This book considers how the presence or absence of writing can influence a cultures distinctive styles of visual art, proposing that many of the most profound developments in the art world are directly correlative with a cultural transition from orality to literacy (that is, from a culture which only has a spoken form of language, to one which has both a spoken and written form). The study contemplates how the psychodynamics of orality might radically affect artistic expression, resulting in a range of visual traits which in many ways reflect the unique modes of speech within primary oral societies. Looking to the art of a diverse range of cultures and time periods including Archaic Greek art, medieval art, African tribal art, child art, Outsider art and Modern art The Art of Orality considers what new insights can be gleaned by bringing these styles into dialogue with orality and literacy studies.
