USES OF SEMIOLOGY
This section on Semiology covers the three aesthetic archetypes, namely Romanticism, Populism and Formalism. Having read through this set of thirteen pages (each concept being covered on a single page), then try some of the following suggestions (or do similar things that will also illustrate the appropriate points). Take any of the premises and apply them to a situation of interest to you. The situation might involve anything from some small thing in the here and now, to larger considerations in wider venues.
In the case of Semiology, consider any object or event from an aesthetic point of view, and apply the three archetypal premises to discern how each might alter the interpretation of what is communicated. For instance, if a book was written primarily for the author’s self-expression, what does this say about the content and style? If on the other hand, it was written primarily for the readers, would that change the judgment of the merit (or whatever) of the content or style? Lastly, if the book was written to impress other authors, what difference would that make to an appraisal of the content and style? Try this kind of exercise with any and all forms of art or situations with an aesthetic aspect to them (which is pretty well everything). Should architecture be functional or symbolic? Should paintings be representational or impressionistic? Are there appropriate ways of doing an aesthetic activity that depend on which of the premises the producer holds?
Perhaps the communication of aesthetics governs not only clothing and jewelry, but also buildings, automobiles, ideas, and habits. Look for examples of where this might be the case, or not! Is the primary focus the audience, other artists, or the art form itself . Others might see it differently – that’s all right too. After some practice with each of the aesthetic modalities, strive to be a reflective practitioner by applying the three core aesthetic archetypes either simultaneously or concurrently to situations you are trying to understand.
You might also categorize some of your own aesthetic sensibilities in different ways. Would writing for others, either audiences or other authors, “really amount to the same thing”?
Or, would writing for authors, either yourself or confreres, be quite distinct from writing for readers (the audience)? Questions like this, if carefully formulated and directed, might reveal patterns of behaviour or output never before noticed.
How much of aesthetic communication is simply idiosyncratic, and how much of it is intentionally crafted with semiotic awareness? Do those who specialize in aesthetic communication maintain consistency in their modalities, whether within an individual work or between different projects? Does either aesthetic consistency, or aesthetic variety have a bearing on the effectiveness and/or quality of the communication? Regardless of your answers to any of these questions, the major point about Semiotics is that the limitations of partiality apply in this area as much as in the other aspects of Perspectivity. Neither romanticism, nor populism, nor formalism should be regarded as the "right" or the "best" approach to the communication of sensibilities - such claims are nothing more than aesthetic chauvanism.