Can Satire be a Means to Visual Literacy?

This studio-based research reflects on the role that satiric imagery plays in fostering knowledge and visual literacy. In order to elaborate on this subject in a constructive manner, six satirical paintings were created. The completed artworks were presented to a group of voluntary participants. Each participant was asked to answer five questions about the content of the paintings. The comments and answers gathered during the presentation of the artworks constitute the principal data for this research. The collected results suggest that satirical art can be a way of developing visual literacy. In fact, the process of deconstructing satirical imagery exposes students to a large variety of possible interpretations and can thus generate knowledge and foster visual literacy.