Visual Language

EVIP 3rd ESO

Visual Language

• Visual language is expressed by images.• Images represent reality, but they aren’t

reality.

René Magritte – Golconde, 1953

IMAGE AND ICONICITY

• The similarity between an image and the reality is called ICONICITY.

• There are different degrees of iconicity, depending on this similarity.– High degree of iconicity–Medium degree of iconicity– Low degree of iconicity

IMAGE AND ICONICITY

• High degree of iconicity: the image is nearly an exact copy of reality.

Antonio López – Gran via

IMAGE AND ICONICITY

• Medium degree of iconicity: the image has something in common with reality. We can recognize it.

Paul Klee – Cat and bird

IMAGE AND ICONICITY

• Low degree of iconicity: The image is completely different from reality. We aren’t able to recognize it as something real.

Mark Rothko – Number 8

VISUAL LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

• Visual language is a communication system that uses images to transmit information.

• It is one of the most important communication systems in our world.

• Images are everywhere to communicate us some information: publicity, movies, magazines, games…

Objective visual language

• It transmits information that can only be explained in one way. For example: scientific drawing, maps, technical drawing…

Publicity

• This kind of visual language tries to sell something or to convince you.

Artistic visual language

• It has an aesthetic function.

Aristides Maillol - Mediterrània

VISUAL COMMUNICATION

VISUAL ART STYLES

• Realistic image: we can recognize it as something real. It is a copy of the reality.

Ron Mueck – Big head

VISUAL ART STYLES

• Figurative style: we can recognize it as something real (a human figure, an animal, a landscape), but it isn’t a copy of reality. It’s an interpretation of reality.

Pablo R. Picasso – Dora Maar’s portrait

VISUAL ART STYLES

• Abstract image: the image has nothing in common with reality. It is impossible to recognize it.

Joan Miró – Seated woman

ACTIVITY• Transforming a realistic Artwork in a figurative

one.• Las Meninas is a painting

by Diego Velázquez.• It was painted in 1656, and

now we can find it at El Prado Museum, in Madrid.

• Some great painters have reinterpreted it. For example, Picasso.

Now is your chance to transform Velázquez’s realistic Artwork in your own figurative style.Use an A3 cardboard, and any material you prefer (watercolors, felt-tipped pens, crayons, wax crayons, paper collage...)