Week 4: Visual Syntax, Semantics and Pragmatics: Structure, meaning and context.

Adam Lambert Fashion Photo-shoot: Exploring the Syntax, Semantics and Pragmatics

Syntax

Syntax is “the structural relations between signs” (Moris, as cited in Chandler, n.d., p. 3). For linguist, syntax act as a grammar (or system of rules) that structure the language. Without grammar, language cannot exist. For visual communication professionals, every visual image has its own syntactic structures that enable viewers to interpret or make conclusion of an image. Without syntax, visual image cannot be understood. Therefore syntax, in this sense, is the grammar of visual images.

Eye Movement

What was the first thing you saw in the above picture? Most of us, if not, would probably set our eyes first to the striking green coloured skinny jeans he wear before moving to other areas. According to Petterson (1993) in his laws of eye movement, this happened because our eyes only view to certain parts of image that capture our attentions. He also argues that our eye fixations depends on what we wish to see and told to see, which also explains why our eyes have different level of fixations as we fixate image elements from strongest to the weakest. Just like how we view from the Adam Lambert picture.

Eye Fixation

Another rules of visual syntax used in this fashion shoot is the application of large area of dark background which allows the main object (which is Adam Lambert) in the picture to stand out and enable the viewer to focus on the specific image area. Tufte (1990) in his rules of colour asserts that in order to make prominent areas easily noticeable, the main background of an image should remain unobtrusive so that it can avoid distraction and confusion to the viewer. Another rules of colour used in this fashion shoot is the effective and creative use of colour contrast. For example in this fashion shoot photo, the designer matches the slightly dark green skinny jeans with greyish-brown fabric and golden sleeve to give a stunning effect.

Semantics

Semantics are the abstract meaning expressed by the elements of sign. Semantics work together with syntax to arrange the pattern of meaning of signs so that it can be understood.

Ask yourself, what comes to your mind after you saw this picture? Most of us would probably say that “He looks gay…” but how did we arrive with such conclusion?

According to study of semantics, we signified things through signifiers and syntactic structure of signs. From the above picture, viewers may interpret Adam Lambert posture in this fashion shoot as a bit of lady-like thus showing off his femininity. Some viewers may also associate the skinny jeans that he wears with “gayness”, “chicness” or “less masculine” because it reveals too much of the wearer’s tight; making it looks so uncomfortable or impractical to some. Skinny jeans may signify the wearer’s rebelliousness (as skinny jeans also popular with the term “emo jeans”). His sharp stare also suggest some sort of a threat or discontentment.

So what does the image trying to tell you?

The image actually intends to inform the audience of assumptions about homosexuality. The illustration of ‘feminine posture’ and skinny jeans in this fashion shoot are also mean to challenge the mainstream ideology of masculinity by asking “Is it wrong to look gay?”

Pragmatics

Meaning of signs can only be determined by pragmatics (such as codes, modality, sender, receiver and context), of which concern with “the relation of signs to interpreters” (Morris, as cited in Chandler, n.d., p. 3).

As we discussed earlier on, some people may associate skinny jeans as “gayness”, “chicness’ or “less masculine” but not all agree with these statements. For example, feminist viewers may oppose skinny jeans because they believed it is too feminine for male to wear them. But others, especially metro-sexual male, may see it as more of a popular trend rather than a fixed definition of homosexuality and masculinity.

Even famous comic heroes wear skinny tight pants. Does that mean they are less masculine?

REFERENCES

Chandler, D. (n.d). Semiotics for Beginners. Ed. Woo, C.H. in Analyzing Visual Communication.: Visual Syntax, Semantics and Pragmatic. Brunei Darussalam: University Brunei Darussalam, 2010. Pp 3-4

Lester, P. M. (2006). Syntactic Theory of Visual Communication. Ed. Woo, C.H. in Analyzing Visual Communication.: Visual Syntax, Semantics and Pragmatic. Brunei Darussalam: University Brunei Darussalam, 2010.