VISUAL VERNACULAR: A DEAF CULTURAL PRODUCTION WITH CINEMATOGRAPHIC LANGUAGE

Abstract

This qualitative and descriptive research presents an excerpt from the study developed in the PPGL/UFPB master's course, which aimed to analyze the literary aesthetic elements and the elements of cinematographic language present in the Visual Vernacular (VV), to foster a better understanding of the stylistic characteristics of this cultural production created specifically by deaf artists, based on their visual experience of the world.This general objective gave rise to two specific objectives: to identify elements of aesthetic; and cinematographic language in the analyzed work and to analyze the aesthetic effect created by the language used to compose the literary work. As theoretical support for the literary aesthetic elements, we adopted Sutton-Spence (2021), to substantiate the cinematographic elements in the signed productions, we adopted Castro (2012). Anchored in these authors, the work analyzed was “Os cangaceiros X coronéis” by the deaf poet Alexandre Moreira. Among the results, we found the following aesthetic elements characteristic of the vernacular visual style: Incorporation, Anthropomorphism, Classifiers, Facial and Body Expressions, Repetition, Space, Rhythm and Speed. In addition, Multiple perspectives, which in Visual Vernacular production are emphasized and presented in much more detail, in the following branches of cinematographic techniques: Wide General Shot, General Shot, American Shot, Close Shot and Close-up Shot. We also identified two other aesthetic elements called in VV as Exterior/Interior and 3D. We conclude, then, in this study that because it is an authentic production of deaf artists and with greater evidence after the pandemic, much still needs to be studied about the Visual Vernacular artistic style. Some of the effects created in this work through the elements identified during the analysis were: suspense, surprise, pain, emotion, action in confrontation, and recognition of the characters. We therefore hope that this study contributes to further research in this area. Since it is a cultural production originally from the Deaf community, with greater visibility and a higher number of publications after the pandemic, much still needs to be studied about the artistic-literary style of Visual Vernacular.