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Magical Realism

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The True Essence of Magical Realism
Amy Beals (14963137)
ITT Technical Institute

The True Essence of Magical Realism What comes to mind when you hear the word magic or magical? The average person typically thinks of witchcraft, spells, voodoo, and even disappearing bunny rabbits. The word realism, in the everyday use, is a word we are very familiar with. Join magical and realism together and they take on a whole new meaning. The marriage of these two words transforms their very individual definitions into one unique meaning. Magical realism has since developed into a literary genre; it represents more than just a definition. Magical realism has, in essence, become a philosophy, a real way of seeing things. It also represents much more than an attitude, or a window to view the world; it has become a philosophy of life. The very wording itself is an oxymoron (Rodgers, 2002).
According to many critics, Magical Realism was thought to have originated, as a new art form, in the early twentieth century. Having been given credit for coining the term, Franz Roh, writes about this new art form in one of his articles. The 1925 article “Magical Realism,” Mr. Roh explains Magical Realism through the examination of artistic styles. He further explained that an artist may review the texture, the light, and the shape of an object to influence the portrayal of what is simply a caricature of reality; there isn’t any significant meaning other than the obvious real qualities of what is being examined. Mr. Roh continues to explain that Magical Realism can also be used, in contrast, to portray something having boring yet deep meaning. Only in the realm of Magical Realism can you stimulate an exciting and intellectual thought of the ordinary real world (Roh, 1925).
Magical realism tells stories as seen through the eyes of individual people who live in our real world, but experience a different perception and interpretation of that reality; they make it their own reality. For instance, if there is spirits or ghosts in a magical realism story, they are not fantasy; rather, they are the realistic manifestations of the people who believe in ghosts. Magical realism depictions show us the world through other people’s eyes. Magical realism is a kind of realism, but it is not the same realism our culture is accustomed to (Rodgers, 2002).
The term magical realism comes from the term lo real maravilloso; a term coined in 1949 by Alejo Carpentier meaning marvelous reality. Literary magical realism did not begin with Alejo Carpentier. Much of what is defined as literary was greatly influenced by writers of Carpentier’s time, especially Asturias, Andrade, and Borges (Taylor, 2003).
Wendy Faris and Lois Zamora point out five characteristics of magical realism. * “Magic” which cannot be explained by accustomed notions of natural law. * A realist description that stresses normal, common, every-day phenomena, which is then revised and revisited. Extreme or amplified states of mind or setting are often used to accomplish this. * The reader is drawn between the two views of reality. * The two visions or realms often merge or intersect. * Time is both history and timeless; space is often challenged, and identity is broken down at times (Zamora and Faris, 1995).
When I think of the meaning of magical realism, one name is in the forefront of other street artists. He calls himself Banksy. Banksy, a pseudonym for the elusive artist who initially emerged in the streets of Bristol and whose real identity is unknown, has become a favorite sought after, street artist (Brady, 2013). Banksy’s anonymity intensifies the spray-painted stencils on walls, streets, and buildings, and has become in itself his trademark. If he disclosed his given name, he would no doubt be arrested for his deliberate display of graffiti on the walls, bridges, and streets throughout the United Kingdom. He has gone as far as to build physical prop pieces. Banksy has even been so daring to build physical sculpture pieces; this is risky because of the time he must invest to perfect these sculptures, thus making him susceptible to arrest. The United Kingdom based young man is quickly becoming a household name. He is a street artist, a political activist, a film director, and an extremely talented painter. He is very well known for his discontentment against the British government for labeling graffiti as vandalism. Anonymously, he creates, one of a kind, depictions of various things seen through his eyes. Banksy’s paintings, as well as his sculptures, are a unique form of magical realism. His collaborative visions combine satire, humor, and ingenious expressions, and are absolutely graffiti at its best. According to author and graphic designer Tristan Manco and the book Home Sweet Home, Banksy was born in 1974 and raised in Bristol, England. He is the son of a photocopier technician; he trained as a butcher but became involved in graffiti during the great Bristol aerosol boom of the late 1980s (Collins, 2007). Banksy was inspired by various graffiti artist. Banksy does not sell photos of his street graffiti himself. However, art auctioneers have jumped on the band wagon and been known to sell his street art on location; leaving the problem of its removal in the hands of the winning bidder (Collins, 2007).
Below is a perfect example of magical realism, in a Banksy painting, was created in 2005. Banksy painted the security fence at Bethlehem with a trompe-l’oeil scene of a hole in the concrete barrier, revealing a glittering beach on the other side; it looked as if someone had dug through to paradise (Collins, 2007). This painting encapsulates the very essence of the meaning of Magical realism, and it is an absolute favorite of mine. Banksy tells us a story, as seen through his eyes, with this painting. Magical realism works well in this painting. The magical aspect depicts a carefree, abundant lifestyle; surrounded by pristine beaches, sunshine, and an ocean breeze; all of which can be attained if the viewer ventures through the ready-made hole in the concrete. The realism of this painting portrays a towering wall made of impenetrable concrete; a barrier. A purposely placed barrier built to blind your minds eye, and bar passage to the other side.

Banksy’s trompe-l’oeil painting on a security fence.

Banksy’s trompe-l’oeil painting on a security fence. Magic Realism can be used as a means to venture outside and beyond the conventional culture we live. It is a unique form of fiction that takes the reader beyond the typical world view. Magical realism is not just creative story telling of fantasy, and far-fetched dreams; it reveals the realities others truly believe to be real, and in most cases have life experiences to substantiate those beliefs.

References
Brady, T. (2013). Mayor Bloomberg says British artist Banksy’s work is graffiti and should not be permitted. Daily Mail.com. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article- 2464193/Mayor-Bloomberg-says-Banksys-New-York-work-graffiti.html#ixzz2jjFUwdo3
Collins, L. (2007). Banksy was here: The invisible man of graffiti art. New Yorker.com. Retrieved from www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/14/070514fa_fact_collins
Rodgers, B. (2002). What is magical realism? Writing-World.com. Retrieved from http://www.writing-world.com/sf/realism.shtml Roh, F. (1925). Magic realism: post-expressionism. In Magical Realism: Theory, History,
Community. Eds. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. (1995). Durham: Duke UP.
Taylor, B. (2003). A brief history of magical realism. Angel Fire.com. Retrieved from http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/margin/nonficTaylor.html
Zamora, L. P. and Faris, W. B. (1995). Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Durham: Duke UP. Retrieved from www.dbu.edu/Mitchell/magical.html

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