Visual rhetoric is closely related to digital rhetoric, but visual rhetoric is a much broader topic. Visual rhetoric focuses on the study of images and how they persuade people. It is hard to come up with one concrete definition because it overlaps with the study of design. Images are not just things that our brain recognizes as having a meaning, but there is a cultural and historical aspect of images. Images can have a deeper meaning than what it may appear to be on the surface level. Think of religious symbols such as the cross. It may just appear to be a plain cross, but to someone who is Christian it has a much deeper meaning.
Images in Comics
When I think of images that convey meaning I think of comic books. Things like the Superman “S” symbol or Batman’s bat signal are examples of visual rhetoric. Superman’s “S” symbol has evolved from a costume design to convey hope to anyone who may see the symbol. Just like the bat signal, where if a criminal sees it in the sky they know that they are no longer safe doing what they are doing. There are many images in comics that hold a much deeper meaning, even a character’s costume design. I would go as far as to say that Spider-Man’s mask is symbolic of the fact that anyone could see themselves as Spider-Man. He wears a mask not only to hide his identity, but also to allow people to see themselves as Spider-Man.
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