I have tried to summarise the chapter below:
- Advertisements contain signs which are 'frank' in order to convey the necessary information.
- Barthes wishes to use this 'clarity' to investigate how an image can produce signification.
- The advertisement being analysed is said to have been designed to incite the viewer to buy the goods.
- Barthes breaks down the image into 3 parts; linguistic message, coded iconic message and noncoded message.
- Linguistic message - make of pasta, which informs viewer of company and its 'Italianicity'.
- Coded iconic message - what does the image show; freshness, plent, Italianicity.
- Noncoded iconic message - what it is/ what we see when we look at the image; food supplies.
- The function of the written message is to direct the reader towards the meaning of the advertisement. A meaning which has been chosen in advance, a meaning that the company wants their product to be associated with. Viewer puts the image and text together to form overall meaning.
- Advertising images are intentional. They contain signs which are arranged in such a way which produces optimum reading.
Linguistic Message:
- All the words in the advertisement.
- In this case it is the French language, all that it needed in order to understand the message is a knowledge of French.
- The company name is 'Panzani' which suggests 'Italiancity.'
Literal Message:
- The photographed image represents a scene of returning home from the market with fresh messages. In order to understand this sign the viewer has to have the understanding what 'shopping for yourself' is.
- The colours used in the advertisement have been chosen deliberately with the intention of representing an Italian product.
- The selection of ingredients have been chosen to represent the idea of 'total culinary service.'
- The layout of the goods has been done in a way which conveys a still life painting.
- Together these signs form a 'coherent whole.'
Anchorage:
- Text helps to answer the question of what the image is. It helps the viewer to interpret the meaning of the image.
Relay:
- Linguistic message can give meanings that are not found in the image.The message is realised at a higher level than what it would have been minus the text.
Photographs:
- Only photographs can transmit literal information
- Photographs give a sense of 'having been there'.
- They record information. There is evidence of how it was, it is not an illusion.
- General cultural knowledge plays a role in what individuals take from an image. For example an image may have an underlined meaning relating to a historical event. Those knowing about this event may pick up on this extra meaning but those who don't wouldn't notice it at all.
- The poster being discussed is full of different symbols but it depending on different types of knowledge people will read it differently.
- Varying readings due to peoples knowledge.
- People will create a certain logical relationship from looking at images.
The second part of this task was to get our group together and discuss the essay and what implications it has for our discipline. As Graphic Designers I think it has huge implications as we are always dealing with communication. Our job often involved the use of images, and the written language and we have to get across a clear message to the target audience.
I think that what this task has given me is that as a Graphic Designer I have to be very aware of who my target audience is and how they will interpret an image. Signs make be used to mean one thing but certain individuals may take them to mean something else. Careful consideration may have to be taken in the future when deciding what images to use on certain campaigns.
It has also made me realise how important text is. Without it the viewer can take so many different meanings from one image. Text is needed to confirm the idea, to make the audience aware of the images intent and purpose.
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