t h e n a t u r e o f semantography
a b r i e f g u i d e t o u s i n g se m a n to g r a phic s y m b o l s
The semantographic system is meaning referenced and articulates concepts through graphical representation. The system uses spatial configuration to articulate concepts with the following general rules in place: right/left = for/against up/down = give/receive The principle mechanism of generating symbols and designing the composition of a whole piece of text is ideographical representation, which articulates the idea of a thing rather than the name of it. This principle guides the calligraphic design of a piece - from the scale of a single symbol to the layout of the entire composition - to articulate the spatial instructions or emotive experience of the author. The four types of symbol used are pictographs, arbitrary symbols, ideographs, and compound symbols. Indicators are also used to specify the intended meaning of symbols as thing, action, description, plural or tense.
pictographs
house
drawings that resemble what they are intended to symbolise.
protection
arbitrary symbols
person
sun
book
flag
animal
sit
lay
many arbitrary symbols are already in wide use:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z these are drawings that have no pictorial relationship between the form and what they are intended to symbolise. in semantography while the form may appear arbitrary, it may still be informed by the logic of the whole system.
a
the
for
against
(to) give
(to) receive
generalisation
all
some
plus
minus
equal
divide
multiple
similar
composite
defined by
difference
transformation
centrepoint
sweep
ideographs
before
ideographs symbolise the idea of a thing rather than the name of it. an ideograph creates a graphic association between the symbol and the concept it represents
after
compound symbols
happy
on
thing
inside
outside
compound symbols arrange individual drawings as a group to represent objects or ideas.
present
school
indicators
enclosure
place to walk
no light
time
very large
burning light
creation
thing
very small
project
indicators are represented by a small annotation placed above a symbol, used to indicate the specific intent of the author.
action
description
plural
past
present
graphical representation
guide / imaginary
v o c a b u l a r y miscellaneous
this vocabulary illustrates general principles.
a
the
earth
sky
belongs to
with the aid of
for
against
plus
minus
equal
divide
multiple
similar
composite
defined by
difference
generalisation
all
some
intensifier
opposite
metaphor
again
but
question
cause
effect
relation
part of
half
(to) give
(to) receive
create
create from
knowledge
house
protection
book
person
man
woman
fire
work/action
change
1
I/me
2
us/we
3
they/them
give instruction
receive instruction
flag
sun
earth
day
time
sit
lay
legs/feet
mouth
eye
food
give support
receive support
feeling
past
future
actual site
moon
reveal
hide
prosthetic
machine
index number
geometrical
this vocabulary is suited to articulation of geometrical concepts.
enclosure
open
component
space
geometry
up
down
forward
backward
on
inside
outside
over
under
to
toward
start
away
at
before
after
high
low
through
into
out of
between
small
large
high
low
shallow
far
near
long
short
wide
narrow
thick
thin
deep
align
transformation
intersection
sweep
trim
equidistant
centrepoint
around
part of
grid
linear thing
part of
edge
material
glass
stone
steel
tree
liquid
room
floor
wall
ceiling
foundation
roof
door
syntax
the principle of ideographical representation, which symbolises a concept through graphical or spatial means, is applied across all scales of the drawing. this logic informs the whole composition of the text in order to effectively articulate the intentions of the author. the typical rules of grammar based on the logic of independent symbols and their groupings can be manipulated to suit the desired expression.
semantagraphic site survey examples the following elements, extracted from the first panel of a set of nine which articulate a semantographic account of a site visit will be used to illustrate the ideographic principle of symbol grouping.
a half days walk from the small town here the symbol for ‘away from’ has been scaled up, with the text placed within the symbol illustrating the action taken (a half day walk) and the text at the left illustrating the start point which the action has been taken from.
through the narrow spaces between many buildings here the long horizontal arrow, isolated from the symbol for ‘through’ is shown to be passing through many building on each side, representative of a street.
over the land created from many very small rocks here the long horizontal arrow indicates a mode of travel, in this case it is placed over a horizontal plane. below the horizontal plane is a description of its form ‘created from many (intensifier) small rocks’.
over the water in this case the principles for expressing a transformation, with the start point given in hard line and the resulting translation shown dotted, arcs over a group of symbols which combine to say ‘the water’.
through the many trees this grouping repeats the principle illustrated by through the streets with the context replaced by symbols for ‘many trees’.
common principles
in plan view in section view
work plane designation this combination of symbols designates a work plane for an action to take place.
in axonometric view
enclosure as container the enclosure symbol is scaled up in order to act as a designated container for secondary passages of text.
ideographic representation the layout of coding forms a composition which is directly representative of the geometry or spaces which it refers to.
eisenman house 3 composition this peice of text shows that as the composition becomes fluid, individual elements are emphasised through size and strength of stroke. the standard practice of reading a text from left to right and top to bottom is destabilised as the ideographic ordering of the individual elements overrides standard ordering techniques. in this piece a general introduction to the text is located at the top left of the drawing, before moving into the main body of text. the experiential description of spaces formed by the constructed house uses the situation of the first floor located above ground floor as its primary ordering mechanism. independent descriptions of the two floors are divided by a bold horizontal line, intersected by a description of the stair. the floor descriptions use a graphical plan to reference the location which each annotation refers to.