So we’ve heard about visual literacy and digital rhetoric. What about visual rhetoric? Visual rhetoric is a combination of digital rhetoric and visual literacy. It consists of the way images and pictures can influence or persuade an audience. It’s understanding the power of images. However, in agreeing upon a set definition for visual rhetoric, there have been debates about it. To some was seen as only analyzing representation images, whereas to others they considered it anything made by human hands and it was all about how you perceived it. The one thing they all seemed to agree on was the observing part, visual rhetoric requires observation.
Analyzing Connotative & Denotative
Roland Barthes makes the claim that images have both a connotative and denotative definition. I would agree, in terms of connotative being how you view something or its representation and denotative is exactly what something is. For example an image of a rose. Connotative perspective could be it represents love or romance. As for denotative, it’s a type of flower. Many visuals have this effect, there is a literal definition and then others can interpret or see a visual as something deeper. The questions drawn from an image and its persuasiveness are a foundation of visual rhetoric.
Among visual and digital rhetoric, they are linked to one another. As we tend to communicate through technology more and more everyday, images have the ability to communicate. Take emojis or gifs for example, they are used to communicate certain emotions or display gestures. However they wouldn’t be as effective if it weren’t for the impact of rhetoric. Not even just limiting visual rhetoric to text messages, but it also pertains to websites, billboards, commercials, and video games. However, within learning about digital we know things are more complex. So when it comes to analyzing images it takes understanding how symbols and codes come into play and can manipulate an image.
Leave a Reply