blog #4 - soprano et cetera

"...there are those who think that the image is an extremely rudimentary system in comparison with language and those who think that signification cannot exhaust the image's ineffable richness. Now even––and above all if––the image is in a certain manner the limit of meaning, it permits the consideration of a veritable ontology of the process of signification" (269).

Some may believe that images do not universally contain meaning, that relentless search of meaning can subvert the very essence of the image. Others argue, however, that images can contain meaning on the most basic level, and that the exploration of meaning cannot undermine the image itself.

"It can thus be seen that in the total system of the image the structural functions are polarized: on the one hand there is a sort of paradigmatic condensation at the level of the connotators (that is, broadly speaking, of the symbols), which are strong signs, scattered, 'reified'; on the other a syntagmatic 'flow' at the level of the denotation..." (283).

In other words, any element within the image can––and probably does––have two distinct simultaneous functions: that of its denotation and that of its connotation.

"At all events, the denoted image, to the extent to which it does not imply any code (the case with the advertising photograph), plays a special role in the general structure of the iconic message which we can begin to define: the denoted image naturalizes the symbolic message, it innocents the semantic artifice of connotation, which is extremely dense, especially in advertising" (279).

The denotative message not only is crucial in understanding the connotative message, but it serves to simplify and clarify the dense language and symbology that are inevitably present within any image.

~

With regard to the poster for The Sopranos specifically, I could argue that many––if not all––of the elements within the image support these claims. Let's take, for example, the fact that the image is black and white. Yes, this could be a stylistic choice on the part of the artist. But all we know on the denotative level is that it is black and white. We cannot infer as to the meaning behind it. This is where the connotation comes into play. We could argue, perhaps, that the aesthetic values of black and white directly reflect two sides of an inner conflict within our protagonist. We could support this with the inference that his line of eyesight is suggestive of doubt and suspicion. We could certainly refer to surroundings. The statue of liberty stands on the distant horizon behind Tony Soprano. What does liberty, or free will, mean in the world of our protagonist? We could go further and look at his clothing. He's wearing a dark suit and overcoat. The immediate image of a funeral in the rain comes to mind.

The opportunities for argument here are endless. Any element can be discussed in terms of its denotative message and its connotative message. But sometimes the symbology is incredibly dense; this is where we must step back and look at the image objectively, for its denotative message can be extremely useful in understanding its connotative message. If I were to explore this image further, I would next analyze the juxtaposition of the bright red text, "Made in America," with the rest of the black and white image.