Tuesday, 23 November 2010

An introduction to semiotics

What is semiotics?
A science of studying signs - Something that gives a meaning in culture.
The study of how things mean, not what things mean - Cultural code.

To read culture in the same way we read language.

Fashion is a cultural code. A 'punk like' attired man - a rebel subverting. Image of man in tie and suit - societys consensus - smart, status, business, societies view. Tie - purely symbolic - no function.

The word dog - no link to actual animal - no natural basis

Image of rose:

Signifier : Rose
Signified: Romance

Word rose in italic, femine writing:

Signifier - pink, the words, typeface - vehicle for language, signifier in own right.

Signifier demotes and connotes.
Signifier, split into denotation and connotation.

Connotation relies on culture and social experience.

Myth: image of black boy saluting french flag. Culture disguised history and meaning - in link to race.
Black - Negative, death
White- Clean, positive, angelic
French ideology - Everyone equal
Colonial power - myth - france tries to make blacks forget - disguise.

Myth - hard to spot, seems so natural

John constable , the haywain, 1821


Represntaive of social order, connotes Britain - calm and beauty of one specific persons lands. Not a true selective version of events. Was a myth, now a truth of how we believe England is like.

Image of st georges cross flag:
Everything infused in this one sign. Flag dennotes England, Connotes much more: green and pleasant land etc.

image of seductive woman promoting wonder bra:
Connotes : sexualise self physically rather than interlectually. Naturalisation of womens stupidity.

Hans Memling 1485, 'vanity'
Calling a woman vain, when infact it was a man who painted the woman in this sexual way.

'APHRODITIES' font stereotypical, relating to context

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