1. Visual Language
EVIP 3rd ESO

2. Visual Language
• Visual language is expressed by images.
• Images represent reality, but they aren’t
reality.
René Magritte – Golconde, 1953

3. IMAGE AND ICONICITY
• The similarity between an image and the
reality is called ICONICITY.
• There are different degrees of iconicity,
depending on this similarity.
– High degree of iconicity
– Medium degree of iconicity
– Low degree of iconicity

4. IMAGE AND ICONICITY
• High degree of iconicity: the image is nearly an
exact copy of reality.
Antonio López – Gran via

5. IMAGE AND ICONICITY
• Medium degree of iconicity: the image has
something in common with reality. We can
recognize it.
Paul Klee – Cat and bird

6. IMAGE AND ICONICITY
• Low degree of iconicity: The image is
completely different from reality. We aren’t
able to recognize it as something real.
Mark Rothko – Number 8

7. VISUAL LANGUAGE AND
COMMUNICATION
• Visual language is a communication system
that uses images to transmit information.
• It is one of the most important
communication systems in our world.
• Images are everywhere to communicate us
some information: publicity, movies,
magazines, games…

8. Objective visual language
• It transmits information that can only be
explained in one way. For example: scientific
drawing, maps, technical drawing…

9. Publicity
• This kind of visual language tries to sell
something or to convince you.

10. Artistic visual language
• It has an aesthetic function.
Aristides Maillol - Mediterrània

11. VISUAL COMMUNICATION

12. VISUAL ART STYLES
• Realistic image: we can recognize it as
something real. It is a copy of the reality.
Ron Mueck – Big
head

13. VISUAL ART STYLES
• Figurative style: we can recognize it as
something real (a human figure, an animal, a
landscape), but it isn’t a copy of reality. It’s an
interpretation of reality.
Pablo R. Picasso – Dora Maar’s portrait

14. VISUAL ART STYLES
• Abstract image: the image has nothing in
common with reality. It is impossible to
recognize it.
Joan Miró – Seated woman

15. ACTIVITY
• Transforming a realistic Artwork in a figurative
one.
• Las Meninas is a painting
by Diego Velázquez.
• It was painted in 1656, and
now we can find it at El Prado
Museum, in Madrid.
• Some great painters have
reinterpreted it. For
example, Picasso.

16. Now is your chance to transform Velázquez’s
realistic Artwork in your own figurative style.
Use an A3 cardboard, and any material you prefer
(watercolors, felt-tipped pens, crayons, wax
crayons, paper collage...)