my blogs

Semiotics

  Semiotics means the meaning behind an object and symbol, a sign. Signs are all around us. it plays an important role as part of our daily life. It comes in many forms.

 Migrant mother, Dorothea Lange. Oxford  University Press (2009).

This is a photograph by Dorothea Lange, is an iconic photograph of an migrant mother, she is mostly known for her black and white photographs in depression era. In this picture the use of black and white adds texture and depth of field in the photograph. Black and white challenges the aspect of the modernisation making the photograph to be more effective and more realistic. If added color in an image it could have washed out the real life stories involved and created a more dull piece. The depth of the blacks contrasted with the lighter colours give emotion showing the worries and the sorrow in her eyes and between her facial lines and help to create that role of juxtaposition in work. The composition of the photograph as just showing the women's face specially her eyes which are looking into distance and her children to look away provides the message that she wanted her children to look away from the depression era and sorrow she was going through, pass through the moment in blink of a eye or perhaps the pain and suffering of the children is not as excruciating as what she has been through. however if he look deeper into the women she looks relaxed, which bring ambiguity to if she was so used to in this pain and sorrow.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS (2009). Dorothea Lange (American, 1895–1965). Available: http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=3373. Last accessed 21st March 2014.