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DOI: 10.2478/Aay2019y0010 Doctor Who Meets Loving Vincent Van

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DOI: 10.2478/Aay2019y0010 Doctor Who Meets Loving Vincent Van '2,DD 'RFWRU:KRPHHWV/RYLQJ9LQFHQW9DQ*RJK $FDVHVWXG\RIWKHWRUWXUHG DUWLVW´VWRFNFKDUDFWHULQSRSXODUFXOWXUH 0DUWLQ%RV]RUiG 0DUWLQ %RV]RUi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bstract: Methodologically connecting at its core the experience-based and interpretation- based aesthetic approach to popular culture/popular art(s) on one hand and the basis-building views of what is called arch-textual thematology on the other, the paper seeks to examine, following its particular embodiment, one of the most stable, recurring and probably therefore one of the most iconic stock characters – the “tortured artist” stock character. This example of a “stereotyped character easily recognized by readers or audiences from recurrent appearances in literary or folk tradition” (Baldick, 2008, p. 317) can be – besides other principal and distinctive examples such as the “mad scientist”, the “lady/damsel in distress” or, let’s say, the “everyman” – witnessed all across culture, including the sub-sphere of popular culture, and the arts. The implied cultural significance and “omnipresence” of the “tortured artist” stock character can be aptly illustrated by Vincent Van Gogh and not only as a real-life tortured artist prototype or even archetype but also as a popular model for numerous and various cultural depictions – from poems by Charles Bukowski through the “moving pictures” of Loving Vincent to an episode of the well-recognized British TV show Doctor Who. “What am I in the eyes of most people? A nonentity or an oddity or a disagreeable person – someone who has and will have no position in society, in short a little lower than the lowest./ Very well – assuming that everything is indeed like that, then through my work I’d like to show what there is in the heart of such an oddity, such a nobody./This is my ambition, which is based less on resentment than on love in spite of everything, based more on a feeling of serenity than on passion./ Even though I’m often in a mess, inside me there’s still a calm, pure harmony and music >HPSKDVLVDGGHG@. In the poorest little house, in the filthiest corner, I see paintings or drawings. And my mind turns in that direction as if with an irresistible urge.” 9LQFHQW9DQ*RJKLQRQHRIKLVOHWWHUVWRKLVEURWKHU7KHR “Van Gogh cut off his ear/gave it to a/prostitute/ who flung it away in/extreme/disgust./ Van/whores don't want/ears/they want/money. /I guess that's why you were/such a great/painter: you/didn't understand/much/else >HPSKDVLVDGGHG@.” &KDUOHV%XNRZVNL Working Out ,QWKHDUWV±DQGWKHDUWVLQWKHZLGHVWSRVVLEOHVHQVHLHIURPOLWHUDWXUHDVDFODVVLFDODUWIRUP WKURXJK FRPLFV DV D WUDQVLWLRQDO RQH WR WDWWRR DUW DV D IULQJHEDVHG EXW LQFUHDVLQJO\ DFNQRZOHGJHGDUWIRUP±VHYHUDOSLYRWDODSSHDUDQFHVRIDXWRWKHPDWLVPRIDUWWKHPDWL]LQJDQG IROORZLQJLWVHOILQVRPHZD\FDQEHQRWLFHG,QWKLVZD\OLWHUDU\ZRUNVRIDUWGHSLFWWKHVWRU\ RIKRZOLWHUDU\ZRUNVRIDUWFRPHLQWRH[LVWHQFH HJ6WHSKHQ.LQJ¶VQRYHOMisery RUKRZ WKH\DUHEHLQJUHDG HJ,WDOR&DOYLQRµVQRYHOIf on a Winter’s Night a Traveller VXSHUKHUR FRPLFVUHGHILQHDQGUHFRQFHSWXDOL]HWKHLUGHWHUPLQDWLYHDQGHDUOLHUFRQYHQWLRQDOL]HGFKDUDFWHU ±WKHVXSHUKHUR HJ$ODQ0RRUH¶VDQG'DYH*LEERQV¶VWatchmen DQGQHRWUDGLWLRQDOWDWWRRV DVWKHDSSHOODWLRQSHUVHDQWLFLSDWHVQRWRQO\DSSUHFLDWLYHO\UHYLVLW RXWOLQLQJ EXWDOVRLQD UHYROXWLRQDU\ PDQQHU XSGDWH LQVSLUHG E\ $UW 1RXYHDX WKH FODVVLF WUDGLWLRQDO VW\OH RI WDWWRRLQJ :LWKLQWKLVFRQWH[WWKHFKDUDFWHURIDQDUWLVWIHDWXUHGLQDQRHXYUHFDQEHXQGHUVWRRGDV WKHHSLWRPHRIRQHDSSHDUDQFHRIWKHVHOIUHIHUHQWLDOLW\RIDUWHLWKHUDQ³LQQHU´ HJOLWHUDWXUH WKHPDWL]LQJOLWHUDWXUH RUDQ³LQWHUOLQNLQJ´RQH OLWHUDWXUHWKHPDWL]LQJIRUH[DPSOHILQHDUWVRU FLQHPD :KDWZHPRUHSUHFLVHO\KDYHLQPLQGKHUHLVWKDWIRUPRIVHOIUHIHUHQWLDOLW\ZKLFK XQIROGVDURXQGWKHFKDUDFWHURIDQDUWLVWLQVXFKDPDQQHUDVZLWKLQWKHQRYHOW\SHRIWKHZHOO HVWDEOLVKHG.QVWOHUURPDQ DUWLVWQRYHOHJ-:*RHWKH¶VWilhelm Meister‘s Apprenticeship -DPHV-R\FHµVA Portrait of the Artist as a Young ManDQG-RKQ,UYLQJµVThe World According to Garp URRWVZKLFKVSDWLDOO\VWUHWFKRXWWR*HUPDQ\DQGLQWHUPVRIWLPHDWOHDVWWRWKHWXUQ RIWKHWKFHQWXU\ 7KHSUHVHQFHRIDUWLVWFKDUDFWHUVVHHPVWREHZKHQREVHUYLQJWKHSDVWDVZHOODVWKH SUHVHQW RI WKH DUWVSKHUH DQ LQWHJUDO SDUW RI OLWHUDU\ RXWSXW DQG HYHQ DUWLVWLF SURGXFWLRQ LQ JHQHUDO7KHUHIRUHLWSUREDEO\FRPHVDVQRVXUSULVHWKDWZKHQWKHDXWKRUVRIWKHWKHPDWRORJLFDO KDQGERRN HQWLWOHG Themen und Motive in der Literatur ILUVW *HUPDQ HGLWLRQ UHIOHFWRQWKHEDVLFIRXQGLQJEXLOGLQJVWRQHVRIOLWHUDU\ZRUNVRIDUWWKH\LQFRUSRUDWHLQWRWKH OLVWRIOH[LFRQHQWULHVDOVRWKHKHDGZRUG³.QVWOHU´ DUWLVW :LWKLQWKHIUDPHRIWKLV+RUVW6 'DHPPULFK DQG ,QJULG ' 'DHPPULFK S LQLWLDOO\ FRQQHFW WKH LQFUHDVLQJ VLJQLILFDQFHRIWKHDUWLVWFKDUDFWHUDVDWKHPDWLFHOHPHQWZLWKWKHZRUNVRIWKH*HUPDQKRPR XQLYHUVDOLV - : *RHWKH VXEVHTXHQWO\ DFFHQWXDWLQJ WKDW WKH WRSLF KDV VLQFH WKHQ EHHQ HVWDEOLVKHG±DQGH[WHQVLYHO\WKDQNVWR*RHWKH¶VOLWHUDU\RXWSXW±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hemen und Motive in der Literatur DIILUPWKLVXQHTXLYRFDOO\E\DUJXLQJWKDW³GHSLFWLRQVRIDUWLVWFKDUDFWHUV ZKLFK DUHQµW DEOH WR KDUPRQL]H WKHLU YLHZ XSRQ OLIH ZLWK QRWLRQVRIVRFLHW\DUHRIJUHDW LPSRUWDQFH´ 'DHPPULFK±'DHPPULFKSSWUDQVODWHGIURP*HUPDQE\0% ,QQDUUDWLYHVFRQVWUXFWHGDURXQGWKLVWKHPDWLFHOHPHQWDUWLVWFKDUDFWHUVDUHIRUFHGWRIDFHD GHILDQFHWKDWOHDGVWRHVFDSLVWWHQGHQFLHVOLWHUDODVZHOODVILJXUDWLYHVWDWHVRIGHVSDLUDQG WRUPHQWIUHTXHQWO\UHVXOWLQJLQDZKHQZHDSSURSULDWHWKHWHUPVUHODWHGWRWKHXQLILHGVWUXFWXUH RI*UHHNWUDJHG\FDWDVWURSKLFFOLPD[±PDGQHVVRUHYHQVXLFLGH 'DHPPULFK±'DHPPULFK SS $QG H[DFWO\ WKLV WHQVLRQ XQIROGHG DURXQG DUWLVWFKDUDFWHUV DV H[WUDRUGLQDULO\VHQVLWLYHDQGSHUVSLFDFLRXVHQWLWLHVVHHLQJWKHZRUOGGLIIHUHQWO\HYHQVHHLQJ SRHWLFDOO\VSHDNLQJEHKLQGWKHQRWLRQDOYHLORI0D\DZKREDUHO\FDQPHHWWKHUHTXLUHPHQWV ODLGRXWIRUWKHPE\VRFLHW\FDQEHXQGHUVWRRGDVWKHYHU\EDVLVRIZK\ZKDWµVGHQRWHGE\WKH FROORFDWLRQ³WRUWXUHGDUWLVW´KDVDFTXLUHGWKHVWDWXVRIDVWRFNFKDUDFWHU LQDUW DQGDSURYHUELDO VWHUHRW\SHDQGHYHQDFXOWXUDORUFXOWXUDOFLYLOL]DWLRQDOPHPH LQUHDOOLIH $QRWHZRUWK\DQGLQFRQQHFWLRQZLWKWKHWRUWXUHGDUWLVWSKHQRPHQRQLQVSLULQJDOEHLW UDWKHU SRSXODUL]LQJ WKDQ DFDGHPLF VXUYH\ RI WKH WRUWXUHGDUWLVWWRSLF LV RIIHUHG LQ KLV ERRN HQWLWOHGTortured Artists. 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