Symbolic Language

 Economy

 

My Google photo search on “economy” produced a bunch a different images. A common theme among them were graphs with a downward slope, North America falling of the world or with a cross over it, or a picture of currency. I thought this one was unique compared to everything else. It shows tiny green houses and red hotels that you would find in a Monopoly game. They are all lined up in a grid. The camera is on some kind of macro setting so everything is really close. In the middle of the picture, there is a break in the rows of houses where two white die are placed. One is rolled to a six, the other rolled to a three. The dies are larger than any of the green houses and red hotels. They also cast large shadows that go to the left.

Abstract
Colorful
Gloomy
Gambling
Real
Debt
Mortgage
Bankrupt
Economy
Recession
Depression
Housing market
Failure
Bad planning
Stupid
American
Depreciation
Homeless
Opportunity
Family
American Dream

Dice = Gambling. Mortgages that where given away to people who didn’t qualify for them before 2008. These people didn’t think before they took out a six-figure loan, and were gambling with their future, especially those who refinanced. The value of homes had been increasing dramatically for years. They refinanced when their house was worth more. They gambled on that data thinking the value of the house wasn’t going to depreciate. When the bubble burst, their house was worth half of what they refinanced on.

House = The American Dream. Owning a home and raising a family might be a dream for many people.

Grid = The houses are all in a grid. A lot of homes are built in developments. All the houses are built to similar specifications right next to each other.

The composition of the image reinforces the feeling I have about the economy. We are currently in a recession, and have been in one for four years. A major reason for the recession was the housing market. Banks where rolling the dice when they gave out mortgages to any and every body that asked for one. It was bad planning and very stupid thing to do.

Meaning 2 - Interactions between the three levels of meaning

 Representational

The actual image of a bicycle provides a great representation of what the bike is in a physical sense, especially since it is very common. There aren’t many parts of the bike that are covered, aside from the welds and some bearings. You can get an idea of how the bike works just by looking at a picture of one. The rider sits on the seat, holds on to the handlebars, and puts their feet on the pedals. The pedals are connected to the cranks that move the chain and wheels, providing forward motion. The frame creates the outline for certain abstract shapes. The frame also contains decals. Those decals are symbols for the manufacturer, as well as the model of bike. Also, the quality of the frame itself, give those symbols meaning and importance.

Abstract

We get an abstract view of the bike by reducing it to geometric shapes. Focus on the frame, wheels, and gears. The blue outline shows the shape of the frame, while the green circles show the shape of the wheels. The frame consists of a two triangles made from aluminum tubing. When these triangles are combined, they create a parallelogram. The sharp corners create a rough shape that does not have fluid lines, or smooth corners. This part of the frame does not imply circular movement. Instead, this is the solid part of the frame that holds and connects everything else together. Parts like the wheels and gears create softer, more fluid lines. These circular shapes imply movement, which is true since the gears and wheels spin in a circular motion, and are almost always moving when the bike is in motion. Although the shapes are abstract, when they are put together, they represent the bike as a whole. They also might depict what type of bike this is, a road bike.

Symbol

A closer look at the frame reveals a couple logos that are very important to the model of bike. CAAD9 is a name for the series of aluminum bikes made by the company. CAAD stands for Cannondale Advanced Aluminum Tubing, the 9 means ninth edition. The name CAAD has been used by the company for years now, and is known among cycling enthusiasts. Cannondale is known for producing very stiff, strong, and light aluminum frames. These qualities are sought after in road bikes. This name conveys those qualities Cannondale offers in this line. The other symbol seen on the bike is the C logo on the front. This is an abbreviation for the companies name Cannondale.

Meaning 1

 

 Representational

This photograph was taken by Lee Picket in 1917. It shows a house affected by the Skyomosh river flood in Washington state. The image is a strong representation of the capabilities of water. The structure, and what is happening to it, does not necessarily have to be explained to the viewer. It is easily understood that the river to the left has expanded. The strength of flowing water has eaten away at the earth with such force, that it has taken the foundation out from under the house. The idea of home is conveyed through the structure. The situation the house is in, might evoke strong emotions in the viewer,  especially if they own a house. These emotions might also have an affect on a persons idea of owning a home, such as where they should build it, what kind of insurance they should get for it, safety of their family, evacuation plans, etc.

 

Abstract

Here is another, yet very different image of water. The photographer brings the subject of water very close to the viewer. The oval shape of the initial drop pushes the impact area to make the shape of a bowl on top of the water. Capturing water in such an abstract way shows a different side to water. The image of the house teetering on the river bank shows a forceful, destructive element. The picture above depicts the water in a calm sense. It might evoke soothing or relaxing feelings in the viewer.

 

Symbol

This is a free clip art image from Clip Art Guide. It is easily recognized as a drop of water. It seems like this is a symbol I have always had in my memory, but at a very young age, I was taught that this meant water. It depicts some essential features of water, like the color and shape. This simplicity found in most symbols makes them easy to understand at a young age. This also makes it easy for symbols to be understood internationally.

Images:

1) http://content.lib.washington.edu/u?/pickett,815

2) http://eegint.com/WaterEfficiency.html

3) http://www.clipartguide.com/_pages/0808-0809-1213-0532.html