Activity 2A: Roland Barthes: The Rhetoric Of The Image
Activity 2A: Roland Barthes: The Rhetoric Of The Image
Activity 2A: Roland Barthes: The Rhetoric Of The Image
To begin this particular assignment we were asked to read an extract from the book 'The Rhetoric of the Image' by Roland Barthes.
We needed to add a word to each of the four pictures to ensure each person questioned would come up with the same story and the same image order.
As the word 'home' was written onto IMAGE 4, this suggested that the grand-parents/elderly couple live far away/in another country from their grand-daughter and so would require 'a journey' (IMAGE 1) so that it could be possible for them to reach the ballet to see their grand-daughter dance (IMAGE 3).
As we wrote the word 'Grand-daughter' on the picture of the ballet (IMAGE 3), we thought this would successfully allow the audience to make the immediate connection between the picture of the elderly couple on IMAGE 4 and the word 'grand-daughter' on IMAGE 3.
It is through the aid of the arbitrary signifier's -(the verbal language, either spoken or written) on each of the 4 images, that helped to tell the same story to each member of the audience.
The arbitrary signifier's evidently anchor the meaning of the image with the word written beside it.
CONCLUSION
After carrying out this experiment, my understanding of polysemy has improved. I also have a clearer understanding of how to prevent and reduce polysemy when using images. Providing text evidently enhances the meaning of a picture. This is called 'anchoring'.
The experiment proved a success as we successfully got the majority of people to interpret the same story after we manipulated and edited the four images. As with every experiment, there are exceptions. Every individual is different. Age, gender, class, culture experience and literacy levels all play a large factor in how a person will connote an image. Some people may not take the added words into consideration... Some people are more analytical than others. My interpretation of polysemic images has agreed with that of Barthes.
Within my design discipline, I feel that without a clear understanding from the client, the work put into the design proposal is pointless. It only takes a few words/perhaps even 1 word to reduce ambiguity so that the client is able to clearly understand the design proposition.
The author, Roland Barthes (1915-1980) was a French social and literacy critic who focused on the topic of semiotics- (the study of how meaning is socially produced through various languages or codes, such as colour, gesture, photography and fashion, as well as words.) He published a total of seventeen books in his lifetime.
The chapter we were asked to look at, looked in depth at the relationship between images and text, therefore enabling us to continue the rest of the assignment with adequate knowledge on the topic.
Barthes states: all images are polysemous; they imply underlying signifiers, a 'floating chain' of signifieds, the reader is able to choose some and ignore others.''
In advertising, the signification of the image is undoubtedly intentional. Within the chapter, Barthes uses the example of a 'Panzani' advertisement to illustrate this.
In the essay, Barthes subjects the image above to a semiotic analysis.
Within this advertisement, Barthes distinguishes between three forms of messages:
One: The Linguistic Message.
Texts/Branded logos that are automatically linked to a product or company.
This can be done in one of two ways:
Anchorage - Wording that ties words to an image. It involves the use of captions, which help to prevent polysemy and ambiguity. Barthes introduced this concept as a means of serving to 'anchor' the preferred readings of an image/to fix the floating chain of signifieds. The use of writing or commentary can help to diffuse this problem.
Relay - Describes text/image relationship which are 'complementary'. The image is constructed according to text. An example - comic strips.
Two: The non-coded Iconic Message
This is the literal denotation of an image - stating exactly what you see within an image.
All that is needed is the knowledge bound up with our perception. It is anthropological knowledge.
Denotation is an example of the first level of analysis, i.e. what the audience can visually see on the page.
Three: The Coded Iconic Message
Denotation is usually coupled with a 'connotation' - which is the second level of analysis, being what the denotation represents.
This is how an image means to someone on a more personal level.
The implications Polysemy has on Interior Design.
Every design has a reason behind it, whether it is exterior, interior or natural design. I guess successful design is when a client interprets what you intend them to from your design. They decode, what you (the designer) encode.
To prevent and to control polysemy within interior design project presentations, we accompany our work with:
Activity 2B: Select Random Images
The implications Polysemy has on Interior Design.
Every design has a reason behind it, whether it is exterior, interior or natural design. I guess successful design is when a client interprets what you intend them to from your design. They decode, what you (the designer) encode.
To prevent and to control polysemy within interior design project presentations, we accompany our work with:
- voice
- drawings
- images
- texts
This allows the client/audience to have a greater and more concise interpretation of the information presented.
Activity 2B: Select Random Images
As part of our experiment, we were asked to get into groups, and pick three random images, with NO text on them.
The 3 images:
 |
| IMAGE 1 |
 |
| IMAGE 2 |
 |
| IMAGE 3 |
Activity 2C: Talk To People
As a group, we went out into the public and asked a random selection of people to put the 3 images in an order, and to provide us with a short narrative using the images.
After exposing a number of people to the three random images I realised that each person, depending on gender, age and social background, denoted the three random images in different ways.
A sample of 4 of the stories obtained:
Lisa, 24, H.R. advisor
As you can see from the results above, when asked to put the 3 images in order, the order varied every time.
I found that people of similar ages, and of the same gender, would put the three images in the same order.
It is important to realise that the images are polysemic, and therefore they are going to be interpreted differently.
I found that the images were similarly denoted, however it was the connotations that contained evident deliberation i.e. in 'the storyline/the narrative'.
People see different things within images, and therefore they interpret them on a personal, or social level.
Activity 2D: The Fourth Image
The next part of our assignment asked us to focus on/pick a 'target story' as a means of getting everyone to come up with the same story.
We picked Julia's story with the image sequence of 1 3 2:
As a group, we went out into the public and asked a random selection of people to put the 3 images in an order, and to provide us with a short narrative using the images.
After exposing a number of people to the three random images I realised that each person, depending on gender, age and social background, denoted the three random images in different ways.
A sample of 4 of the stories obtained:
Lisa, 24, H.R. advisor
Picture order - 3 2 1
''The successful ballet dancers toured abroad in the spotlight.''
Ryan, 21, Student
Picture order - 1 2 3
''A Wealthy business man uses his private jet in order to escape reality and enter a world of utopia by flying off with his wife to a remote island, to watch a ballet.''
Julia, 24, Office Worker
Picture order - 1 3 2
''Grandparents flew to see their grand-daughter's ballet performance, where she would be in the spotlight''
Lynda, 50, French Teacher
Picture order - 2 1 3
''Light turns on in a mother's head as she realises the need to be present at her daughters ballet performance. She takes a plane to make her journey on time to please her daughter.''
As you can see from the results above, when asked to put the 3 images in order, the order varied every time.
I found that people of similar ages, and of the same gender, would put the three images in the same order.
It is important to realise that the images are polysemic, and therefore they are going to be interpreted differently.
I found that the images were similarly denoted, however it was the connotations that contained evident deliberation i.e. in 'the storyline/the narrative'.
People see different things within images, and therefore they interpret them on a personal, or social level.
Activity 2D: The Fourth Image
The next part of our assignment asked us to focus on/pick a 'target story' as a means of getting everyone to come up with the same story.
We picked Julia's story with the image sequence of 1 3 2:
''Grandparents flew to see their grand-daughter's ballet performance, where she would be in the spotlight''
The 4th image provided was as follows:
 |
| IMAGE 4 |
A sample of 2 stories obtained after providing a fourth image:
Craig, 18, Student
Picture order - 4 1 2 3
''The old couple take a plane journey for the weekend. They arrive at a theatre and the lights come up, then they watch the ballet.''
Fiona, 19, Student
Picture order - 4 1 3 2
''The old couple fly to see their grand-daughter in a ballet, before they take a romantic stroll in the park.''
As you can see, adding one more picture still created polysemy.
Activity 2E: Adding Text
To reduce the degree of polysemy, we decided to add one word to each of the original three images.
 |
| IMAGE 1 |
 |
| IMAGE 2 |
 |
| IMAGE 3 |
Our intention was to direct the audience into ordering the images 1 3 2.
We tried to connect the picture of the lights (IMAGE 2) after the ballet (IMAGE 3) to suggest that the ballet dancers were dancing ''in the spotlight''.
I never knew that adding one word to an image could so easily influence a person.
A sample of 3 stories obtained after adding a word to each of the 3 original images:
Colin, 19, Student
Picture order - 1 3 2
''Grand-daughter takes a journey to perform so as to impress her grandmother in the spotlight''
Nicole, 20, Beautician
Picture order - 2 1 3
''A couple are in the spotlight before they take a journey to see their grand-daughter perform in the ballet. Unfortunately the couple die in a plane crash, and the grand-daughter is left dancing (unknown to what has happened.)''
Shona, 22, Acountant
Picture order - 2 3 1
''The spotlight rises up as ballerinas begin to dance. The dance reminds the girl of her grand-mother...''
These results proved to provide similar stories, but the images were not ordered in the same way by each individual.
In order to influence the audience to say the story was ''Grandparents take a journey to see their grand-daughter in the ballet, in the spotlight'' -(image order 4 1 3 2) we needed to add a word to each of the 4 pictures:
|
| IMAGE 1 |
|
| IMAGE 2 |
|
| IMAGE 3 |
 |
| IMAGE 4 |
A sample of 5 stories obtained after providing all four images, with one word on each image:
Alexandra, 20, Student
Picture order - 4 1 3 2
''Grandparents take a journey to see their grand-daughter in the spotlight''
Anne, 50s, Librarian
Picture order - 4 1 3 2
''An elderly couple take a journey to see their grand-daughter in the spotlight''
Louise, 40s, Accountant
Picture order - 4 1 3 2
''The proud grandparents take a journey to go to the ballet in order to see their grand-daughter in the spotlight.''
Marcus, 25, Architect
Picture order - 4 1 3 2
''The old couple fly to London to see their grand-daughter under the spotlight.''
We needed to add a word to each of the four pictures to ensure each person questioned would come up with the same story and the same image order.
As the word 'home' was written onto IMAGE 4, this suggested that the grand-parents/elderly couple live far away/in another country from their grand-daughter and so would require 'a journey' (IMAGE 1) so that it could be possible for them to reach the ballet to see their grand-daughter dance (IMAGE 3).
As we wrote the word 'Grand-daughter' on the picture of the ballet (IMAGE 3), we thought this would successfully allow the audience to make the immediate connection between the picture of the elderly couple on IMAGE 4 and the word 'grand-daughter' on IMAGE 3.
It is through the aid of the arbitrary signifier's -(the verbal language, either spoken or written) on each of the 4 images, that helped to tell the same story to each member of the audience.
The arbitrary signifier's evidently anchor the meaning of the image with the word written beside it.
CONCLUSION
After carrying out this experiment, my understanding of polysemy has improved. I also have a clearer understanding of how to prevent and reduce polysemy when using images. Providing text evidently enhances the meaning of a picture. This is called 'anchoring'.
The experiment proved a success as we successfully got the majority of people to interpret the same story after we manipulated and edited the four images. As with every experiment, there are exceptions. Every individual is different. Age, gender, class, culture experience and literacy levels all play a large factor in how a person will connote an image. Some people may not take the added words into consideration... Some people are more analytical than others. My interpretation of polysemic images has agreed with that of Barthes.
Within my design discipline, I feel that without a clear understanding from the client, the work put into the design proposal is pointless. It only takes a few words/perhaps even 1 word to reduce ambiguity so that the client is able to clearly understand the design proposition.
No comments:
Post a Comment