After we moved on the the meaning of a sign or image. I learnt the terms Denotation and Connotation. Denotation means the literal meaning of the signified or concept, the term connotation means when a sign refers to the meanings associated with the signified or concept. So for the shark the denotative meaning would be, predator, fish. On connotative level the shark means, killer, aggressive, powerful, etc.
Iconic, Symbolic and Indexical
Iconic, Symbolic and Indexical signs take how we look at images further. An iconic sign is where the signifier looks like the signified, an symbolic sign is where the link between the signifier and signified is culturally learned and indexical is where the signifier is evidence of the symbol.
An example of an iconic image is:
Here the image looks like the concept so it is iconic of a ball.
An example of a symbolic sign is:
This sign has had to have been learned in order to understand its meaning, the signifier and signified must be learned.
An example of an indexical sign is:
This image is not arbitrary but it is directly connected in some way to the signified, this link can be observed or inferred, for example in this image there are natural signs of footprints in the sand.
Polysemy and Anchorage
Furthermore, Polysemy means many possible meanings, an image shown can create numerous views and different opinions on a given image.
This image can be given various views and opinions, for example, is this image showing police brutality, is the protester forcing the violence or are the police trying to restrain the protesters.
Finally, Anchorage restricts the possible meanings, for example an image could have a caption which restricts the viewer to a dominant or preferred reading. So in this image if a caption said 'protester violence' the reader or viewer will have a restricted reading.
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