3 Levels of a Visual Message

Representation

This painting is a great example of representational imagery because the subject matter is easily recognizable. In representational imagery, there is no room for interpretation, the image is what it is. Representational imagery is tied to our memories and can be instantly identified the moment we see it. There is no doubt that what is depicted here is a city. A key aspect of representational imagery is that the subject is physical. It is never something that we cannot see in our minds. Representational imagery can also carry a lot of detail. For instance, the city depicted in this painting is composed of several things that make up the city, such as the buildings, the poles, the wires, the windows, etc. All of which relays the message that this is a city.

Abstraction

Abstraction can be seen as distillation of an image, or reducing an image to only what is essential to convey a message. In this case, everything but the red liquid, which I'll assume is blood, is completely removed from the piece leaving the silhouette of a hand. It does away with the detail that you find in representational art and simply focuses on the structural level of the image. Abstractions can also evoke emotions and different interpretations. Blood on an invisible hand can be interpreted as many things and can evoke many emotions. One can look at this and see murder and how a mans action defines him, or There is no doubt that even the simplest images can be some of the most powerful ones.

Symbolism

Symbolism is the use of something such as an image, a word, a shape, a mark, an object, or even a sound to refer to something else. This piece, titled Some of Us Change, depicts a man and woman sharing a moment in what appears to be a lake or pond by the light of the moon. The woman, the man, the moon, and their reflections all come together to form a skull which signify that the couple will suffer an ill fate. The skull is a symbol commonly associated with death and in this case may symbolize the death of the couples relationship. The symbol tells us something about the image in a simple and concise way. The skull is an abstracted and artistic way of saying, "This couple will meet an unfortunate end in the future."