Intermedial references in ‘Ponciá Vicêncio’ and ‘Um defeito de cor'

Abstract

In the light of the concepts of “reference” proposed by Irina Rajewsky and of “ekphrasis” formulated by Claus Clüver, the text analyses the intermedial references in two Brazilian novels, Ponciá Vicêncio (2002) by Conceição Evaristo and Um defeito de cor (2017) by Ana Maria Gonçalves. The two novels are linked by their exploration of the themes freedom and cultural memory of black people and by their reference to the visual arts: pottery, explored in Ponciá Vicêncio, and the making of African masks (geledes) in Um defeito de cor. In the course of their experience, two black young women, the protagonists of the two novels, in their own practice or in their appreciation of another artist´s work, end up by finding in art a vehicle for the preservation of the history of their people. In this context, the narrative finally leads to the consideration not only of the influence of African creations on contemporary art but also about the possibility of their preservation in the work of Brazilian artists in our own time.