Semiotic Analysis Of Semiotics

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The following paper explores a brief explanation and in-depth demonstration of semiotics or semiology, and how it is used in everyday life, it will present a semiotic analysis of a particular work chosen by myself to use as an example or demonstration. In short, semiotics is, according to theorist Pieter J. Fourie, "the science of signs and codes and the meanings they convey." (2009:41) Semiotics embraces four principals of study, namely the sign, sign systems, codes and meaning. These principals are the main stepping stones used to conceptualize or categories thoughts and findings in semiotics. Fourie continues to explain (2009:42) that, "a sign is not reality but replaces reality or an aspect or concept of reality so there is a substitute …show more content…

1 Athi-Patra Ruga, The Night of The Long Knives. 2013. Archival ink-jet print on Photorag Baryta. 150 × 190 cm. Edition of 5 + 2AP. (Artsy.net 2018) I will be analysing 3-5 particular elements of the work that are particularly striking, with reference to the visual code, its signifier, what is being signified and to what extent. The first and foremost response I can give, is based on the lighting of the image. Lighting being our visual code and the signifier is what kind of lighting is particularly visible in this work. We would call the lighting in this work Chiaroscuro or Rembrandt lighting, which according to Gertruida M. Du Plooy, is when "(c)ertain areas are illuminated, whereas others are left either in semi- or complete darkness." and is known to have a "dramatic and compositional use of contrasts of light, shadows and half tones." (Du Plooy.2009:151) When analysing the lighting in this photograph, it was found that the selected lighting creates an intense contrast, giving one a sense of drama, or a theatrical sense of the piece. This is noted because one can see that this image has been staged and that the lighting was done in a …show more content…

This means that when the objects near the frame are falling out of the frame or 'shot', it surrounds the figure within the focal point. And in the case of this photograph, the plants & three other figures are surrounding the centred figure on the zebra. The plants are pulled out of the frame and so this creates a tension around the centre. The plants are also clustered and therefore adds a high visual weight to the

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