A Cognitive Critical Approach to Visual Semiosis
This paper is a cognitive critical study of the spatial orientations of multimodal discourse. It attempts to establish the epistemological status of Kress & van Leeuwens (1996) descriptive study of visual composition using Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980), and uncover the ideological interests and meanings implicit in the spatial orientations. With car advertisements as data, it is found that the upper elements are interpersonally foregrounded to engage the viewers and the lower elements are ideationally foregrounded to provide more detailed information. From a cognitive perspective, it is argued that such associations between spatial orientations and their semiotic functions are metaphorical mappings based on our embodied experience.
visual grammar conceptual metaphor theory critical analysis advertising discourse
FENG Dezheng
Multimodal Analysis Lab, National University of Singapore Department of English Language and Literature, National University of Singapore
国际会议
The 36th International Systemic Functional Congress(第36届国际系统功能语言学大会暨第十一届全国功能语言学研讨会ISFC36)
北京
英文
173-178
2009-07-14（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）