Tools for Analyzing Visual Images

Kress and Van Leeuwen (1996) Reading Images: The Grammar of

Visual Design.

Three meta-functions (M. Halliday):

1.Ideational function: semiotic function of constructing representation of what is going on in the world.

2.Interpersonal function: semiotic function of constituting communicative interactions.

3.Textual function: semiotic function of creating texts, complexes of signs which cohere both internally with each other and externally with the context in and for which they are produced.

Ideational Meaning

• Narrative Representation— When participant are connected by a vector, they are represented as doing something to or for each other. This vectorial patterns are narrative.

• Narrative structure can be further subcategorized into several processes.

Narrative Representation

1. Action process

transactional process:

ActorVectorGoal

Some transactional structures are bidirectional, that is, both participants play the role as actors and goals.

Transactional Process

Narrative Representation

2. Reactional process

I. Transactional reaction carried out by an eyeline, by a directional gaze of participant(s), who are, in this case, called Reactors. The participant(s) that are looked at are Phenomena.

II. Non-transactional reaction

Transactional Reaction

Non-transactional reaction

3. Speech process and mental process are those processes in comic strips, carried out by special kind of vectors such as a dialogue balloon that connects drawings of a speaker to his/her speech or a balloon with a thinker’s idea written in it.

Conceptual Representation

• Conceptual structures, compared to the narrative one, represent participants in terms of their more generalized and stable, timeless essence, in terms of class, structure, or meaning. They comprise three major processes:

1. Classificational process2. Analytical process3. Symbolic process

1. Classificational Process

Participants are connected to each other by means of ‘taxonomy’. Some participants will function as Subordinates with other participants functioning as Superordinates.

2.Analytical Process

• Analytical processes connect participants by means of a structure realizing a whole with its ‘accessories’: one Carrier (a whole) and some Possessive Attributes (its ‘accessories’).

• EX: 1. Maps with city names as its Possessive Attributes.

• 2. Images of fashion magazines where models-‘the Carrier’ wear trendy outfits-‘the Possessive Attributes’ .

3. Symbolic Processes

• Symbolic processes represents what a participant is or means.

• 1. Symbolic Attributive Process: There are two participants; the Carrier whose meaning and identity is revealed by the other participant Symbolic Attribute.

• 2. Symbolic Suggestive Process: there is only one participant, the Carrier, and its symbolic meaning is displayed by other elaborations, for example, verbal descriptions

Summary

Narrative representation— 1. Action Process—transactional (uni/bidirectional) non-transactional2. ReactionConceptual representation—1.Classificational, 2.Analytical, 3.Symbolic pr

ocesses.

Interpersonal meaning

1. Image Mood and the Gaze if there is gaze from the represented participant casting to viewers; if there is, the image mood is demand, if not, offer.

Interpersonal meaning

2. Social Distance can be realized by the Size of Frame varying from very-close-shot to very-long-shot, that is, the distance between represented participants and the viewers.

• 3. the degree of involvement and detachment can be revealed by the producers’ use of Horizontal Angle. For instance, the oblique angle overtly turns represented participants away from viewers.

Vertical Angle can show the Power difference between image receivers and producers

Textual meaning

1. Information Values: are attached according to how elements are spatially placed in different ‘zones’ of an image left and right (give and new), top and bottom (Ideal and real), center and margin.

2. Salience: the bits which attract most attentions

3. Framing: connecting or disconnecting elements