LESSON 4

WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR ANALYSIS IN ART?

Meaning in art is a complex of intellectual, emotional, and sensory significations which the work conveys and to which
the viewer responds, bringing in the breadth of his or her cultural background, artistic exposure and training, and human
experience in a dialogic relationship with the art work.
The analytic study of how the various elements and material features of the work produce meaning should lead to a
more stable and consensual field of meaning, away from erratic, whimsical, purely subjective and impressionistic readings.
BASIC SEMIOTIC PLANE: the study of signs
Signifier- material or the physical aspect
Signified- nonmaterial aspect, concept and value
Referent- object as it exist in the real world
- Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols, in particular as they communicate things spoken and unspoken.
- Common signs that are understood globally include traffic signs, emojis, and corporate logos.
- Written and spoken language is full of semiotics in the form of intertextuality, puns, metaphors, and references to
cultural commonalities.
The Basic Semiotic Plane covers the following:
1. Visual Elements: Line, value, color, texture, shape, composition in space, movement
2. Choice of Medium & Techniques
3. Format of the Work: texture, form/size of canvass
REMEMBER!
Visual arts derive their semantic or meaning conveying potential from two sources:
a. Human psycho-physical experience (psychological/physical/sensory)
b. Sociocultural conventions of a particular society or period
THE ICONIC PLANE: The Image Itself
Things to consider in iconic plane:
Choice of subject -social & political implications
Presentation of image and its relationship to the viewer -body language, costume, facial expression, background
Positioning of Figure -frontal, profile, or various presentations
Setting -natural or domestic