Multimodal complexity in sand story narratives

Abstract

In sand stories, an Indigenous narrative practice from Central Australia, semi-conventionalized graphic symbols drawn on the ground are interwoven with speech, sign and gesture. This article examines some aspects of the complexity seen in this dynamic graphic tradition, illustrating the ways that these different semiotic resources work together to create complex multimodal utterances. The complexity of sand stories provides an almost unique platform from which to investigate the rich diversity of the expressive dimensions of narrative and demonstrates what needs to be taken into account if we are to make meaningful comparisons of storytelling practices in a range of cultures and contexts.

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