Semiotics (Notes)

The social 'science' of understanding meaning. (Meaning constructed through a shared knowledge / language / cultural codes.

'Codes' - found in all forms of cultural practice and RELY on shared knowledge - i.e. red can signify love a rose - romance / love etc.

Ferdinand de Saussure's theory - 1916 – 'Structuralism'.

Bond between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary (random) - people naturally assign meaning.

Charles Sanders Peirce's theory:


3 catergories of signs that Peirce identifies:
- ICON - directly references objects (photos - iconic signs)
- INDEX - (an inferred) direct link between sign and object . (INDEXICALLY) use a sign but no direct link.
- SYMBOL - no logical link between sign and object (pure learned meaning).

Roland Barthes's theory:

Postmodernism

Modernism is associated with:

• Experimentation
• Innovation
• Individualism
• Progress
• Purity
• Originality
• Seriousness

Postmodern condition is characterised by:

• Exhaustion
• Pluralism
• Pessimism
• Disillusionment with the idea of absolute knowledge

Although some overlap:

• Expression of modern life, technology and new materials (Modernity)
• Reaction to modern life, technology, new materials and communication (Postmodernity)

Origins of Postmodernism

• 1917- German writer Rudolph Pannwitz, spoke of 'nihilistic, amoral, postmodern men'
• 1964- Leslie Fielder described a 'Post' culture, which rejected the elitist values of modern culture
• 1960s beginnings
• 1970s established as term (Jencks)
• 1980s recognisable style
• 1980s & 90s dominant theoretical discourse
• Today: Tired & simmering

Uses of the Term "postmodern"

• After modernism
• The historical era following modern
• Contra Modernism
• Equivalent to 'late capitalism' (Jameson)
• Artistic and stylistic eclecticism
• 'global village' phenomena: globalisation of cultures, race, images, capital, products

Charles Jencks- 15 July 1972, 3.32pm 'Modernism dies'

• The demolition of the Pruitt- Igoe development, St Louis

Other building demolished in the 60's and 70's to make way for new ones

Postmodern aesthetics

• Complexity
• Mixing materials and styles
• Re-using images

Las Vegas- Post modern city?

At the end of the 1950's the purest form of Modernism painting was Formalism- theorised by the critic Clement Greenberg

Marshal McLuhan- "Advertising is the greatest artform of the 20th Century"

High art/Low are Divide

• Postmodernism begins to crumble
• Crisis in confidence and also freedom

Neo TV

• TV quiz shows
• 'Reality TV'- Big Brother
• TV shows about TV

Summary

• A vague disputed term
• Attitude of questioning conventions
• Multiplicity of styles and approaches
• Crisis in confidence
• Space for new voices
• Rejection of technological determinism

Portfolio Task 4 (Semiotics)

I have decided to look at the comparison of the texts, which are examples of previous and present logos for the Olympic games. One text is the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Logo and the other is the up and coming 2012 London Olympics logo. I chose the texts because they are from two different times and have similarities and differences.

Here is an image of three stars and five rings with the text reading ' Games of the XXIIIrd olympiad Los Angeles 1984', which makes up the image of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic games. The five coloured rings, (blue, black, red, yellow and green) signifying the five continents participating within the games. Each flag of the country participating in the Olympics includes at least one of those colours. This connotes how the countries within the five continents all participate in the games at an equal harmonious fashion. The linking of the rings symbolises the union and meeting of athletes from throughout the world of olympic games.

The main focal point within the image of the three stars layered one on top of each other. The connotes the universal symbol of high aspiration, the horizontal bars portray the speed in which the contestants pursue the excellence. The significance of the colours of the stars connotes the sense of patriotism and the ambition to achieve success.

In comparison to the 1984 logo, is the current London 2012 olympic logo. Here is an image of various pink shapes, which include a yellow outline around the edges of the the shapes. The shapes denote the numerical sequence 2012, signifying the year of the Olympic games, to be held in London. The colour is relevant to the audience as it is aimed towards children of the near future. The whole shape and composition of the logo connotes childish qualities, although aimed at children, it is adults that run the game of which the children sill not be impressed by adults not acting there ages.

Both of texts that I have examined are the identity of the Olympic games but for different periods of time, each very different with similar themes such as the olympic rings and the destination of where the games is being held. The 2012 has received a large amount of criticism from the general public and various design critics as to whether it will stand up to the designs of previous games such as the ones held in 1984 in Los Angeles. Unlike many designs before it the London 2012 logo has moved away from taking a featuring image from the city and incorporating it into the design. Tessa Jowell quoted this about the logo:

"This is not just a marketing logo, but a symbol that will become familiar, instantly recognisable and associated with our Games in so many ways during the next five years."

In a way it is a clever idea in how they want to symbolise the games so that they are instantly recognisable, but looking at the 1984 logo it is clear that this logo was the current logo of the time.

Chandler, D. (2007) ‘Semiotics, The Basics’, Routledge, pg. 153

Portfolio Task 3 (Preliminary Bibliography)

704.606
Malcolm Barnard, 2005 'Graphic Design as Communication', Oxon, Routledge

Craig Elimeliah Art vs design, January 13 2006, http://aiga.org/content. Cfm.art-vs design


Tomas Kulka.(1996) Kitsch and Art, The Pennsylvania State University Press,

306.21
Jody Berland, Shelley Hornstein. (2000)Capital Cultures: A reading on modernist legacies, state institutions and the value of art ,Kingston McGill-Queens university Press

745.2
Penny Sparke, (2004), An introduction to design and culture:1900 to the present, London and New Yor

The Mass Media and Society

Late age of print

• Term comes from theorist Marshall Meluhon
• Age of print 1450, Guttenburg's printing press
• Allowed written word to be distributed

Electronic book (e- book)

Internet has changed the way that we read- hypertext/hyper media
This fragments the knowledge due to the way that we skip information as we get distracted by sub-links

Definition of Mass Media

Modern systems of communication and distribution supplied by relatively small groups of cultural producers, but directed towards large numbers of consumers. Some examples include:

• Television
• Cinema
• Advertising
• Publicity
• Newspapers

Criticism of Mass Media

• Superficial and trivial
• Viewing figures measure success
• Audience dispersed and disempowered
• Encourages the status quo
• Power held by the few that are motivated for profit or social control

Positive Criticism

• Not all mass media is low quality
• Social problems and injustices are discussed by media
• Creativity can be a feature in mass media
• Democratic potential

John A. Walker wrote a book entitled 'Art in the age of Mass Media' exploring Art and the Media.

Can art be autonomous? (exist in its own vacuum)

Artists use of Mass media

Leeds 13- The group faked spending there grant money from the university for going on to Spain. They told the Sun newspaper and an article was published, they even faked photos of there holiday at there home in Leeds.

Jackson Pollock-

• No meaning in the world
• Elitist- art that is above society

Thomas Crow- Modern Art in the Common Culture

• Pop artists come after abstract expressionists
• Attack on elitism

Andy Warhol-

'I consume therefore I am'
His work symbolises a consumerism society by the use of repetition

Marilyn (1962)-

The image of Marilyn is taken from a publicity shoot, were it depicts her smiling when in reality she has serious drug problems and is far from happy.

"Warhol found in Monroe a fusion of two of his consistent themes: death and the cult of celebrity. By repeating the image, he evokes her ubiquitous presence in the media. The contrast of vivid colour with black and white, and the effect of fading in the right panel are suggestive of the star’s mortality." Available from: http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=15976&tabview=work [Accessed 20th March 2010]

The reference suggests that even though she has this celebrity status, it is some what lowered to the level of the audience as she has been depicted to be be no different to any ordinary person. Like many of Warhol's work the repetition expresses the consumerist society, this could suggest that often celebrities are nothing more than the faces of these multi-coperate companies.

Piet Mondrian- Loreal Packaging (twisted De Stijl)

Marcus Harvey-

He painted a controversial painting of Mira Hindley, which was made up of children's handprints, this is referencing the murders of the children that she was found guilty of. This is what Times art critic,Richard Cork wrote after seeing the work on the day of it opening:

"Far from cynically exploiting her notoriety, Harvey's grave and monumental canvas succeeds in conveying the enormity of the crime she committed. Seen from afar, through several doorways, Hindley's face looms at us like an apparition. By the time we get close enough to realise that it is spattered with children's handprints, the sense of menace becomes overwhelming."Cork, Richard (16 September 1997), The established Clubbed, The Times, retrieved 30 September 2009

Conclusion

New media are changing the way we consume and read text and image. Theorists of the mass media have different view points seeing it either as a positive or negative, with the negative being a threat and positive being pleasurable and democratic. As much of the 20th century art has used the mass media often it is critical of it. There is a serious question in art theory as to whether art should be autonomous or not.

Revolutionary design in Russia (Seminar)

The Document

Joseph Nicephore Niepce

Took what is considered the first ever photograph. It is called 'View From a Window at La Gras'.

James Nachtwey-

Is a documentary who is noted for documenting war. 'I have been a witness and these virtues are my testimony. The events I have recorded must not be forgotten and must not be repeated'

Frances Firth -

'Entrance to the Great Temple' where photographers go against generic documentation as the image depicts an Egyptian temple the way the Western eye would like to see it

Photographers capture reality, there is always a reason behind photography whether it is political, social or historical. The photographer will not effect the image themselves.

The Decisive moment

“Photography achieves its highest distinction-reflecting the universality of the human condition in a never-to-be retrieved fraction of a second”

Henri Cartier Bresson (1908-2004)

Jacob Riis

(1888) 'Bandits Roost' Is a constructed photograph which depicts people in a slum who are very much aware of the photographers presence. Riis has set up a middle class fantasy of lower class life in the slums. The validity of documentation can be questioned as Risse used to bribe the poor subjects with cigarettes and such things to pose for him.

Lewis Hine- Was a sociologist in terms of photography. He had left wing beliefs and photographed the working class to glorify them. There was no personal gain involved.

FSA Photographers (Farm Security Administration)

• Roy Stryker founded the program
• At the time 11 million people over America were unemployed in the depression
• Mass migration of farmers/labourers
• The photography was used as both photojournalism and emotive lobby tool

Photographers were given instructions of what to record. The reality of what was to be recored had been pre-determined

Margaret Bourke-White- 'Sharecroppers Home' (1937) is a depiction of abject poverty

Dorothea Lange

War/conflict photography-

Robert Capa 'Normandy, France' 1945

Magnum Group

• Founded in 1947 by Carier-Bresson and Capa
• Ethos of documenting the world and its social problems
• Internationalism and mobility

Robert Capa- 'The falling solider' (1936)

Don McCullin (1968) 'Shell shocked solider'

Robert Harberle (1969)

William Klein- St Patrick's Day, Fifth Avenue 1954-55

Conceptual Art

With photography in conceptual art, the purpose was to create a problem that cannot be solved. Selling documentary photographs for thousands of pounds makes conceptual art fail.

Critical Realism

A photograph of a Krupp factory or the AEG says practically nothing about these institutions. Reality itself has shifted into the realm of the functional. The reification of human relationships, such as the factory, no longer betrays anything about these relationships, such as the factory, no longer betrays anything about these relationships. And so what we actually need is to “construct something,” Something “artificial” “posed”

Bertolt Brecht (1931)

Jeff Wall (1992) Dead soldiers talk

Gillian Wearing Signs that say that you want them to say 1992-3

Jeremy Deller (2001) 'Battle of Orgreave'

Key Features of Documentary Photography

• They offer a humanitarian perspective
• They tend to portray social and political situations
• They purport to be objective to the facts of the situation
• People tend to form the subject matter
• The images tend to be straightforward and unmanipulated

Summary