Introduction: This research deals with a comparative study of the appearance of social signs in the works of Iranian and American cityscape photographers in the 1960s and 1970s. These two decades were a period of rapid change and dynamic in both societies, reflecting profound social, political, and cultural changes in urban life and the artists’ perspective.
Research Method: The method of this research is qualitative with a descriptive-analytical approach, and the data were collected through library studies and observation of photographers’ works. The theoretical framework of the research is social semiotics, which is adopted from the perspective of two contemporary thinkers in this field, namely Kress and Van Leeuwen, who analyze images by focusing on the three processes of “representation,” “interaction,” and “composition.”
Findings: Analysis of the works of six prominent photographers (Lee Friedlander, Gary Winogund, Joel Meyerowitz from the United States; and Ahmad Ali, Kaveh Golestan, Farrokh Khadem from Iran) shows that American photographers have represented the city as an open and multicultural space by using dynamic compositions, unconventional angles, and an emphasis on social interactions. In contrast, Iranian photographers have presented a critical image of the city by focusing on class divisions, marginalization, and power relations, and by using symbolic shadows, high-contrast lighting, and static compositions, which reflects the social tensions and cultural rupture of Iranian society on the eve of the revolution.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that cityscape photography in both countries served as a visual expression of the cultural and ideological discourses of their time and reflected the distinct socio-cultural conditions of the two societies.