“READING THE IMAGE”

Art Appreciation
SEMIOTIC PLANE
• Is the study of sign’s --- here the work of art is
the iconic or pictorial sign. A sign consist of a
“signifier” or its material/physical aspect and its
“signified” or non-material aspect concept value.
Related to these is the “referent” or object as it
exists in the real world.
What is semiotic plane?
• Ferdinand De Saussure and Charles Sanders Pierce are
the founders of semiotics.
• Semiotic is the study of signs and symbol are their use
or interpretation.
• The word Semiotics is derived from the ancient greek
word “Semeion” which means sign.
What is Sign?
• Signs can take many forms. They can be words,
numbers, sounds, photographs, paintings and
road signs and more.
• A sign is anything that creates meaning.
• It’s anything that can be used to represent
something else.
2 parts of sign

•Signifier – are the physical forms of a

sign, such as a sound word or image that
creates.
•Signified – is the concept that a signifier
refers to.
3 types of Signifier
• Signifier as icon – icons bear a physical resemblance to what is being
represented.
• Signifier as symbol – symbols are the opposite end from icons. The
connection between signifier and signifies in symbols is completely
arbitrary and must culturally learned.
• Signifier as index – an index describes the connection between
signifier and signified. With an index, the signifier cannot exists
without the presence of the signified. An index is a sign that shows
evidence of the concept or object being represented.
ICONIC PLANE
• An iconic image or thing is important or impressive because
it seems to be a symbol of something.
• Similar to “classic”, iconic is generally restricted to more
recent , highly original, influential, or unique, works of arts,
artists, or performers. As such they are now well –
established and widely celebrated in popular culture.
• Something that is iconic is characteristic of an icon – an
image , emblem, idol, or hero.
Examples of Iconic

•Barack Obama really is the most iconic

American of our generation

•The remarkable stories behind 8 of the

iconic war photos ever taken
Contextual Plane
The contextual plane likewise situates the work in the
personal and social circumstances of its production. The work
may contain allusions to personal or public events, conditions,
stages, as well as influences , such as persons and literary
texts, that have been particularly meaningful to the artist.
Themes and sub – themes may be derived from biographical
data may plan an important part in understanding the work
and its view of reality.
What is contextual plane in art?
Contextual art acts in the sphere of meanings used by
civilization in its contact with reality.

Contextual art is interested in the continuous process

of the decomposition of meanings which do not
correspond to reality and in the creating of new and
actual meanings.
THANK YOU !!!