‘Signs, Symbols, Codes and Conventions’ are a part of the Syllabus language referenced most frequently under the ‘Post Modern’ frame. The history of these terms, popularised by Structuralist and Post Structuralist writers / thinkers is not of significant importance for you at this stage. However it is sufficient to know that these ideas are well over 100 years old and were part of the groundwork laid by Ferdinand de Saussure; 1857-1913, who is considered the father of modern linguistics and semiotics, ie “how we attach meaning to the world around us and how we communicate that meaning to others”
What is a Sign?
In Saussure’s lexicon of semiotics, for something to be a Sign it has to have both a 'Signifier' and a 'Signified'. In plain terms this means that for something to function as a Sign it has to have both a shape/form and a meaning assigned to it.
In brief that means that everything in a painting, drawing, print and photograph that is representational is a sign.
Saussure defined two types of sign systems; ‘analogue’ and ‘digital’. The Analogue sign system is the world around us, including sound and the Digital sign system comprises the worlds of visual and linguistic (written) expression. In essence; these look at how we communicate individually, as a community / society, culturally, and as a species with images, sound and language.
Just about everything in the world of Art operates as a digital sign system. Exceptions to this would include art forms such as sculpture, installation, ceramics, textiles and fibre etc which belong to the world of ‘analogue sign systems’. However photographs and reproductions of the aforementioned belong to the world of digital signs in much the same way that paintings, drawings, prints and photographs in the physical sense of the object belong to the analog world of signs whilst their content belongs to the digital world of signs.
What’s a Code
In plain language a Code is any system we use to make sense of ‘signs’ or a ‘sign system’. The most common example of a ‘code’ in use, is a dictionary. Dictionaries allow for agreed meaning to be assigned to all the words and terms in use in most languages.
As individuals we have our own ‘codes’ or ways of making sense of the world. These are informed by our experiences, our families, our friends and peer groups, personal aesthetics, our interests and education. These intersect with social codes, cultural and familial traditions and beliefs.
What’s a Symbol
Simply put a symbol is a sign that carries an agreed meaning. This could be contained within a tradition, a belief system or be part of a cultural or textual iconography. Symbols can be visual, textual, connected to a body of knowledge, cultural or societal. All are agreed on the fact that symbols have to be taught to be acquired as part of an individuals ‘code’
What is a Convention in Art
To get some agreement on what is meant by this term it might be necessary to seek out some definitions…….
A Convention is;
- “A generally accepted or traditional way of representing forms in art. Conventions are characteristic of the art produced in a particular culture, time and/or medium.” @ Stephens.edu
- “A term used to describe an accepted way of representing something, either formal or symbolical. For example there is a tacit consent when looking at Florentine Renaissance painting, to interpret linear perspective as indicating depth and recession. There is a similar agreement between artists and audience to read that the smaller figures in Byzantine mosaics represent ordinary human beings while the larger figures represent Christ, the Virgin Mary, or the saints.” @ arcyart.com
- 'Any combination of components and approaches, such as combinations of elements, design principles, composition and style'. @ Australian Curriculum
Of these, the closest to the true meaning of the word is contained in the first quote. @1
Conventions are quite powerful and often very difficult to overcome or change. A classic example of this is the persistence of the term 'Question' in examinations. For something to be considered a question it generally should begin with 'how, why, what, when or where' etc, however; 'questions' that begin with verbs such as 'describe, discuss, investigate, analyse, compare, clarify, evaluate, examine, explain, identify, outline etc are not questions, but are instructions or task outlines. The convention of the 'question' is so strong, that an instruction or a task / task outline is still called a 'question' even though it is not.
Likewise in Art, the alleged questioning of traditions and conventions must be examined closely from the position of knowing what the relevant conventions / traditions are. Many alleged 'challenges' are often just re-contextualisations of conventions.
For example; does Picasso's 'Weeping Woman' challenge the conventions of portraiture? Arguably, no. It is a simple re arrangement of the agreed features of the human face. It's a sign that can be read as such because it uses established conventions / signs without which the 'face' would not be recognisable.
