Visual language Visual language

1 visual language

1.1 imaging in mind
1.2 meaning , expression
1.3 perception
1.4 innate structures in brain
1.5 visual thinking
1.6 art in education

visual language

visual units in form of lines , marks constructed meaningful shapes , structures or signs. different areas of cortex respond different elements such colour , form. semir zeki has shown responses in brain paintings of michelangelo, rembrandt, vermeer, magritte, malevich , picasso.

imaging in mind

what have in our minds in waking state , imagine in dreams of same nature. dream images might or without spoken words, other sounds or colours. in waking state there usually, in foreground, buzz of immediate perception, feeling, mood , fleeting memory images. in mental state between dreaming , being awake state known day dreaming or meditative state, during things see in sky when clouds drifting, centaurs , stags, antelopes , wolves projected imagination. rudolf arnheim has attempted answer question: mental image like? in greek philosophy, school of leucippus , democritus believed replica of object enters eye , remains in soul memory complete image. berkeley explained parts, example, leg rather complete body, can brought visually mind. arnheim considers psychologist, edward b. titchener s account breakthrough in understanding of how vague incomplete quality of image impressionistic , carries meaning form.

meaning , expression

abstract art has shown qualities of line , shape, proportion , colour convey meaning directly without use of words or pictorial representation. wassily kandinsky showed how drawn lines , marks can expressive without association representational image. ancient cultures , throughout history visual language has been used encode meaning: bronze age badger stone on ilkly moor covered in circles, lines, hollow cups,winged figures, spread hand, ancient swastika, embryo, shooting star? … s story-telling rock, message world before (written) words. richard gregory suggests that, perhaps ability respond absent imaginary situations, our ancestors did paintings on rock, represents essential step towards development of abstract thought.

perception

the sense of sight operates selectively. perception not passive recording of in front of eyes, continuous judgement of scale , colour relationships, , includes making categories of forms classify images , shapes in world. children of 6 twelve months able through experience , learning discriminate between circles, squares , triangles.the child age onwards learns classify objects, abstracting essential qualities , comparing them other similar objects. before objects can perceived , identified child must able classify different shapes , sizes single object may appear have when seen in varying surroundings , different aspects.

innate structures in brain

the perception of shape requires grasping of essential structural features, produce whole or gestalt. theory of gestalt proposed christian von ehrenfels in 1890. pointed out melody still recognisable when played in different keys , argued whole not sum of parts total structure. max wertheimer researched von ehrenfels idea, , in theory of form (1923) – nicknamed dot essay because illustrated abstract patterns of dots , lines – concluded perceiving eye tends bring elements alike (similarity groupings) , complete incomplete form (object hypothesis). array of random dots tends form configurations (constellations). these innate abilities demonstrate how eye , mind seeking pattern , simple whole shapes. when @ more complex visual images such paintings can see art has been continuous attempt notate visual information.

visual thinking

thought processes diffused , interconnected , cognitive @ sensory level. mind thinks @ deepest level in sense material, , 2 hemispheres of brain deal different kinds of thought. brain divided 2 hemispheres , thick bundle of nerve fibres enable these 2 halves communicate each other. in people ability organize , produce speech predominantly located in left side. appreciating spatial perceptions depends more on right hemisphere, although there left hemisphere contribution. in attempt understand how designers solve problems, l. bruce archer proposed way designers (and else, matter) form images in mind s eye, manipulating , evaluating ideas before, during , after externalising them, constitutes cognitive system comparable different from, verbal language system. indeed believe human beings have innate capacity cognitive modelling, , expression through sketching, drawing, construction, acting out , on, fundamental human thought.

art in education

the visual language begins develop in babies eye , brain become able focus, , able recognize patterns. children s drawings show process of increasing perceptual awareness , range of elements express personal experience , ideas. development of visual aspect of language communication in education has been referred graphicacy, parallel discipline literacy , numeracy. ability think , communicate in visual terms part of, , of equal importance in learning process, of literacy , numeracy. visual artist, michael twyman has pointed out, has developed ability handle visual language communicate ideas. includes both understanding , conception , production of concepts in visual form.