"...even -and above all- if the image is in a certain manner the limit of meaning, it permits the consideration of a veritable ontology of the process of signification." Roland Barthes
Some linguists argue that the image is a much simpler and more rudimentary form of depicting meaning than language itself, others say "a picture has a thousand words". What cannot be denied is the fact that an image can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Modern artists would say that art is what one interprets it to be, that the same image may mean one thing to you and other entirely different thing to someone else. The focus is on the subject, on the individual and how he/she reads an image. Meaning is inserted into images through signs, these signs convey significance, these signs creates brain associations with feelings, stereotypes, and preconceived notions.
"If the image contains signs, we can be sure that in advertising these signs are full, formed with a view to the optimum reading: the advertising image is frank, or at least emphatic." Roland Barthes
According to Barthes an advertisement contains three basic messages: the linguistic message, the message conveyed by the image (literal image) and the message expressed by the symbolic image.
The linguistic message is made up by the words in an ad; in the Soprano poster there are the words: "Made in America"; the denotative meaning, the more obvious or "dictionary meaning" of these words is that whatever is contained in the poster comes from the United States of America, the backdrop is Ellis Island in Manhattan, an iconic American landmark. The rather overweight, middle age protagonist is pretty much like the average American everyday man. The connotative meaning conveys a certain nationalism, a patriotic feeling, a certain pride that the images contained in the poster belongs and are created by Americas.
The literal meaning focuses on the signs that express different meanings that are found in an image. In the Soprano poster the first sign is the face of the show's protagonist, prominently displayed in the center-right portion of the ad. He looks dissatisfied and menacing. His style of clothing conveys the idea that he is rich, powerful and traditional.The second sign plays with a familiar stereotype. The protagonist's overall style and persona has the audience associate him with the preconceived ideas of what a "mafioso" looks like. The third sign is the fact that the picture is in black and white, it takes you back to a not so distant past, it make the audience remember old pictures found at grandparent's homes. The fourth sign is the backdrop of Ellis Island, along with the birds flying away. Ellis Island was the gateway to America, the first image seen by American and Irish immigrants, when they first arrived to the new world in the 1800's.
The symbolic image is about the iconic signs. The Soprano's poster is in black and white, which is a feature that has the audience associate the image with their own ancestors, the American immigrant past. Ellis Island, which is an iconic American landmark, symbolizes the search for a better life, the American dream. It is a common historical fact that Italian immigrants came from the old world on crowded ships and disembarked on Ellis Island, so audiences can easily make this connection, the American dream pursue is on everyone's minds and has always been part of America's identity. The character, like his ancestors, is after that same dream.
This Soprano's poster is an effective piece of advertisement as it evokes strong symbols and also uses very simple language that naturalizes these symbols. Meaning is expressed and felt by the subject internally, as it involves the individual's culture and nature.
By analyzing only the images from the Soprano poster, one can identify certain characteristics that can be associated with familiar
Some linguists argue that the image is a much simpler and more rudimentary form of depicting meaning than language itself, others say "a picture has a thousand words". What cannot be denied is the fact that an image can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Modern artists would say that art is what one interprets it to be, that the same image may mean one thing to you and other entirely different thing to someone else. The focus is on the subject, on the individual and how he/she reads an image. Meaning is inserted into images through signs, these signs convey significance, these signs creates brain associations with feelings, stereotypes, and preconceived notions.
"...in advertising the signification of the image is undoubtedly intentional; the signifieds of the advertising message are formed by a priori by certain attributes of the product and these signifieds have to be transmitted as clearly as possible." Roland Barthes
The image in advertising plays and uses the psyche of the individual, so that the individual can insert him/herself into the ad. It counts on the fact that the subject who interprets the image has a preconceived knowledge of history and culture and can therefore connect the image to that. Advertising images are clear and convey an obvious message with the ultimate purpose to call attention to the product or service it is trying to sell. It does not obscure its true intentions, it is honest and it states: "you should buy what I am selling."
"If the image contains signs, we can be sure that in advertising these signs are full, formed with a view to the optimum reading: the advertising image is frank, or at least emphatic." Roland Barthes
According to Barthes an advertisement contains three basic messages: the linguistic message, the message conveyed by the image (literal image) and the message expressed by the symbolic image.
The linguistic message is made up by the words in an ad; in the Soprano poster there are the words: "Made in America"; the denotative meaning, the more obvious or "dictionary meaning" of these words is that whatever is contained in the poster comes from the United States of America, the backdrop is Ellis Island in Manhattan, an iconic American landmark. The rather overweight, middle age protagonist is pretty much like the average American everyday man. The connotative meaning conveys a certain nationalism, a patriotic feeling, a certain pride that the images contained in the poster belongs and are created by Americas.
The literal meaning focuses on the signs that express different meanings that are found in an image. In the Soprano poster the first sign is the face of the show's protagonist, prominently displayed in the center-right portion of the ad. He looks dissatisfied and menacing. His style of clothing conveys the idea that he is rich, powerful and traditional.The second sign plays with a familiar stereotype. The protagonist's overall style and persona has the audience associate him with the preconceived ideas of what a "mafioso" looks like. The third sign is the fact that the picture is in black and white, it takes you back to a not so distant past, it make the audience remember old pictures found at grandparent's homes. The fourth sign is the backdrop of Ellis Island, along with the birds flying away. Ellis Island was the gateway to America, the first image seen by American and Irish immigrants, when they first arrived to the new world in the 1800's.
The symbolic image is about the iconic signs. The Soprano's poster is in black and white, which is a feature that has the audience associate the image with their own ancestors, the American immigrant past. Ellis Island, which is an iconic American landmark, symbolizes the search for a better life, the American dream. It is a common historical fact that Italian immigrants came from the old world on crowded ships and disembarked on Ellis Island, so audiences can easily make this connection, the American dream pursue is on everyone's minds and has always been part of America's identity. The character, like his ancestors, is after that same dream.
This Soprano's poster is an effective piece of advertisement as it evokes strong symbols and also uses very simple language that naturalizes these symbols. Meaning is expressed and felt by the subject internally, as it involves the individual's culture and nature.
By analyzing only the images from the Soprano poster, one can identify certain characteristics that can be associated with familiar
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