Semiotics In Contemporary Art

The aim of this essay is to explore to relevance the use of semiotics for contemporary design. Holt suggests that the semiotics theory is consequential in understanding design. Tracing back to the basic understanding of semiotics theory, it is defined to be a study of interpretations of meaning from artwork, signs, symbols and images.1 The development of semiotics theory will be discussed, in terms of how images can be translated into words through Roland Bathes’ concept. Focusing on the use of linguistic messages on a sign as mentioned in his book “Rhetoric of the Image”. Followed by how it reflects on the understanding of contemporary art on social media. Despite semiotics is a good tool to analyze artworks, it has limitations. Whereby it

While semiotic is considered as common sense, but how meanings are embedded into images? Based on Barthes’ semiotic text, ‘Rhetoric of the Image’, he mentioned linguistic message, whereby text is given to provide meaning to an image or at least to an element in the image. Furthermore, rather a literal meaning is given, the text could be a limitation to the interpretation of the element to prevent viewer to see it otherwise, this is described as anchorage.7 With this concept, it is believed that text holds a greater position than image. As it manipulates the meaning of an image which leads to a greater outcome on people obtaining the meaning of the text as the meaning of the

Especially when it comes to analyzing and understanding the artwork. Based on Bathes’ linguistic message are sometimes included to images to act as a guideline for the viewers to understand the meaning that stands for the images. Which reflects on the use of the hashtag in social media on contemporary design. Whereas the flipside, the limitations of semiotics is that the function can be activated only when the individual has a high analyzing skill. In other words, it is a not a divers theory for all individuals to use it in the visual field. Regardless, with my personal experience, I still do find that the semiotics is useful to some