“I see what you mean”

Master Class with John Miers (Kingston School of Art and University of the Arts London)

Date: 29 March 2018, 13:30-16:00
Location: BV-0H53, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

The cognitive-linguistic approach to metaphor treats it not as a feature of language, but a fundamental aspect of human cognition. By conceptualising something abstract in terms of something concrete, we make it more accessible to thought, and more easily used in communication.

Metaphors can be used to give clarity to complex experiences, but they can also be used to mask ideological positions. In the first half of this workshop, we will focus on producing autobiographical visual metaphors. In the second half, we will explore how visual metaphor can be used to challenge dominant narratives in public discourse.

Please bring with you a recent piece of journalism, preferably an opinion piece or editorial, for use in the second half.

John Miers completed his PhD, Visual Metaphor and Drawn Narratives, at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, in 2018, and began a postdoctoral residency at London College of Communication (UAL) the same year. He is a member of CoRH! (Comics Research Hub) at UAL. He is a lecturer in Illustration and Critical and Historical Studies at Kingston School of Art, and visiting lecturer at University of the Arts London and the Royal College of Art.

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