Sunday, March 25, 2018

Semiotics - Symbols and Conventions

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. 

Symbols - No logical meaning for what it stands for. Have no resemblance to the real object, it’s a result of a convention (considered acceptable to most members of a society). A dove represents peace, but there’s no connection between the animal and peace, it’s just a convention. 

A symbol (an image or text) can only make meaning if the person already knows the convention - a matter of culture and previous knowledge.  For each culture the symbol makes meaning.
Color in cultures.

Convention - a way in which something is usually done within a particular area or activity, behavior that is considered acceptable or polite to most members of a society.








Painted in 1434.  cloth, dog, orange, cherries, gaze, red curtains, green for hope, women surround themselves with tokens for fertility, discarded shoes.


Further Reading:
Signs and Language.  Link here.
The Age of the Female Icon by Holly Brubach, New York Times Magazine. Link here.
Perceptions of Female Beauty in the 20th Century by Louise Wood. Link here.

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