Semiotics
sign, symbol, signifier
- Sign- When an image has a ‘sign’ it often means it is associated with a process or action.
- Symbol- How something externally has been physically represented.
- Signifier- A given connotation that goes with the aesthetic.
For example- The apple logo
It's a sign for Apple computers, it symbolises an apple and signifies quality, creativity and lifestyle.
Metaphor, Metonym and Synecdoche
'Work the metaphor, every object has the capacity to stand for something other than what is apparent. Work on what it stands for'
Visual Synecdoche
Applied when a part is used to represent a whole. Eg. The statue of liberty is used to represent the whole of New York. This substitution only works if we know it's part of the whole (universally recognised)
Visual Metaphor
Transferring the meaning from one image to another, even though the images have no close relationship, a metaphor conveys an impression about something relatively unfamiliar by drawing a comparison between it and something familiar.
Visual Metonym
A visual metonym is a symbolic image that is used to make a reference to something with a more literal meaning. For example, a cross may be used to signify a church. By way of association, the viewer makes a connection between the image and the intended subject.
'In trying to separate words from pictures we have to accept words are pictures of letters'