PROJECT 2: RESEARCH COMPONENT Graduate Studio 571: SIGNS & Symbology Spring 2013 | Whitley R. Kemble
1A: A SIGN, IN THEORY In Visual Signs, David Crow addresses the theory of linguistics in semiotics. According to Crow, a linguistic sign indicates a relationship between a word (which he calls the signifier) and the object it signifies. He uses the example of the word “dog” and the four-legged animal that is man’s best friend. He explains that the signifier, because it changes across languages and dialects, is ambiguous but accurate. The combination of these two, he postulates, is a sign. At left, you can see two laboratory safety symbols. As they stand, these are just symbols. When one is used in conjunction with text, as in the photo of the sharps container below, it becomes a sign. We know that this is not only a biological hazard, but that it is also potentially infectious waaste.
IMAGE: Symbols from page 279 of the CRC Handbook of Laboratory Safety by Keith Furr. 5th ed. CRC Press. (2010) Photo of sharps container extracted from MedicalArtsPress.com on March 12, 2013.
571 - SPRING 2013 | WHITLEY R. KEMBLE | PROJECT 2: TEXTBOOK OBSERVATIONS
1B: THE COMBINED MODEL Crow discusses the linguistic community in Chapter 1 of Visual Signs, defining it as a group who’ve reached a collective agreement about meaning of a word or symbol. (p.20) One such group might include students participating in Greek life (sorority/fraternity), or it might include a group of mathematicians. The delta symbol is significant to both groups, but it has very different meanings. To someone who doesn’t have much knowledge of either, additional cues may be needed to determine the exact meaning of the symbol. This is what Crow refers to as the combined model. For this model of comprehension, “the viewer makes new signs in their mind’s eye by searching for an association between the images.” (p. 22) So what appears to be a simple triangle to the average Joe becomes a letter of the alphabet in one context (left, with other Greek letters), and a symbol for change (right, shown as part of a mathematical formula).
IMAGE: From Computer to Brain: Foundations of Computational Neuroscience by William Lytton. p. 146. Springer-Verlag New York, Inc. New York, Ny. (2002). Cover, In Search of Sisterhood by Paula Giddings. Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.: New York, NY. (1988)
571 - SPRING 2013 | WHITLEY R. KEMBLE | PROJECT 2: TEXTBOOK OBSERVATIONS
2A: SEMIOSIS Semiosis, as defined in the text, is “the transfer of meaning; the act of signifying.” (Visual Signs, p. 34) Crow explains that semiosis is a process that occurs between an image and its viewer. He further explains that this meaning can change and is entirely determined by the viewer and his/her pre-existing knowledge and experiences. Hand gestures are a perfect example of this, as one gesture may have one or more meanings in one group, but mean something entirely different in another. Sign language is a nice example. The symbols in the set above might be considered universal gestures. Even without understanding sign language, or even English when viewing the illustration, it is clear that this gesture means “what”. The symbols on the bottom are a little more ambiguous. The gesture for camera-record, for example, might be understood as waves in the wake of a boat to someone who does not know sign language or who cannot read English when viewing the pictogram.
IMAGES: These illustrations appear on pages 4 (top image) and 8 (bottom image) of American Sign Language: A Teacher’s Resource Text on Grammar and Culture by Charlotte Lee Baker-Shenk and Denis Cokely. Gallaudet University Press (1991).
571 - SPRING 2013 | WHITLEY R. KEMBLE | PROJECT 2: TEXTBOOK OBSERVATIONS
2B: METAPHOR/METONYM Metaphor is one of my favorite tools in design, but prior to this reading I’d never heard of metonym. According to Crow, a metonym is like a metaphor in that it conveys meaning by associative ideas and qualities, but it does so “in its totality.” (Visual Signs, p.42) This image, now more commonly known as Migrant Mother, is one of the most iconic photographs in our country’s history. This woman, whose identity remained unknown for a time, became a symbol of the Great Depression. Though this meaning has evolved (as Crow explains they do), it is still a strong representation of hardship, poverty, and perseverence.
IMAGE: “Untitled” or “Migrant Mother” by Dorothea Lange. Extracted from “A different way of seeing” by Colin Jacobson. Lancet (London: 2001), vol. 357 Issue 9266, P. 1454-1455.
571 - SPRING 2013 | WHITLEY R. KEMBLE | PROJECT 2: TEXTBOOK OBSERVATIONS
3B: LANGUAGE & SPEECH On page 59 of Visible Signs, David Crow explains the difference between language and speech. “Speech in the garment system,” he explains, “(is) the individual way of wearing, the personal quirks, the degree of cleanliness, size, the free assoiation of the pieces and so on.” This example comes from the pages of Iowa State’s Fall/Winter 2012 issue of Revival. The model is wearing a long-sleeved tee from Portabello Road with the words “FUCK EVERYTHING KILL BRAND”—an example of its linguistic representation. Speech as Crow defines it represents the tone of the language. The shirt’s representation of speech, then, is indicated by the straightforward, “tough” tyepface, as well as its being expressed in all capital letters. It’s tone of speech is edgy or anti-establishment.
IMAGE: Andrew (Photograph), “Here We Are, Now Entertain Us”, p. 43 Revival Magazine. Fall/WInter 2012-13
571 - SPRING 2013 | WHITLEY R. KEMBLE | PROJECT 2: TEXTBOOK OBSERVATIONS
3B: MYTH Crow cites Barthes’s theory on page 60 of Visible Signs: “For him, myths were the result of meaning generated by the groups in society who have control of the language and the media. These meanings are seen as part of the natural order of things.”
For Crow, a “myth” in the design sense often begins with a norm and society’s response to it. He gives the example of masculine versus feminine ideology. If a myth is defined and reinforced by society, then there could be countless myths contained within one image. Album covers are excellent examples of myth, as these must indicate the style and themes of the music, as well as the personality or persona of the artist(s). This album cover for Coco Rosie, alludes to several myths, including: • gender - these two very beautiful women have chosen to disguise themselves as men); • unconventionality - the clothing, for example, is non-traditional, indicating this album may offer an alternative or distinctive viewpoint. This alludes to their unique style and improvised instruments; • Surrealism - the background is hazy, as is the weather and the dramaturgy, which signals that the music may be somewhat ethereal or surreal.
IMAGE: Album Cover, “Grey Oceans”. All rights owned by Sub Pop Records. Released May 11, 2010.
571 - SPRING 2013 | WHITLEY R. KEMBLE | PROJECT 2: TEXTBOOK OBSERVATIONS