EDSE4027 Teaching English 3

Portfolio of Teaching and Learning Resources

Resource 2

Invocations #5

Tracy Moffatt (2000)

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Tracey Moffatt, one of Australia’s most prolific and successful contemporary artists, is known

widely for her unique photo-silkscreens that delve into the self-described surreal realm of the

“dark underworld, the murk in all of us, the subconscious” (James, 2001). In her thirteen-part series

titled Invocations (2000), currently on display at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art, Moffatt

draws from the expanse of her own arcane subconscious to create a disjointed fairytale world that is

both frightening and fantastic. The series, which sees the lost and vulnerable stumble through eerie

and nightmarish scenes, is also rich with intertextual references; within each artwork lies some twisted

version of a childhood animation, Hitchcock movie, or tale of the Brothers Grimm (MCA, 2016).

In triggering the shared cultural memory of her audience, Moffatt captures each onlooker within the

highly dramatic and personal scenes; indeed, upon prolonged contemplation, the artworks begin to

appear as if born from one’s own mind, from the remnants of one’s nightmares (Healy, 2005).

Evidently, the thirteen images in Moffatt’s Invocations offer an uncanny excursion into the otherworld;

the series’ title, which literally means to call upon or appeal to, thus refers both to the content of the

art (i.e. an invocation to the fantastic) and its audience (i.e an invocation to their subconscious).

The cold and manipulative air of the series, which is best reflected in the remote blue tones and visual

frailty of the fairy-tale backdrops, leaves little room for empathy (Clarke & Costall, 2008, p. 407).

Instead, the artworks feel malicious and mystifying. In Invocations #5, the young woman’s faceless

and contorted form, which stands clothed only in a sensually-delicate night dress, is jarring to the

audience - for while one longs to save the woman from the sharp beaks of the Hitchcock-like and

Poe-invoking ravens, they deeply fear crossing the threshold into the truly nightmarish scene.

The Indigenous ethnicity of the protagonist, which seems at odds with the predominately ‘white’

characters of the original texts, causes one to question her presence in the perilous artwork, and in

turn, their ignoble inability to save her. Undoubtedly, as one grapples with the cruelty and moral

ambiguity of this piece, they struggle to ascertain whether Moffatt’s rhetoric is intentionally

“disarming, ironic, or cynical” (MCA, 2016).

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For students engaging with the HSC English Extension 1 elective Textual Dynamics (Mod. C, Elec. 1),

this artwork is evidently of particular use as both an in-class and related text. Despite lacking in the

written word, Moffatt’s Invocations #5 is a compelling visual example of how “ideas and experiences”

can be transformed into texts “through insight, imaginative powers, and stylistic ingenuity” (BOSTES,

2009, p. 82). Indeed, considering its diverse intertextual references and rich cultural, political, and

social commentary, the ‘language’ of the piece extends far beyond the already complex visual.

Evidently, Invocations #5 could be used as either an introductory stimulus to the idea that language is

multi-faceted and layered or to the idea that it is capable of “transform(ing)…and impassion(ing)”

responders (BOSTES, 2009, p. 82). Rising in complexity, this text could also be used to promote a

critical analysis of how authors employ “cleverness” and “narrative playfulness” to interact with and

invert other texts; in doing so, students might discuss “how these active and vital relationships reflect

values” (BOSTES, 2009, p. 82). Finally, as a related-text, Invocations #5 resonates strongly with the

poetry of Wallace Stevens, which also contends deeply with the “elusiveness and tangibility of

language and meaning” (BOSTES, 2013, p. 150). When compared, students are able to investigate

how two starkly different representations embody complex thematic content to provoke controversy

and debate.

Moffatt’s Invocations #5 is particularly suitable for high-achieving students who may be locked into

the dogmatic thinking that there is one ‘supreme’ interpretation of a text. As Chambers and Gregory

explain, it is “inappropriate and counterproductive to teach in a manner that suggests texts may be

known ‘correctly’” (2006, p. 124). Indeed, this only encourages the tenets of performativity and

ignores the central characteristics of the disciple as abstract, complex, and richly dynamic. Instead,

one may use Moffatt’s artwork to encourage advanced students to think critically about language,

problematise the authorial process, and imagine alternative possibilities (Garrison, 1991, p. 291).

One activity that would promote such pedagogy would be that of an inquiry-based reconstruction task

whereby students are asked the question: ‘do you remember your dreams?’ Students are encouraged to

then recreate Moffatt’s work in light of their responses, and so undertake their own authorial process,

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incorporating new and diverse content and personal values. In turn, students recognise and appreciate

a completely unique interpretation of their own creation. To conclude, students may take turns

presenting their original piece to the class, verbally deconstructing the language they have used to

make meaning and convey values. In doing so, students engage not only in critical thinking, but also

in creativity and self-expression.

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References

Chambers, E., & Gregory, M. (2006). Teaching and learning English literature. London: SAGE.

Clarke, T., & Costall, A. (2008). The emotional connotations of colour: A qualitative investigation. Color Research and Application, 33(5), 406 - 410.

Garrison, D. (1991). Developing critical thinking in adult learners. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 10(4), 287 - 303.

Healy, J. W. (2005). Creating surreal art. Teaching Pre K - 8, 35(6), 30 - 32.

James, B. (2001). Interview with Australian artist Tracey Moffatt. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/rn/legacy/programs/atoday/stories/s229128.htm.

Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) (2016). Tracey Moffatt: Invocations 2000. Retrieved from http://www.mca.com.au/collection/work/2013701/.

New South Wales Board of Studies (2009). English Stage 6 Syllabus. Sydney: New South Wales Board of Studies.

New South Wales Board of Studies (2013). English Stage 6 Prescriptions: Area of Study, Electives and Texts (2015-2020). Sydney: New South Wales Board of Studies.

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