Object & Meaning

object & meaning

Senior Thesis. Graphic Design. Ashley Ludlow

All Rights Reserved 2015 © Ashley Ludlow Visual Arts & New Media State University of New York at Fredonia Senior Thesis Project Presented at Jesse & Marion Art Galllery 2015 ©

object & meaning

Thoughts on semiotics and the meaning of objects

This project explores the relationships between object significance, interpretation, and context. Through the study of semiotics, we understand why images have meaning and how meaning is generated. Through the ideas of Jonathan Culler’s

obje

Rubbish Theory, I am exploring the value of objects and meanings based on these values.

m

ect “I define a sign as anything which is so determined by something else, called its Object, and so determines an effect upon a person, which effect I call its Interpretant, that the later is thereby mediately determined by the former.�

– C.S. Pierce

meaning

David Crow Visible SIgns 2010

According to Jonathan Culler, “Rubbish� refers to the items we have stored away in spare rooms or that are inherited. He talks about how we put importance on the things we keep and less or none on the ones we throw away. He calls them souvenirs. They signify experiences or things we see - and by keeping them we make them a signiicant part of our lives. Although this importance is put on them, they often have no economic value or practical use.

Transient cultural objects have a finite life span and are based on values in society.

Physical example: Food Social Example: Fashion

Durable cultural objects are maintained and increase or are collected over time.

They can have an infinite lifespan. They can be items from historical events or family values.

Example: Vehicles & family heirlooms

one These objects are part of the practical world Example: newspapers, magazines, television

two These objects have no obvious purpose, seperate from commercial or practical concerns.

Items in this category are the least valued.

This includes objects that gradually lose value until worthless. They have an unchanging value of zero. They are valueless until someone rediscovers it and transforms it into a durable object.

Example: Items found in junkyards and thrift shops.

Roland Barthes Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist and semiotician. He was not as much focused on what things mean but how meaning is created. He believed that the analysis of work depends on identifying the denoted meaning—the recognition of a visual sign, and the connoted meaning— personal interpretation. The combination of these two often leads to instant cultural associations

Denotation can be described as the commonsense literal meaning of a sign. This usually deals with the dictionary definition of a subject.

Connotation refers more to a personal interpretation of a subject.What is your emotional response?

Semiology is a science that developed in the early 1900s through the ideas of Ferdinand de Saussere, a Swiss professor in linguistics. Around the same time in America, philospher Charles S. Peirce developed a similar theory.

Both resulted in the analysis of signs and a study of the relationship signs have with eachother.

According to their studies, there are three main areas of semiotics: the signs themselves, how they are organized, and the context in which they appear.

An icon is a literal representation of the idea/object. For example, this would be a picture of a dog.

The index is something that directly hints at the idea. For example, if you hear barking or see a collar, that is a reference to a dog.

A symbol is a learned reference.

For example, the letters D – O – G are learned symbols of the idea of a dog.

Storytelling

Analysis

Stories can be told through physical objects, text, image, art, and the spoken word. They can be carefully considered and meticulously written or they can be formed of improvisation or based off memories. Stories are shared as entertainment, to spread knowledge, and to pass down family traditions and history.

transient This object is transient because it is a temporary and usually has a finite lifespan.

semiotics Icon: This object is an icon of a ticket.

Index: This object might be indexical of an important event because it is proof that a purchase was made.

Symbol: For my father, this ticket symbolizes a class trip to Amsterdam.

Transient Ticket to Amsterdam This ticket symbolizes my dad’s trip to amsterdam: This was a senior trip from my highschool in Clayton, New York.

I raised money for the trip as the town’s paperboy. I got to know the people on my route pretty well and they would give money to me – 10 to 15 bucks. I also sold stuff as a class funraiser. I had been the number one seller.

When we got to Amsterdam, we visited a shoe making store where I got a pair of wooden shoes. We also got to go to the tulip festival and looked at the windmills. My favorite part of the trip was visiting a minature vilage in Amsterdam. It was an exact replica of the town - the airport, houses, streets. Everything was scaled down to correct proportions. An unfortunate part of the trip was not really meeting anyone new. Since we only spoke English, it was hard to communicate with them.

from the tulip festival

a postcard to Ma

student map of Amsterdam

luggage tag

the windmills

Transient Stepping Stone This stone is symbolic of my family’s time living in Texas. The first four years of my life were spent the town of Kerville, Texas. I remember the fish pond my dad built in the back yard that my sister and I would play in. I also remember we had doves and rabbits in cages in the back yard. I remember running barefoot near the fence in the front yard where my dad planted the violet lillies.

Analysis

durable This object is durable because it has been in my family for several years and has been imprtant in remembering a significant portain of our lives.

semiotics Icon: This is a physical representation of the state of Texas.

Index: This object is indexical of ideas of state pride.

Symbol: For my family, this object symbolizes the 10 years my family lived in Texas and all the memories of my childhood.

the fish pond

the family doves & rabbits

sisterly fun in the pond

a front porch view

Analysis

Keys are a necessity.

Keys to my apartment, the car, my room, and my house in Syracuse. And of course my reward cards for shopping!

valueless Since I found this object at a thrift store, it’s value was once thought of as not impotrant until I picked it up and made it valueable and useful.

semiotics Icon: This is a physical representation of shallow vessel made of glass.

Index: This object is indexical of being useful to hold objects.

I never go anywhere without my headphones.

I need my pump up music for the gym and love to jam out while working on my design projects.

Symbol: For me, this dish is part of my everyday life. It holds my keys, sunglasses, and other things needed daily.

Dish To you, this may seem like a piece of simple glassware that you might find in your grandmothers house –and at first, that’s what it would seem like to me too. I found this dish at a thrift store in my neighborhood for only one dollar. At the time I had been really particular in my search for home décor since I would be moving into my first apartment. At the end of every day, I put my keys, headphones, sunglasses etc. in the dish until I need it the next day.

Š 2015 Ashley Ludlow Graphic Design Senior Show Fredonia State