Week 3: Semiotics

This week we revisited Semiotics. As we know, Semiotics is concerned with anything that can stand for something else. Below is the key element to analyze the text:

SIGNIFIER + SIGNIFIED = SIGN DENOTATION = literal description and meaning of a signifier or sign. CONNOTATION = the representation and concept of the sign. It is metaphor.

 

Signifier is the object or text itself. Signifier is formed by the 5 senses; sight, smell, sound, taste and touch. Meanwhile, signified is the mental concept or image from the signifier. Below is the example:

Sometimes one signifier has many signified, for instances:

A P P L E

=

an apple, or...

Apple Mac Book, or...

apple pie, or...

‘You are the apple of my eye’ - Love quote.

Denotation is basically describes the sign or image, while connotation is what the sign or image represents for. Connotation is what you think when you hear the text or look at the image. Below are some examples:

Denotation: a girl half naked surrounding by three boys who exposing their body. The girl is kissing with one of them who sitting on the couch while lay on top of the other guy, and the last guy is lay on the floor. All of them were closing their eyes.

Connotation: All models were half naked because to get people attention on their product i.e Calvin Klein Jeans. The image also shows how women been portrayed as an object. In addition, women were used for sexual activities. This commercial has been banned in Australia.

Denotation: A couple is kissing with a bright red umbrella covered their faces while they were at some kind of near the lake.

Connotation: The couple is kissing represents love and romance. The venue of the photo taken represents the calm, peace and romantic place suitable for lovers. The dull background except the bright red umbrella gives focus to nothing but the couple.

Semiotics provides understanding of how ideologies and discourses are been created via visual codes and rules. Codes are a set of rules agreed upon by a society which are used to interpret the signs.

We want to study fashion in Visual Communication because it helps us understand the hidden meaning of what we wear. Visual Communication helps us reveal the identities through fashion. For example, a pair of tight jeans symbolizes the idea of woman sexuality and braveness.

In order to understand Semiotics more clear, I tried to explore the term in the image below:

Signifier: African-American man, a White lady, basketball, tough, pretty.

Sign: A man with a ball and a beautiful woman in his arm.

Denotation: A tough muscular black man with tattoo in his right arm wearing dark sport attire while dribbling a ball and his mouth is wide open. He wrapped his arm around a pretty tall lady who is wearing a beautiful light ocean blue color dress while smiling.

Connotation: The African-American man represents the ideal type of being a top star athlete, while the lady represents the ideal type of being the World’s top models. Both of them are the role models.


references:

Dr. Chris Woo lecture notes.
facweb.cs.depaul.edu/sgrais/gestalt_principles.htm