Visual vs Symbolic Language

Ingrid Alfaro

DAI 323

Visual Language Syntax



Representational Content

-American Flag

-American Coins

Compositional Structure

-American flag as an arrow pointing down from the left corner as foreground focal point

-Ascending and descending lines forming pointy waves that travels through the picture from left to bottom right in an angle

-Pilled up American coins as background

-Saturated colors are used as well as transparency effect

Symbols

-Arrows pointing down

-Ascending and descending lines

Analysis

The photograph displays a bold arrow from the top left corner; which is pointing down and the tip reaches the bottom quarter portion before the end of the picture. The bold arrow is filled in with the American flag. Because of its solid bright colors, and strong structure of the arrow it becomes the foreground and the focal point in the picture. The arrow creates a rupture motion, or breaking through movement in the middle ground which would be the ascending and descending lines that forms a pattern of an upwards and downwards pointy wave. The ascending and descending lines that starts from the left vertical frame of the picture and travels in an angle in an up and down motion through the picture until reaching the bottom right corner of the picture frame. The color that has been used for the bottom portion that the lines have created is a light transparency of what the background is considered to be; which it happens to be a constructed pattern of pilled up American coins all over the picture positioned in an angle creating downward, falling motion. This pattern of pilled up coins it has a fading optical illusion which starts clear from the front of the middle portion of the picture and fades towards the back and pile of coins becomes blurry. That effect travels from middle left of the picture spreading upwards in an 180⁰ angle. Putting together all the described elements and structures it forms a representational image of the American economy status.