Semiotics can be defined as the 'science' of studying signs and their meanings. This idea was developed by Swiss linguist, Ferdinand de Saussure.
Structuralism (came from a French school of thought established mid 20th Century). This looked at the underlying structures of something, however was destroyed by the development of postmodernism.
SIGN
SIGN
Experience - signified
------------- | codes
Utterance - signifier
Saussure (1916) ' Course in General Linguistics'.
- Sign = signifier + signified
- The relation between them is arbitrary
- Signs are organised into codes
- STRUCTURALISM
Utterance = evokes meaning/signifies something.
There is no inherent meaning to everything = communication and understanding is therefore just a social construct.
Semiotics destroys the idea that anything has meaning.
IN CONTEXT
e.g. we are socially conditioned to know that the colour red on traffic lights signifies to stop.
According to Barthes (1957) signs signify on two different levels:
1. DENOTATION (literal meaning)
2. CONNOTATION (cultural associations)
In the same way we can unravel meaning in language by understanding the written and the spoken material, we can also unravel meaning in cultural practices, if we take culture as operating like a language.
CODES
A code is a system of signs and symbols. They are found in all forms of cultural practices.
- In order to make sense of cultural artefacts, we need to learn and understand their codes.
- Codes rely on shared knowledge.
PARADIGMS AND SYNTAGMS
Saussure defined two ways in which signs are organised into codes:
1. PARADIGM (a set of signs from which one is to be chosen)
2. SYNTAGM (the message into which the chosen signs are to be combined)
= all messages involved selection from a paradigm and combination into a syntagm.
e.g. the alphabet is a paradigm - it's meaning is only valid within a shared culture (which can be seen to destabilise universal truths?)
Paradigmatic choices:
e.g. changing shot in TV, typefaces, colour of your front door, etc.
Where there is a choice, there is meaning and the meaning of what is chosen is determined by ---?
Once a unit has been chosen from a paradigm, its combined with other units = this combination is called a SYNTAGM.
e.g. a sentence is a syntagm of words, likewise our clothes are a syntagm of paradigmatic choices of hats, etc.
Friday, 24 March 2017
COP Lecture Series: Post-modernism
Modernism was initially born out of optimism, an aspirational reaction to World War 1, with a view to harness technology to improve people's everyday lives.
Modernism is associated with:
- experimentation
- innovation
- individualism
- progress
- purity
- originality
- seriousness.
The postmodern condition is characterised by:
- exhaustion
- pluralism
- pessimism
- disillusionment with the idea of absolute knowledge.
BUT there is some overlap...
Jean Tinguely 'Homage to New York' (1960)
Described as "a towering contraption composed of found junk, dismembered bicycles, dismantled musical instruments, glass bottles, a meteorological balloon and electric motors in a questionable condition". It was designed to set itself on fire and destroy itself, as a criticism to the trajectory of modern life, and the fallacy of technology.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/arts/design/swiss-institutes-destruction-pays-homage-to-jean-tinguely.html
Uses of the term 'post-modernism':
- after modernism (the historical era following the modern)
- contra-modernism (actively against modernism - BACKLASH)
- equivalent to 'late capitalism' (Jameson)
- 'global village' phenomena: globalisation of cultures, races, images, capital, products.
15 July 1972, 3:32pm = according to Charles Jencks, modernism dies and postmodernism starts.
The demolition of the Pruitt - Igoe development, St Louis (the language of postmodernism architecture, 1977).
Postmodernism has an attitude of questioning conventions (especially those set out by modernism)
- postmodernism aesthetics = multiplicity of styles and approaches
- space for 'new voices'
- a reaction to these rules - starts as a critique of the international style/only rule is that there is no rules/celebrates what might otherwise be termed as 'kitsch'.
URBAN SPLASH
Park Hill flats, Sheffield.
Frank Gehry, Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, 1997.
James Stirling, Neue Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, Germany, 1977-1983.
J-F Lyotard:
'The Postmodern Condition' (1979)
- 'Incredulity towards metanarratives'
- metanarratives = totalising belief systems
- result = crisis in confidence
HIGH ART/ LOW ART DIVIDE.
Modernism is associated with:
- experimentation
- innovation
- individualism
- progress
- purity
- originality
- seriousness.
The postmodern condition is characterised by:
- exhaustion
- pluralism
- pessimism
- disillusionment with the idea of absolute knowledge.
BUT there is some overlap...
Jean Tinguely 'Homage to New York' (1960)
Described as "a towering contraption composed of found junk, dismembered bicycles, dismantled musical instruments, glass bottles, a meteorological balloon and electric motors in a questionable condition". It was designed to set itself on fire and destroy itself, as a criticism to the trajectory of modern life, and the fallacy of technology.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/arts/design/swiss-institutes-destruction-pays-homage-to-jean-tinguely.html
Uses of the term 'post-modernism':
- after modernism (the historical era following the modern)
- contra-modernism (actively against modernism - BACKLASH)
- equivalent to 'late capitalism' (Jameson)
- 'global village' phenomena: globalisation of cultures, races, images, capital, products.
15 July 1972, 3:32pm = according to Charles Jencks, modernism dies and postmodernism starts.
The demolition of the Pruitt - Igoe development, St Louis (the language of postmodernism architecture, 1977).
Postmodernism has an attitude of questioning conventions (especially those set out by modernism)
- postmodernism aesthetics = multiplicity of styles and approaches
- space for 'new voices'
- a reaction to these rules - starts as a critique of the international style/only rule is that there is no rules/celebrates what might otherwise be termed as 'kitsch'.
URBAN SPLASH
Park Hill flats, Sheffield.
Frank Gehry, Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, 1997.
James Stirling, Neue Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, Germany, 1977-1983.
J-F Lyotard:
'The Postmodern Condition' (1979)
- 'Incredulity towards metanarratives'
- metanarratives = totalising belief systems
- result = crisis in confidence
HIGH ART/ LOW ART DIVIDE.
Tuesday, 7 March 2017
OUGD401 - Study Task 07 - Developments to Solution Two
Although an interesting concept, the visualisation of this idea did not work as well as originally intended. One major problem that arised from this work was the use of secondary imagery. The images available to me were not of very good quality, and were all quite detailed and structured which made it difficult to combine the different construction sets together.
In addition to this, the style of figurines accompanying both the classic LEGO construction sets and the LEGO Friends sets were of very different styles. Experimentation with combing these figures into different ‘worlds’ resulted in the imagery looking quite inconsistent. In this instance, it was therefore suggested that these scenes would have to be developed and created physically from one set of LEGO in order to achieve the original intention.
In producing these collages, it was decided to hold the images down using masking tape rather than glue. The visibility of these and the rough cutting of the images were used deliberately to give the impression of the handmade, which could potentially touch an audience of parents to young children, reminding them of a personal piece of work created by their children.
The colour yellow was used again in these simple developments to show the idea of gender-neutrality, similar to that of prototype solution one, and link to it’s intended message.
In addition to this, the style of figurines accompanying both the classic LEGO construction sets and the LEGO Friends sets were of very different styles. Experimentation with combing these figures into different ‘worlds’ resulted in the imagery looking quite inconsistent. In this instance, it was therefore suggested that these scenes would have to be developed and created physically from one set of LEGO in order to achieve the original intention.
In producing these collages, it was decided to hold the images down using masking tape rather than glue. The visibility of these and the rough cutting of the images were used deliberately to give the impression of the handmade, which could potentially touch an audience of parents to young children, reminding them of a personal piece of work created by their children.
The colour yellow was used again in these simple developments to show the idea of gender-neutrality, similar to that of prototype solution one, and link to it’s intended message.
OUGD401 - Study Task 07 - Developments to Solution Three
Based on peer feedback of prototype solution three, it was suggested that the layout was too simple and was not very engaging to look at. Therefore the layout and hierarchy of information had to be reconsidered. In deciding where the information should sit around this image, it was considered that there could potentially be a link made between the layout and the younger target audience of children. This idea lead to experimentation with using varying font sizes and widths in order to create a ‘chaotic’ layout inspired by the idea that children can sometimes be chaotic in their behaviours and their play.
The enlargement of the statement ‘toys have no gender’ creates a powerful message that does not need any support and has been used in the aim of receiving the attention of its intended audience. Although not completely intentional, the split of the word ‘gender’ in this statement can be considered to reflect the shattering of the gender stereotypes typically found within children’s toys and marketing.
Similar to the other prototype solutions, these developments continue the use of Gill Sans, because it was felt that this consideration of type style gave the advertisements an extra link, pushing it more towards the intended audience. In contrast, experimentation was also done using different typefaces, such as Helvetica, however this did not work well in such context of a children’s advertisement as it looked ‘too professional’ and did not create the same impact.
The enlargement of the statement ‘toys have no gender’ creates a powerful message that does not need any support and has been used in the aim of receiving the attention of its intended audience. Although not completely intentional, the split of the word ‘gender’ in this statement can be considered to reflect the shattering of the gender stereotypes typically found within children’s toys and marketing.
Similar to the other prototype solutions, these developments continue the use of Gill Sans, because it was felt that this consideration of type style gave the advertisements an extra link, pushing it more towards the intended audience. In contrast, experimentation was also done using different typefaces, such as Helvetica, however this did not work well in such context of a children’s advertisement as it looked ‘too professional’ and did not create the same impact.
OUGD401 - Study Task 07 - Developments to Solution One
It was decided to take this first prototype solution forward and develop towards a final outcome. One piece of feedback gained from pitching this idea was that the imagery was not very clear and impactful. It was felt that the use of line-art meant the imagery sunk into the background, and so failed to convey the appropriate message. This piece of feedback was taken into consideration and developed so that more colour was incorporated into the design.
Experimentation with colour started by using the same shade of yellow used for the outline of the LEGO blocks to fill them in and using these against the same green background to keep the themes of gender-neutral colours. However, because of the simplicity of the bar graphs this meant it was not instantly clear which column symbolised males and females. Based on this, it was decided to create a contrast with the gender-neutral theme and ‘label’ the columns using the stereotypical colours for boys and girls as pink and blue. Because this colour stereotype is universally known, it would be clear for the audience to identify the message being conveyed in the graphs. The contrast between these colour labels and the message of the advertisements would mean that the audience would potentially enage more with the message and show the impact of such stereotypes through the fact the columns are not labelled through text but colour and the audience still knows what they mean, because of these universal stereotypes.
Further developments in this prototype looked at adding text based on research and the statistics conveyed within the imagery to make the overall message clearer. However, this created another problem in that the text did not stand out enough against the original green background. The background colour was therefore changed to a pale shade of yellow. It was felt this worked better in the composition of the advertisement, as it did not overpower the imagery and text, whilst keeping the originally intended links to gender-neutrality.
Although LEGO bricks a suitable universal and well-known brand of children’s toy, it was felt that this did not have a direct link to one set of information. Therefore, the posters were developed into a series through the addition of illustrated books to produce similar bar graphs that better linked to the piece of research which showed that out of 25 books, 21 showed images of women wearing aprons or in domestic roles.
Experimentation with colour started by using the same shade of yellow used for the outline of the LEGO blocks to fill them in and using these against the same green background to keep the themes of gender-neutral colours. However, because of the simplicity of the bar graphs this meant it was not instantly clear which column symbolised males and females. Based on this, it was decided to create a contrast with the gender-neutral theme and ‘label’ the columns using the stereotypical colours for boys and girls as pink and blue. Because this colour stereotype is universally known, it would be clear for the audience to identify the message being conveyed in the graphs. The contrast between these colour labels and the message of the advertisements would mean that the audience would potentially enage more with the message and show the impact of such stereotypes through the fact the columns are not labelled through text but colour and the audience still knows what they mean, because of these universal stereotypes.
Further developments in this prototype looked at adding text based on research and the statistics conveyed within the imagery to make the overall message clearer. However, this created another problem in that the text did not stand out enough against the original green background. The background colour was therefore changed to a pale shade of yellow. It was felt this worked better in the composition of the advertisement, as it did not overpower the imagery and text, whilst keeping the originally intended links to gender-neutrality.
Although LEGO bricks a suitable universal and well-known brand of children’s toy, it was felt that this did not have a direct link to one set of information. Therefore, the posters were developed into a series through the addition of illustrated books to produce similar bar graphs that better linked to the piece of research which showed that out of 25 books, 21 showed images of women wearing aprons or in domestic roles.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)