The author could have chosen any ancient symbolic language, such as Egyptian or Pre-Columbian, but being from Denmark, she developed a unit that would introduce American students to artwork familiar to northern Europeans. Looking at examples of ancient art from Denmark and Sweden, students were to think about the use of symbols in ancient time and…

Investigates the mathematical ideas in iconographic designs such as sand scenes, yawalyu, site-path designs, and guruwari from the perspective of formal language theory and provides short formal grammars that generate the languages of designs. Suggests the pedagogical value of viewing Walpiri iconography as mathematics and discusses whether the…

An examination of key symbols and structures of the recent film, "Fried Green Tomatoes," reveals the nature of the process of coding representations of the real world and its effects. The movie depicts two parallel stories of female friendship. Changes and development of the characters are primarily portrayed through changes in their…

Discusses the relevancy of visual arts programs to the development of the capacity for visual symbolizing. Explains the use of visual symbols to communicate at a very general level, to communicate accurately and specifically, and to communicate uniquely and expressively. Suggests schools not cut visual arts programs. (RC)

Visual modes of communication are described in this book, which also attempts to show some of the layers of meaning implicit in visual forms and symbols and something of what these can tell about people in general and their subconscious striving for self-identification. It is composed of a series of selected images--photographs, cartoons,…

The process of film making can be thought of as beginning with a person's feeling or concern about something. To communicate this feeling to others, the film maker (sender) must develop an organic unit which will provide a vehicle that can embody the feeling/Story-Organism. The film maker selects and orders a series of signs, images, or events…

This first volume in a bicultural educational series designed and produced especially for use in the Aberdeen (South Dakota) area schools has educational import for children and teachers everywhere who have an interest in the art and culture of the Western Sioux Tribe. This visual and verbal approach to art appreciation emphasizes the function of…

Contemporary society is an "information society" where much of the information has a visual nature. This text uses semiotic and psychological concepts to help students gain understanding of how meaning is found in visual phenomena and how minds process images. Focus is upon mass media and popular culture. Theoretical discussions are…

Based on the more general principle that all thinking (including reasoning) is basically perceptual in nature, the author proposes that visual perception is not a passive recording of stimulus material but an active concern of the mind. He delineates the task of visually distinguishing changes in size, shape, and position and points out the…