What are signs?
Signs are the way we make sense of everything around us.
What is a denotation?
A denotation is the literal or original meaning of a sign. The sign is also called the signifier.
What is a connotation?
Connotation communicates meaning based on the context. This is when signs have multiple meanings. The connotation is known as the signified.
Signs are the way we make sense of everything around us.
What is a denotation?
A denotation is the literal or original meaning of a sign. The sign is also called the signifier.
What is a connotation?
Connotation communicates meaning based on the context. This is when signs have multiple meanings. The connotation is known as the signified.
The purpose of this assignment was to pick three out of six images and analyze each sign and document the denotative meaning for each. The other task was to document four connotative meanings for each with two meanings based on these factors:
-emotional overtones
-objective interpretation
-social values
-media consumption experience
-ideological assumptions
Two meanings were to be based on historical context in film or other media such as print.
The first example is an image of a cat. The denotative sign is a black cat, since that is exactly what it is.
The connotative signs are:
Bad luck- There is a stigma against black cats that if one crosses your path, it means bad luck.
Witches- Black cats are usually paired with witches in media since they share a similar aesthetic (example- Sabrina the witch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcaUwq-LQXk).
Halloween- Pumpkins, candy corn, and black cats are associated with Halloween and are always seen on decorations.
Good luck- There are religions that associate black cats with good luck. It's been said that if one walks towards you, it guarantees good luck.
The second example is an image of a rose. The denotative sign is a red rose.
The connotative signs are:
Love- Roses have always been known as the flower of love because of the shape and vibrant color.
Toxic- Roses can be interpreted as toxic love, the beautiful red petals distract you from the sharp spikes on the stem, a sign of symbolism.
Beauty & the Beast- the movie's main symbol is the rose, as it represents the life and growing love of the beast for Belle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa8PR8W7cLI).
Passion- the bright red petals of a rose give signals of passion and romance, they are often used in intimate movie scenes.
The third example is an image of a tree. The denotative sign is a big tree.
The connotative signs are:
-Life: Trees signify life because of how long the lifespan of a tree is. Also when I think of trees, the song "circle of life" from the movie "The Lion King" comes to mind (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17Lzds32L6I).
-Growth: Trees can grow hundreds of feet which is why trees often signify growth.
-Oxygen: Trees bring oxygen to the air, allowing us to breathe the fresh air.
-Wisdom: Trees and other scenery in nature is usually paired with old folklores with themes of wisdom.
What did I learn from this assignment?
This assignment taught me how to look at an image through different perspectives, those perspectives being denotative and connotative. I learned about the different ways an image can be interpreted based on personal, emotional, and social experiences. A sign can be one thing for one person, and another thing for another person, it all depends. This is completely different compared to denotative signs where the meaning is literal.
I had to dig deep in my mind to complete this assignment and think of what the image meant to me and how I perceived it, the drawings were also very fun to color and sketch, always love a good art-related assignment.
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