In week 6, we covered the importance, meanings, and societal impact that comes with the rise of subcultures. A subculture by definition, is a certain group formed by an array of multiple factors. The influences that can be found within a subculture would be of ones own personal beliefs that might disagree with society on a large scale, often challenging what the status quo might say as a commonly agreed upon fact.

Other elements that heavily inform subcultures impact on society, are the visual and auditory coded people that represent it, these can be reinforced through media such as music, film, television, or just a public style that can be seen as taboo, or at the very least unconventional. With the aforementioned music being the predominant source of what defines someone as a part of the subculture. 

Subculture examples would be; Hip-Hoppers/Rap fans, Greasers, Teddy Boys, Punks, Metalheads, Goths, etc. I myself would like to consider myself a part of the Goth subculture, as my style is often that of an undead-themed style, with bats, skulls, christian crosses, pentagrams, and various other symbols that can be easily recognisable to that general umbrella category. As a goth, I also delve into media related to the Goth subculture. I watch films, listen to music, and dress as such as it fits my general style and personal self expression (e.g. The Crow, Darkstalkers, The Cure, Sisters Of Mercy, etc.). Aside from what I know about my own subculture I have decided to become a part of, just about anyone can also find their own paths in subcultures as the Rap scene allows self-expression through idols such as Eminem, 50 Cent, etc. As well as Punks, Emo, Grunge, and Metalheads with The Ramones, Iron Maiden, Nirvana, My Chemical Romance, among many, many others.

However, there are some connotations that come with the main denotation. It's to be expected within today's society; and as a fact of life, that not everyone will abide with the existence of subcultures and accept people for who they are as people, whether this be from their judgementalism, own personal beliefs, or a potential ideology that may be linked to a political or pre-conceived notion that might have been taught by family members. Despite this, the subculture as a concept does not adhere to what others may think, nor does it want to be involved with any corporate control and have a middle man to speak for them, most subcultures express the finest example of self-expression and freedom, as that is the point of their existence. The Subculture is a means to fight back against authority, close-mindedness, and question if there is a better solution to the designated problem. (e.g. subcultures can fight back against leaving out minorities and bring attention to the notion that everyone is welcome, to be against prejudiced mindsets, and promote their own version of an underground society that won't shun anyone simply for who they are.)

The subculture I have decided to choose, and a no-brainer at that, is the Goth subculture.

The late 1970s, and early 1980s saw the release of the goth subculture, heavily influenced by music, mainly bands such as Bauhaus, Siousxie & The Banshees, The Cure, The Sisters Of Mercy, Fields Of The Nephilim, Rosetta Stone, and far more than I can keep track of. The average goth look consisted of black clothing, stylised-messy haircuts, undead themed jewellery, chunky boots and shoes, smeary eye makeup, and sometimes tattoos and piercings for good measure. The outfit-look as a whole perfectly describes the subculture's values and visual uniform, with a deathly look that can range from sophisticated, attractive, thrifty, etc. 

In the years since what many would regard as the heyday of the gothic subculture, the 1990s and 2000s would continue the goth subculture in branching out new iterations of the style, with the 90s introducing Alternative, Goth Metal, and Industrial genres (e.g. Stabbing Westward, KMFDM, Lacuna Coil, Type-0 Negative, Nine Inch Nails, & Gary Numan,) that heavily dirrived from the goth rock/postpunk sound of yesteryear. The 2000s however, would start to see bands such as Evanesceance, HIM, Korn, Elysion and Nightwish taking the goth sound as more of a sub-genre than a full-on genre. That leaves us in the 2010s decade to now where the goth subculture, whereas still being very much alive, any new music surrounding the genre would be severely covered underground and considered obscure. But this era wasn't without some of it's gems as well, as The Veils, Traitrs, 3Teeth, and Motionless In White try to keep the gothic style and sound alive in their music. And in my own experiences, the old guard from the 80s through to the 2000s are still followed and well revered in today's age, and must prove their staying power if someone who was born at the turn of the millenium such as myself, can pick up and enjoy an old The Cure album from well before my time.

​The goth subculture has also given birth to a creative world of cinema, with countless romance, horror, adventure, and even childrens media themed with the gothic subculture in mind. The prime example of this would be the absolute visionary Tim Burton, and his countless cinematic masterpieces in each film he produces, from Beetlejuice, to Edward Scissorhands, to Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie. Tim's work in both the animated and live action realms proves to be a treat visually. Burton had grown up in Florida, which was a place known for the golden sunshine and colourful summer times, but he would keep to himself and sort of channel that very same era of when the gothic subculture boomed, and even before with the golden age of hammer horror movies in the 50s through to the 80s.

However, it wasn't just burton who created gothic cinema around this time, as several other directors, actors, and filmmakers were trying their hand at depicting the subculture on the big screen. Movies in this era also saw amazing pieces of film such as (my previously mentioned favourite) The Crow, Sweeney Todd, Nosferatu, The Curse Of Frankenstien, The Blair Witch Project, The Craft, etc.

The gothic subculture is definitely more visual in today's world and is very much still coded into society permanently, as the yearly celebration of Halloween is still beloved by not just goths, but even other subcultures and the general public who don't seem to belong to any particular subculture. Not only that, but Dia De Los Muertos (Otherwise known as 'The Day Of The Dead' in English) is seen as a very important part of Mexico's culture and is a way to celebrate those no longer with us, instead of simply waiting for us to pass over into the afterlife to see them again. This holiday's meaning is to re-connect with the dead, in some kind of spiritual way and remember what our late family meant to us.

Overall, the subculture is largely dependent on it's members to remain active, and even in dwindling times like today where it isn't as popular as it once was. It is impressive how this subculture still amasses new members, young and old. And shows us that deadly, scary and the general concept of the afterlife and the spirits that walk through it is not something to be afraid of, but instead something to be connected with, celebrated, remembered and given thought every once in a while. ​

Source: ​https://archive.org/details/gothundeadsubcul0000unse

Blog Task 1/2: Review Of Laura Mulvey's essay

When overviewing the essay written by Mulvey, it's important to take note of the topic at hand, that being previous transgressions and the whole point of sexism against women becoming a much needed to address issue.

Since the beginning of time, sex, procreation, and how one acts towards the opposite gender has become a somewhat sensitive area depending on who you are as a person, what political ideal you believe in, etc. It is only instinctual that we see the opposite, same or different gender as somewhat desirable. Where it becomes an issue and potentially dangerous is in how we act upon these urges, and what it may say about us as not just mammals, but human beings and the most intelligent species on earth. And as such, we can refrain from acting upon these emotions and become better for not letting them influence our real actions we leave in society.

But it cannot be denied that it is fact that the two sexes objectify each other to a certain degree, as it is in our nature, and behaviour to promote procreation and ensure the human race continues. Not all, but generally stereotyped connotations surrounding male behaviour and female behaviour play into each others role as parental figures and how that child will be expected to act to their children should they choose to create a family of their own someday also. 

What this book talks about however, ties into that preconceived notion that objectification, the curation of the 'Male Gaze' and what connotations come with it. Mulvey was the woman to coin that term, as in this book, and particularly in the passage written for us to read in this module, it explores the utilisation of the female form in media, whether that be in film, theatre, etc. As young women are often sexually glamourised in today's world as fertile, elegant, and sexually desirable to men. You can see this in cabaret shows, plays, musicals, feminine roles in blockbuster hits at the cinema, etc.

These connotations swing into two very different, but very distinguishable directions. One is the consensual, artistic point of view that allows for self-expression, freedom and exhibitionist positivity, the key word in this point being 'Consensual', whereas the opposite connotation does not allow for it, promoting perversion, harassment, and sexist behaviour. In Murvey's talking points, she tells us about iconic female sex symbols in film, such as; Marilyn Monroe, James Bond women, etc. Whereas the male characters in films are archetypes of high status, sophistication, and are seen somewhat sexually fuelled in action films in particular. However, the female reaction to a male body may be both similar and different in a few ways of their own. To take Arnold Swarznager into consideration, and his movie Conan The Barbarian; he was type casted throughout his career as the shining hero, with gigantic muscle and was both appreciated and revered by both sexes. But in a way that you wouldn't see the same reaction from in an analysis of Megan Fox in 2007's Transformers; to give an example I personally saw when I was younger.

Mulvey also talks about the womanly form and what it has, hasn't, and how it effects the male gaze and activates those aforementioned instincts. Delving into the lack of penis and the replacement of a uterus in its place, the growth of breasts, and typical imagery of a woman's skin becoming more attractive than that of a more clothed female body. The reading also notes that fetishes such as latex bodysuits, appearing as a dominatrix, certain work outfits, etc. Heavily impact this factor as well, as some spectators will prefer a certain look over the other. This is a advertising tactic often referred to "sex sells", which is the utilisation of a gender's attractive traits to reel in it's demographic whilst keeping to the confines of not being overly uncensored and inappropriate. You can see this in perfume/aftershave advertisements as it features strong, muscular men and slender, elegant beauty in women.

In stark contrast to the male gaze, there has also been the question of whether or not there is a female gaze equivalent, and in feminist terms, there is indeed. Contrary to the initial sound of the term being whether or not women might see men in the same light; it is in response to Mulvey's statement and improvises it's meaning to propel women in the film industry as their own person, with an element of agency and full control of their own future and career. 

However, there have been critical looks at Mulvey's statement in the oncoming decades since her essay's release, with a particular book named 'The Matrixial Gaze'. This is to combat the statement of the male gaze being predominantly a standalone argument in itself without an equivalent, and criticises the statement with examples that there can be a gaze shown through a woman's point of view about what she might find attractive in a man, as many examples of attractive men in the film industry have been pushed with their own set of unique male beauty standards, just as women have in the same field. In this book, it refers to this particular point of view with the phallic image in mind, showing examples of it's desire, functionality, and ideals that might appear within the female point of view, as well as the matrix symbol representing the realms beyond that of just visuals, but in actions, contention and what can be found in a male personality. These examples include television and film's depictions of the perfect man, being financially stable, a high-grossing, six figure paying job, etc. 

The general consensus on this matter seems to be largely in favour of self-expression, but many will also call it a taboo subject and refrain from engaging in it. Mulvey's writings on this topic have done a fairly good job at describing what the inner machinations of what the male gaze means, and how it effects people in different forms. As well as how feminism's main argument against the exploitation of utilising sex and how it appeals to the masses, through it's demographic and outside of it.

Sources: 

- ​https://www.newyorker.com/books/second-read/the-invention-of-the-male-gaze

- ​https://www.anothergaze.com/suddenly-woman-spectator-conversation-interview-feminism-laura-mulvey/

- ​https://ltsj.online/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/LTS-2022-09-1-bogetic.pdf

- https://ao-norte.com/cinemas/02/cinemas02-Stella-Carneiro.pdf

​Blog Task 1/2: Critical Essay Questions

​​For my Critical Essay theme/Question of choice, I will be choosing to delve into the topic of subculture, and it's impact on history, society at large, as well as where it is headed in the modern era and future.

The main question I will be answering in my essay is the statement: 'Mechanism Of Semantic Disorder' which was derived from Dick Hebdige's book on subculture called 'Subculture: The Meaning Of Style'.  I must also attribute this essay to only one subculture, and I have chosen to go with one very near to my person, as I consider myself a member of this particular subculture. I have decided to choose the 'Goth subculture', and what inner mechanisms of the subculture make it stand on its own within the lineage of several subcultures that has been amassed since the 20th century.

I must also make use of proper academic reference material, and source them from specific places that can be easily traced back to, and have it be entirely be done by myself without the use of AI technology.

Comics are a very flexible and malleable format of storytelling. They can range from a whole variety of genres that span across comedy, slice of life, action, horror, etc. They are very comparable to that of other visual-storytelling media such as film, video gaming, television and more. What sets the comic apart from the aforementioned formats, are it's qualities in keeping our attention throughout a page's spread, and how well the panels, speech/thought bubbles, and overall narrative of the story can engage its readers. The comic can be very intricate in how it is perceived, as it is a well put together blend of both illustration and graphic design.

​The questions a comic book creator will have to ask themselves, would be on where a certain placement of a panel would go on the page, how much negative spacing they will use in the gutter space behind and in-between the panels, thought/speech bubbles, the text that accompanies them, as well as keeping in tandem with the previous and next panels that show moments and integral action snippets that serve the narrative visually. These would be specific imagery and visual cues that would result in action poses, environment changes, colour changes, perspective shifting, etc.

​Other ways in which a story can be visually shown (as that is the golden rule to show and tell very little in illustrative media), is by showing specific elements off screen and what we don't see happening. An example of this could be a character's murder and instead, we may see a city landscape with a large speech bubble of them screaming, perhaps accompanied by onomatopoeia to exaggerate the dramatic weight of what has happened in the scene.

Then we have the encoding and decoding, elements that are encoded into comics, is the base form of the comic strip/book; meaning it is the media you are interacting with, as it is a fully developed and finished graphic novel;  and you are actively reading and engaging in it. Which is where the decoding comes in, which is influenced by how fast you read, where you look, how long you look, etc. 

​

During our session with Nick today, we were informed and shown the basics and uses of transitional comic book panels and how to bridge scenes with one another, without the environmental changes being too jarring to the reader, essentially taking them out of the experience and ruining the story.

In Scott McCloud's entertaining tutorial book; 'Understanding comics'. McCloud delves into the intricate details of the creation of comics, like how to picture an angle between two panels that show two angles that spread across by two points of view. This can help give a feeling of depth and an extra dimension to be added to the art of the comic. There are also ways to balance the pace of the story with action and slower moments of downtime with the characters and environments taking place within the story. Its very important to stop and think about these graphical elements, as comics are reliant on them and it can make or break an immersive reading experience. 

In this task, I have been asked to pick an individual artist and analyse a page of their work in a comic. I have decided to pick the works of a creative man I admire very much, that being the multi-award winning independent comic book writer, and artist/illustrator: James O' Barr. And I have chosen to assess his gothic revenge-fantasy story, as well as my favourite comic book story ever made: 'The Crow'. 

Mr O' Barr faced a very tough time in his life, having been thrusted into adoption very early on in his life, having no recollection of his birthday, and worst of all; having lost his fiancee in a car accident that inspired the development of 'The Crow'. The comic follows the story of a character by the name of 'Eric', (whom James projected himself onto); and Shelly, an accurate depiction of his own late fiancee, Beverly. Eric having been recently resurrected by a crow, giving him a second chance to hunt down his killers who had murdered him and his wife, and return to the afterlife where he will meet Shelly again.

This comic is a very deep, blunt, and raw take on how important the concept of love is, and this comic tells it through a very dark, gothic and bloody lens. The comic was so successful and influential on it's own, just by being sold at local comic shops through the now defunct; 'Calibur Comics'. The comic has been re-released several times and Is still in print today, with more stories being told other than just Eric's, with a monumental film adaptation following the comic in the early 1990's starring Bruce Lee's son, Brandon Lee. Unfortunately, The Crow's tragic background followed into the film's production and Lee had passed away during filming due to a prop gun's blank bullet malfunction accidentally puncturing him in the abdomen. Regardless, they released the film and it was a massive success just like the comic, and is still revered today as a cult classic.

The pages I have chosen to showcase for this task, is the final battle where Eric faces off against the last gang member (T-Bird)  who killed him and his wife on the open road, which is reflected in the right page. 

The reason why I chose the left page, is because there is constant action happening, with Eric taking on several of T-Bird's men. And I feel it applies the same principals as what was described in Scott McCloud's transition chapter in his book. We see Eric constantly keep up the pace by using his bare fists, but also the gangs own weapons against them. Such as the knife he takes from one gangster, and in a cleverly planned out transition, we see Eric go from wielding the knife with a sinister grin, to them seeing Eric throw up another gangster, using the knife to do so. In the left page, it is constant chaos and a very bloody scene.

 In the right hand side however, where we finally get to see the main villain's defeat after causing Eric so much pain, we get to really soak in the notions of the moment as the battles are done, T-Bird and his gang are now finished, and Eric will return to shelly in due time; all that was left was to put T-Bird out of his misery and have Eric poetically monologue to his defeated adversary.

​https://archive.org/details/understanding-comics/mode/2up

​https://www.reddit.com/r/Comixology/?rdt=39469

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Panzani-Pasta-Ad-Barthes-1968_fig2_262254969

Roland, B. (1968). Panzani Pasta Ad. Italy: Panzani.

For this week's session, we were analysing the the methods and ingenuity that goes into the creation of advertisement. Advertisement is shown throughout media a lot in today's world, and has been a staple of the marketing strategies used by major corporations for well over a century, especially in the newer digital age we live in.

We were given two pieces of paper to look over, one was of a Panzani French-Italian food collection, ranging from raw ingredients such as tomatoes, parmesan cheese, etc. As well as pre-packaged processed spaghetti, pasta, and tomato puree. These were all kept together in a netted bag, similar to a street market sack. We all discussed and came to the conclusion that this advert was to promote the brand's high quality and that it was promised to be an authentic Italian cuisine. We picked apart the details in the poster, which showed that it wasn't entirely true to it's word, but just enough to be considered fit for purpose (e.g. The colours in green, white, and red promoting hunger and the country of origin, the bursting composition showing all the range of items to choose from as they fall from the bag.

The main denotation we can take away from the Panzani ad, is that it's main purpose is to promote and advertise the fact that it is trying to sell authentic Italian cuisine, food items include vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, spices), pastas, spaghetti, and more. Italian cuisine is very revered around the world for their uses of these items and products, so it should not come as a surprise to anyone that it would include and be instantly recognisable to a passerby who might see this ad plastered on the side of a supermarket, website side bar, etc. 

Connotations are very positive and engaging to those who may be hungry or wondering what their next meal for dinner might be, as the advertisement inspires culinary creativity, and various means to create a meal any way they'd like. The design of the advert is very clever in that sense too, as the burst open street-market bag shows it to be literally bursting with possibility in what you could make with it. It is very possible to see this as a good marketing strategy they included on purpose, for this exact reason. Other strikingly noticeable connotations would be the red, white and green colour schemes that were chosen to detail the packaging of the pasta. This is also a clear nod to the Italian flag, the food's country of origin.

Another element that can be seen as an addition to the Italian cuisine itself, is that the food being sold is actually being manufactured in France, as seen near the bottom left. This is a sort of white lie that's being told as it isn't truly an Italian-made cuisine, only inspired by it. This can lessen the effect and create a negative connotation if someone were looking for something more authentic to the country of origin, but can also create an opposite effect for those willing to find a more unique flavour and are curious to find out what this brand might have that others don't. The fact that it is being held in a market stall sack, implies that it is affordable to the working class region of people, but the presentation can also be seen as high quality Italian inspired food none the less.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8934082/

IMDB. (2018). Dior: Joy. Prague. Dior: The New Fragrance.

Dior's JOY is an elegant and feminine perfume brand that is primarily targeted towards, but not limited to, women. ​This promotional piece makes use of a famous face in pop culture as of today, including the widely recognisable Jennifer Lawrence as the advertisements focal point. This is to ensure that when they have a potential customer's attention, it is to encourage them to buy into their product above any other on the market.

The main denotation we can see is the fact that this is a women's perfume brand, and is presented as a form of beauty and elegance. This is a popular mindset for fragrance brands as you would want the consumer to believe in the pseudo-fantasy that the advertisement piece may create, be it intentionally or not. Perfume is seen as a very integral part of not just female, but male beauty standards as well. As smelling pleasant is one of the major benefactors in appearing modest in society. In this case, the women presented in this level of beauty standard, usually dress in elegant, thinly worn dresses, delicate makeup, and uniquely fitted hairstyles. Visually, this is to accompany the idea of what the perfume may smell like, as we cannot smell the scent through the advertisement, but the visuals can be a good way to convey the same overall refinement in showing feminine beauty.

The Connotations that become immediately apparent to the viewer is through Jennifer Lawrence herself, as she is often regarded in the media and by her followers to be a very beautiful young woman, and reinforces the brand's advertisement as what any member of society can become if they buy a product of this brand. The choice of text saying "JOY" beneath the model's face, is a very clear showing of what sort of emotion they want to portray in their advertisement for DIOR. Jennifer Lawrence's facial expression in itself is also very static and neutral, this can portray a very interchangeable place in the advertisement for any woman who might see it, this further paints the brand as a broadly advertised interaction between the advert and the person seeing it.

The colour schemes of light blue and pink are very feminine in its nature as well, making it very apparent that it might be specifically aimed towards women directly. The watery environment that the advertisement is taking place in, is also seen as healthy, pure, and well-adjusted for feminine activities such as spa-treatment, self care, etc.

The name Dior itself is also a French word that spells as 'Golden', which has connotations synonymous with high quality, wealth, and can be seen as a brand that can be trusted from a name as grandiose as it. 

Source: https://additionproject470781512.wordpress.com/2018/08/28/nope-its-just-a-duck/

Addition Project. (2003). Nope It's Just A Duck. United States Of America: CLEAR.

Convergence & Interdependence (Parallels & Divergence) - The connectivity and division in Anchorage can be simply described as what elements attract and repel it's involvement with other things that surround the same vicinity the subject is in. Ways in which this can affect words, would be through arbitrary means that sort of subvert expectations of a preset word's meaning, and detail it in another way, for example, welcome could mean to anywhere other than being a pleasant greeting (e.g. Welcoming someone to hell and not somewhere pleasant).

Another is a slightly more skilled approach in codified Anchorage, which implements other languages into the definition of a word. Words such as 'Gesundheit', the German expression for 'bless you' after someone sneezes. This can easily be applied to a box of tissues or in a comedic performance. There is a certain level of cultural knowledge needed for this style of Anchorage, as playing with words that could be applied to our language in English would require pre-existing understanding of another language before implementation.

Mental Stimuli in anchorage would be to engage a person's perception of how something looks. This is a common skillset used in graphic design and illustration, as visually playing and mashing ideas together to create a new idea with that same image is a sure way to grab someone's attention for a little while. This can be achieved through lettering, patterns, colours, etc.

 The subject to flux method can allow for double meanings and sometimes even having the subject's main meaning change over time when viewed in another area or point in time. An example of this would be the word 'tonight', as it could mean the night that is currently being talked about, or the literal next night.

Drawing & Analysis of 'Treachery Of Images' - 

​The painting 'The Treachery Of Images' by Rene Magritte depicts a smoking pipe with the sentence written in French under it saying "Ceci N'est Pas One Pipe", which roughly translates to English as "This Is Not A Pipe". The thought process and idea behind this painting is to draw attention to the irony of the fact that you can't physically smoke it, hence the sentence below it. 

The piece itself is painted really well and has a finely detailed finish with a lot of smooth textures, as well as some well handled colour work. Overall it's a really well made painting and it's meaning behind it helps bring it to the 3rd dimension with some recognition towards the fact that it isn't just a painting of a pipe, it's also a physical canvas and self-aware of what kind of object it is.


Semiotic Analysis - 

1) "Ceci N'est Pas One Pipe" (alternatively known as 'This Is Not A Pipe') calls attention to the reality of the literal painting that's on the canvas, instead of the subject matter itself being the main focal point. The writing on the piece adds a lot of metaphoric commentary to the painting, as without it, there wouldn't be any form of a 3rd Dimension (or breaking the forth wall) element. As it would remain to be a simplistic painting of a smoking pipe instead.

2) The denotation surrounding this painting is the fact that it is a painting, that has been 

​3)

The difference between Denotation & Connotation - 

Much like fact and opinion, Denotation and Connotation are very alike in the same way that they describe wether something is factually true and a matter of perspective or how someone thinks about a certain subject. Detonation would imply that a word such as 'water' has the denotation that it is a wet, flowing formless liquid. And the connotations that accompany it can vary depending on who you are, how you feel towards it, and how it effects your situation. An example of a connotation on water through a human person's point of view, would be that water can be swam in, drank, washed in, etc. Mostly the connotations surrounding water are largely positive to neutral. However it can have negative connotations to those who cannot swim, cats as they hate water, etc.


Task:

The main given task for illustrator students such as myself, is to create a comic strip based around one of the previously mentioned forms of anchorage.

My Idea is to create a sort of Burtonesque short comic strip about the word "BAT!" It'll be mostly a visual gag and subvert the expectation that one of the two characters is a bat, but not exactly the same meaning as the animal. This is an attempt on humour, and capturing the essence of what this task has asked me to do. The Denotation is that one of the two characters of my own is a bat, and it happens to be holding a baseball bat. However, the connotations surrounding a bat can range from neutral to negative, as most people can be startled to see a bat flying about, but not for the tool used to play sport.

ilkaperea.com/2020/08/10/denotation-and-connotation-meaningful-images-in-graphic-design/Citation: 

​www.dictionary.com/e/denotation-vs-connotation/https://www.dictionary.com/e/denotation-vs-connotation/

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Truth_Denotation/oTPLCQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover

​https://ilkaperea.com/2020/08/10/denotation-and-connotation-meaningful-images-in-graphic-design/

In this blog post: I will be reiterating and analysing the meanings and key-points on Semiotics. 

What Are Semiotics? -

Semiotics are the study of visual communication through signs. The use of semiotics in imagery, videos, and other everyday means of communicating a story.

In our second session of The Critical Practitioner. We were shown the impact and creativity of using semiotics. Our main takeaway from the presentation, was that semiotics exist in near enough anything that has the goal to send a message, and/or tell a story. There are many ways to interpret semiotics, whether it is through direct, or indirect means. An example of a direct semiotic would be the yellow signs at construction sites; as they can heavily imply a sense of urgent warning and alert the person who is reading the sign, this can also be further explained by black pictures created onto the yellow to stand out.

Whereas an example of an indirect semiotic, would be subject matters left up to interpretation, these could be a different look that stares back in the mirror, bordering on fictional elements used for storytelling. The story being told could also have a hidden meaning, such as why the person may look different in the mirror (e.g. A reflection of how they are on the inside, another person who may be their other half, etc.)

A highlight of today's session was also the readings from Jonathan Bignell about 'Media Semiotics', particularly his chapter on 'Signs and Myths'. When looking over the written piece, we can conclude that another major component of detecting semiotics. Myths and the general concept of 'Mythologies', oftentimes refer to the practise of socially agreed on or reinforced labels for certain things, people, etc. These can sometimes be motivated by political or socially agreed on subjects, such as elections, local buildings being torn down or built, etc.

Syntagm: A Syntagm, can be a way to combine together multiple semiotics; and create multiple meanings in one. An example of this would be a sentence that collects various signs and makes a sentence from them: "That-Water-Is-Dirty" 

Paradigm: Similarly, Paradigm is a sentence that would make use of a descriptive word, and add onto simple explanation of the subject matter's already stated. So instead of "That-Water-Is-Dirty/Clammy/Soiled/Grimy".

How this can be applied to me as an Illustrator, would be to consider my illustrations elements in media, subject matter, and its narrative. Semiotics in my work can help reinforce what my work can try to say, whether that could be in pushing a thought provoking idea, a concept, or perhaps something new to be added onto the already stated idea. Examples of this could be working on a new adaptation of a past work, and questioning myself as to how I can make it my own (e.g. a new retelling of a pre-existing property such as Dracula). And when considering my own works, Semiotics within my own original ideas are integral in making it stand out to my peers and other, already established illustrators in the professional field.
​

The Task:


1) How is the role/character of each wrestler defined and

communicated to the audience?

The two characters; one being depicted as the villain 'Johnny Haystacks', a humorous take on a bombastic antagonistic role, and 'Big Daddy' the bold and heroic protagonist that has come to take on the villain and stop his hypothetical evil reign. Their roles both clash with one another, explaining their reason to fight and giving the audience different reactions cheer and boo for them.


2) What is the role played by the commentator?

The commentator's job during the match, is to create a role similar to that of a storyteller; this is also to engage the minds of the spectators and grab their attention until the match is over. The commentary provided by them can also make every small move seem massive, and suspend their disbelief in it being a performance, and present it to be a little bit more real than it might actually be.

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3) What about the role of the referee?

The Referee is there to maintain the illusion of the match, to the eyes of the spectators; he is the safety net for the chaotic behaviour of the wrestlers. This might give the spectators a heightened feeling of suspense and adds an element of danger to the fight, since there could be no telling what the wrestlers could do next to the raise the stakes of the battle.


4) Crowd response - is the action in the ring clear to follow? If

so, how is this made possible?

​The general predictability of the match is quite hard to follow in terms of what is going to happen next, but I'd believe that is part of the engagement from the audience' point of view. The moves pulled off by the wrestler usually give an element of surprise, and add to the energy and adrenaline of the match.


5) Based on observation - would you classify wrestling as a

sport?

I personally wouldn't consider wrestling as a sport, but there is a lot of planning, maintenance and requires almost magic-like performance to keep the show going, as one step out of line could bring the entirety of the match down and shatter the suspense of disbelief that might have been created at the start of the match and kept up until that point. I'd compare it to the same feeling of engaging in a work of fiction; like that of a play, pantomime, tv show, video game, etc. As that same feeling of make-believe can be felt when viewing the match.

This isn't to discredit it at all, as I would call it a art form of performance than a sport. For comparison; A football match follows very similarly set, strict rules. But in football, there is a clear goal and is factually competitive between two teams. What sets it apart from wrestling as a true sport, is that there aren't any magical or make-believe elements. Instead having real people with real personalities, and sometimes having very real injuries as opposed to the made-up impacts of wrestling moves.


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