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The Four Planes of Analysis

This document outlines the four planes of analysis for understanding works of art: the basic semiotic plane, the iconic plane, the contextual plane, and the axiological or evaluative plane. It provides details on what each plane covers and how they build upon each other to interpret the meaning and value of a work of art.

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Quenard Medillo Gales
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1K views19 pages

The Four Planes of Analysis

This document outlines the four planes of analysis for understanding works of art: the basic semiotic plane, the iconic plane, the contextual plane, and the axiological or evaluative plane. It provides details on what each plane covers and how they build upon each other to interpret the meaning and value of a work of art.

Uploaded by

Quenard Medillo Gales
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE FOUR PLANES

OF ANALYSIS
The Basic
Semiotic Plane
The Basic Semiotic Plane

Semiotics is the study of "signs“—here the work of


art is the iconic or pictorial sign. A sign consists of a
"signifier" or its material/physical aspect and its
"signified" or non-material aspect as concept and
value. Related to these is the "referent" or object as it
exists in the real world.
The basic semiotic plane covers the elements and the
general technical and physical aspects of the work with
their semantic (meaning-conveying potential). It
includes:

1. The visual elements and how they are used


2. The choice of medium and technique
3. The format of the work
4. Other physical properties and marks of the work
The Iconic Plane
or The Image
Itself
The Iconic Plane or The Image Itself

This has to do with the particular features, aspects, and


qualities of the image which are the signifiers. The image is
regarded as an "iconic sign" which means, beyond its
narrow associations with religious images in the Byzantine
style, that it is a unique sign with a unique, particular and
highly nuanced meaning, as different from a conventional
sign such as a traffic or street sign which has a single literal
meaning.
The Iconic Plane includes:
1. The choice of the subject which may bear social and political implications
◦ We can ask the question: Is the subject meaningful in terms of the socio-
cultural context, does it reflect or have a bearing on the values and ideologies
arising in a particular place and time?
2. Positioning of the figure/s
3. Where the gaze is directed (in portraits)
4. Cropping of the figures
5. The relationship of the figures to one another
6. The style of the figuration
Figuration
 Classical figuration basically follows the proportion of 7 1/2 to 8 heads to
the entire figure in its pursuit of ideal form, all imperfections concealed.
 Realist figuration is based on the keen observation of people, nature, and
society in the concern for truth of representation.
 Impressionist figuration is fluid and informal, often catching the subject
unawares like a candid camera.
 Expressionist figuration follows emotional impulses and drives, thus often
involving distortion that comes from strong emotion.
The Contextual
Plane
The Contextual Plane

•Proceeds from the basic semiotic and iconic planes


and the knowledge and insights one has gained from
these into the social and historical context of the
work of art.
•The viewer draws out the dialogic relationship of art
and society.
The Contextual Plane includes:

•A broad knowledge of history and the economic,


political and cultural conditions, past and present, of a
society
•The work of art may contain references and allusions,
direct or indirect, to historical figures and events, as
well as to religious, literary, and philosophical ideas
and values which are part of the meaning of the work.
The Contextual Plane includes:

•Different symbolic systems which are culture-bound


•These systems may have to do with color, shape, design,
as well as cultural symbols associated with the belief
systems of the different ethnic groups.
The Contextual Plane

•The contextual plane likewise situates the work in the


personal and social circumstances of its production.
•The work may contain allusions to personal or public
events, conditions, stages, as well as influences, such as
persons and literary texts, that have been particularly
meaningful to the artist.
The meaning of one work may become part of a
larger body or work or of an integral artistic
vision if analyzed through the semiotic, iconic,
and contextual plane.
The Axiological
or Evaluative
Plane
The Axiological or Evaluative Plane
• The axiological plane has to do with analyzing the values of a
work.
• The first consideration in evaluating would be to what degree
the material basis of the work conveys meaning or
particular intellectual/emotional contents.
• Reckons with standards of excellence in the use of the medium
and its related techniques.
• Understanding and evaluating the technical side of the work requires
a familiarity with and sensitivity to the properties of medium.
The Axiological or Evaluative Plane

•The evaluation of a work necessarily includes the


analysis and examination of its axiological content
constituted by values which become fully articulated
on the contextual plane although these had already
been shaping on the basic semiotic and iconic planes.
The Axiological or Evaluative Plane
• The artist is not or should not be a mere technician but expresses a
view of life in his or her work.
• The viewer/critic is also not a mere technical expert confined to the
analysis of the elements, techniques, and processes alone. As also the
artist should, places a value on the capacity of art to influence and
transform society.
• The mature viewer or critic is one who must have, after long
expression and experience, arrived at the formulation of his own
value system, his or her view of the world and humanity which he or
she has come to feel deeply and strongly about.
The Axiological or Evaluative Plane

•Art projects a horizon of meanings relative to both


the artist and the critic/viewer in terms of intellectual
background, emotional maturity, and cultural range in
the humanly enriching dialogic experience of art.

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