Visual culture and semiotics. Selected issues 20-KUDU-MA-VCS
Discussed topics include:
What is visual culture?
What is visual semiotics?
Iconic signs – Ch. Peirce, Y. Lotman
Visual advertisement - semiotic analysis
Globalisation and (anti-)consumerism in terms of semiotics
Photographic message: R. Barthes
Semiotics of cinema: Y. Lotman
Semiotics of cinema: R. Barthes
The Pictorial turn – the ‘manifesto’ - WJT Mitchell
'What do pictures want?' - WJT Mitchell
Module learning aims
Information on where to find course materials
Major
Methods of teaching for learning outcomes achievement
Course module conducted remotely (e-learning)
Student workload (ECTS credits)
Cycle of studies
Module type
Year of studies (where relevant)
Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Student is to know and understand some of the theories of culture which are used in the interdisciplinary discourses (in reference to semiotics of culture and visual culture studies); needs to know the basic terminology and ideas oriented towards the analyses of the visual culture processes and relations. Student is also able to describe (by using some proper methods of analyses and interpretation) the meaning of the social relations and cultural objects in both the synchronic and diachronic dimensions of culture. Student is also capable of developing his or her cultural and intercultural competencies; understands the complexity of various cultural traditions and intercultural relations; is able to form opinions and propose the solutions according to various social conflicts or cultural politics.
Assessment criteria
Assessment criteria: the grade will be based on presentation, attendance and activity during classes:
- attendance (maximum three unexcused absences)
- active participation in the course
- long spoken presentation: each participant is asked to prepare one spoken presentation of the chosen visual phenomenon presented in the view of visual semiotics
Practical placement
None
Bibliography
D. Chandler, Semiotics – the basics (online – PDF).
R. Barthes, The Kitchen of Meaning, in: R. Barthes, The Semiotic Challenge, University of California Press, 1994.
W.J.T. Mitchell, Showing seeing: a critique of visual culture, “Journal of Visual Culture” 2002 SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi), Vol 1(2): 165-181.
M. Bal, N. Bryson, Semiotics and Art History, “The Art Bulletin”, Vol. 73, No. 2 (Jun., 1991) (passages).
G. Rose, Semiology: laying bare the prejudices beneath the smooth surface of the beautiful, in: G. Rose, Visual methodologies. An Introduction to the Interpretation of Visual Materials, SAGE Publications 2007.
R. Barthes, The Rhetoric of an Image, in: R. Barthes, Image Music Text, Fontana Press. An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers 1997.
U. Eco, Towards a Semiological Guerrilla Warfare, 1983, 1976, 1973 by Gruppo Editoriale Fabbri-Bompiani, Sonzogno, Etos S.p.A.; English translation: 1986 by Harcourt, Inc.
R. Barthes, The Photographic Message, in: R. Barthes, Image Music Text, Fontana Press. An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers 1997.
Y. Lotman, Semiotics of cinema, University of Michigan, cop. 1976 (passages).
R. Barthes, The Third Meaning. Research notes on some Eisenstein stills, in: R. Barthes, Image Music Text, Fontana Press. An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers 1997.
W.J.T. Mitchell, The Pictorial turn, in: Picture Theory. Essays on Verbal and Visual Representation, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1994.
W.J.T. Mitchell: What do pictures want? The Lives and Loves of Images, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 2005 (passages).
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: