Jürgen Matthys Berderow

Semiosis of the Image An introduction to contemporary photographic theory and visual languages Photography functions as a system of signs, generating meaning through interpretation. Drawing on semiotics, it becomes clear that a photograph is not a simple reproduction of reality but a signifier that gestures beyond itself, shaped by cultural, historical, and personal contexts. Images operate on several levels. At the denotative level they present their literal content. At the connotative level they suggest symbolic or cultural associations. At the mythic level, as Roland Barthes described, they reinforce broader ideologies and systems of belief. The photographer’s choices in framing, lighting, perspective and editing shape the sign system of the image, while viewers decode it differently depending on their own contexts. The semiosis of the photographic image, thus concerns the ways in which photographs communicate ideas, values and emotions through this interplay of signs. Photography is in constant transformation, arguably more in the past decades than during much of the second half of the twentieth century. These rapid changes affect visual languages and the connotative messages they carry, ultimately reshaping contemporary photographic theory. Our course will explore the visual languages across different genres of photography in the last 50 years, uncovering the signs and messages embedded within the medium. While briefly revisiting foundational theories, the emphasis will be on contemporary texts and perspectives that address photography’s role in today’s visual culture. --- Semiosis of the Image An introduction to contemporary photographic theory and visual languages Photography functions as a system of signs, generating meaning through interpretation. Drawing on semiotics, it becomes clear that a photograph is not a simple reproduction of reality but a signifier that gestures beyond itself, shaped by cultural, historical, and personal contexts. Images operate on several levels. At the denotative level they present their literal content. At the connotative level they suggest symbolic or cultural associations. At the mythic level, as Roland Barthes described, they reinforce broader ideologies and systems of belief. The photographer’s choices in framing, lighting, perspective and editing shape the sign system of the image, while viewers decode it differently depending on their own contexts. The semiosis of the photographic image, thus concerns the ways in which photographs communicate ideas, values and emotions through this interplay of signs. Photography is in constant transformation, arguably more in the past decades than during much of the second half of the twentieth century. These rapid changes affect visual languages and the connotative messages they carry, ultimately reshaping contemporary photographic theory. Our course will explore the visual languages across different genres of photography in the last 50 years, uncovering the signs and messages embedded within the medium. While briefly revisiting foundational theories, the emphasis will be on contemporary texts and perspectives that address photography’s role in today’s visual culture.