that the audio describer can easily trespass by crafting metaphors that go beyond the original work. It is precisely here where the function of the art piece and the purpose of the exhibition play a crucial role in finding that balance between fidelity and creativity.

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Author Biography

María José García Vizcaíno, Montclair State University

Dr. María José García Vizcaíno is Associate Professor of Spanish, Chair of the Department of Spanish and Latino Studies, and Director of the Certificate Program in Translation at Montclair State University (MSU), where she teaches different courses on Translation and Spanish.  She has published extensively in reputable academic journals and has presented her work at numerous conferences, panels, and symposia around the world. Recently Dr. García Vizcaíno created a course on Audio Description in Spanish at MSU and she engages her students every year in projects to bring the Performing Arts closer to the Spanish-speaking low vision audiences. In particular, she is leading a project to make live theatre in Spanish accessible to the Latino visually-impaired community in NY. Regarding her line of research, she is currently undertaking a research project on tactile strategies and haptic perception for art museums.

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Published

2023-12-20

How to Cite

García Vizcaíno, M. J. (2023). Audio Description in Abstract Art: Using Metaphors From a Functional Perspective. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 6(1), 189–208. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v6i1.2023.263

Issue

Section

Thematic section guest-edited by Blanca Arias Badia and Patrick Zabalbeascoa: Synergies Among Audiovisual Translation, Media Accessibility, Film Studies, and Related Disciplines