Visual Theories: Sensory and Perceptual

Visual Theories

Sensory Theories

Perceptual Theories

Similarity

Proximity

Continuity

Closure

Common Fate

Constructionism

Semiotics

Iconic Sign

Indexical Sign

Symbolic Sign

Chain of Associations (signifier chain)

Metonymic Sign

Analogig Sign

Displaced Sign

Condensed Sign

Photos: Iconic, Indexical or Symbolic?

Anchorage: Anchors desired meaning

Relay: Adds something not present in photo

Text and images:

35

http://www.thebubbleproject.com/

Click Baiting

Syntagm-paradigm

Pocahantas-Avatar

Deconstructing Shakira: Semiotics Case Study

signs are composed of

signifier = image signified = concept

A sign is a symbol, word, sound or image that represents an idea.

Media are coded with signs.

As viewers, we decode them.

a sign has two parts:

denoted meaning = what the thing isconnoted meaning = what it represents in context

+

=

?media are polysemic:

open to many interpretations

because we decode according to our life experience

Shakira denotes: woman, artist, musician, famous, young.Shakira connotes: freedom, America, power, attractiveness, sexuality

Types of codesTechnical: Symbolic: Words:edits objects fontsangles settings captionsmovement body language headlinesframing clothing place cardscolors creditslighting storyjuxtaposition

"Those who rule the management of symbols, rule the world."

C. Wright Mills

Broken/empty signifiers

Symbolic Resources/Cultural Commons

PUBLIC ENEMY

Reverse colonization: Blue people invade semiosphere

http://youtu.be/FhbOufut4CE

Belo Monte dam fight

Indonesian activists from the Center for Orangutan Protection

Li Yalong

South Korean Earth Day