Mythifying myth : the retelling of a colonial narrative / Rose Shepard.

"In partial fulfilment of the Master of Fine Arts Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, 2012."

Includes bibliographical references.

The focus of this dissertation was to ask the question: "can myth be an open system?". The motivation for this area of study was the author's interest in the personal family history of Eliza and Captain Fraser and the shipwreck of the 'Stirling Castle' on the coast of Australia 1836. The findings from this research show that myth is open to the environment that contains it, and is often used as a means of establishing social order in Western culture. The purpose of this study is to expand understanding of myth and mythology and its influence on society. Contemporary artists who are addressing this area of research through the medium of drawing are examined. Artists include Kai Alhoff, Shahzia Sikander, William Kentridge and Joseph Alys. The main conclusion drawn from this dissertation is that through the process of retelling and collaboration with the environment, a myth is an open system influencing society in the same way that history does.