A Study of Three Contemporary Works of Art with Social Content from a Semiological Point of View: Generative Trajectory of Meaning Approach

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Faculty of Art and Architecture Islamic Azad University Center-Tehran

Abstract

The art and artist play an important role in the conservation of values, human goals and showing social wishes and behaviors. Works of art affected by social and cultural events are important actors. If these works are introduced and investigated in the semiology studies of arts, they can improve the explanation enrichment and achievements of this kind of researches. Also, they can increase the knowledge and understanding of cultural and artistic domains of society.
The presented is an attempt to answer the following question: How one could achieve the study and analysis of a work of art through semiology studies and meaning generative flow method and reach its hidden trueness and concepts?
It is assumed that such studies lead to a better understanding of society’s art and culture. This could be achieved by considering the dominant discursive systems and notational style and properties of the works.
The aim of this research is to evaluate and identify sign elements of chosen works, in order to obtain the background and hidden meaning aspects in different layers and to demonstrate how the acts and relationships of different elements can form an interactive and meaningful discourse.
The research is a descriptive-analytic strategy in nature. To this purpose, works with social content were selected. In addition to study the theoretical aspect, this method investigates the most important backgrounds of the production of these works’ concepts in the meaning generative flow process based on the Greimas study pattern. It also covers the appearance of meaning in the text through signs, elements relations and the study and analysis of deep structures.
The research results show that artistic discourses and different oppositional relation can be analyzed using a semiological perspective and generative trajectory of meaning and find out their semantic significations. Also, discovering hidden concepts in the works could lead to a better and more conscious knowledge of society and its evolutions. Data were gathered from available resources in the mass media.

Keywords


Abolghassemi, M. (2014). The Semiotic Challenges of Art Criticism. Honar- ha- ye - ziba, 19 (3): 5-12.
Ahmadi, B. (2009). The text- structure and textural interpretation. Tehran: Markaz.
Archer, M. (2008). Art Since 1960 (World of Art). Translated by K. Yusefi. Tehran: Herfe honarmand.
Ayatollahi, H. (2006). Neshaneha va neshaneshenasi [Signs and semiology]. Khyal- e sharghi, (3): 3-8.
Babak Moein, M. (2006). Seyr- e zayeshi- ye ma’na [Meaning generative flow] In: Proceeding of Art Semiology, No. 1. Tehran: Academy of Art.
Bonito Oliva, A. (2012). Italian contemporary art (past composition in the light of today). Translated by H. Hamedani. Art Tomorrow, (8).
Chandler, D. (2008). Semiotics : the basics, 2nd ed. Translated by M. Parsa, M. Tehran: Soore Mehr.
Erin, A. (2008). Girl’s Night out: Female Graffiti Artists in a Gendered city. Bowling Green: College of Bowling Green State University.
Ilasht Yalam, S. (2005). Neshaneshenasi va tarrahi [Semiology and design]. Art Quarterly, (63): 108-127.
Jorgensen, M. & Phillips, L. (2012). Discourse analysis. Translated by H. Jalili. Tehran: Ney.
McCarthy, E. (2011). Key concepts in family studies. Translated by M. Labibi. Tehran: Elm.
Pakatchi, A. (2009). Neshaneshenasi- ye honar [Art semiology]. In: Proceeding of Art Semiology, No. 1. Tehran: Academy of Art.
Sahafzadeh, A. (2010). The art of identify and the politics of‭ representation. Tehran: Bidgol.
Shad Qazvini, P. (2017).Comparative Analysis of the Structure & Content of Paintings on the Theme of World War I. vs Iranian Sacred Defense. Biquarterly, Scholarly Journal of Theoretical Principles of Visual Arts, (3): 13-30.
Shairi, H. (2012). Motale’e- ye neshane-manaha dar farayand- e goftemani [The study of signs-meanings in discourse process]. In Proceeding of Art Semiology, No. 18. Tehran: Academy of Art.
Oxford Dictionary. (2006). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Stahl, J. (2010). Street art. Translated by Hezarkhani, S. Tehran: Fakhrakia.
Zeimaran, M. (2004). Daramadi bar neshaneshenasi- ye honar [Introduction on art semiology]. Tehran: Ghesse.