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| Michael Ray Charles |
Denotations and connotations are always present in both visual and verbal communication, and can have consequences. Michael Ray Charles, a contemporary African-American artist, shows connotations of racism and denotations of African Americans. A piece of visual communication can contain many different messages at the same time. A group of art teachers deciphered a piece by Michael Ray Charles and noticed many stereotypes of African Americans and decided that the work of art asked the viewer to attach their own stereotypical connotations onto the denotation of the African American.
To view some of Michael Ray Charles' work click the link below.
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| "Beware" 1994 Michael Ray Charles |
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| Destiny's Child: Booty Camp |
A group of art students deciphered a magazine cover and discovered many denotations in the facial cues and body language of the women featured in the magazine. The text on the magazine said “Booty Camp”, and the connotations in the image were that the women were practically naked, and their legs were spread with the text “Booty Camp” across their stomachs, objectifying women as sexual objects.
Magazines are great places to discover denotations and connotations in visual art. Advertisements for music, clothing, even food can be deciphered and broken down. Another place to discover denotations and connotations is in commercials seen on TV.
I believe that looking at an advertisement or any visual message and being able to break it down and understand what’s really being said is very important. The media pushes products and beliefs on society, and many people mindlessly eat it all up without thinking twice. The person who knows how to interpret the message is able to see the message for what it really is, and therefore is better able to consciously decide if they will accept or reject it.
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