This thesis maps the existence, extent and diverse applications of the magic lantern in the Australasian colonies and brings to light a cultural practice that had remained largely invisible in histories of photography, cinema, and popular culture in nineteenth century Australasia. The thesis demonstrates that the magic lantern was popular as entertainment on both a private, domestic and a public scale. It traces its widespread adoption in two broad institutional contexts, the educational and the religious, and shows how this wide-ranging practice and consumption was supported by developing social and commercial infrastructure in the colonies and a network of touring lanternists. It argues that the magic lantern located the Australasian colonial culture within a global one centred around the consumption of visual technology and an international exchange of images. Colonial audiences were not, however, merely the passive recipients of a globalised imagery or culture. They were active contributors to it, constructing their own meanings in response to imported images. The thesis argues that, while the magic lantern functioned to affirm a sense of imperial identity in both colonisers and the colonised, it was adapted locally to the creation of colonial, intercolonial and regional identities, as an alternative to a dominant Eurocentric mass-mediated world view. Colonial practitioners applied this powerful medium to the generation of images at a local level that reveal an enthusiasm for colonial events and stories, a sense of place, and a celebration of local identity on the big screen.

In two studies, the author attempts to develop a general symbol theoretical approach to knowledge representation. The first study, Modeling change - the frame problem, critically examines the - so far unsuccessful - attempts to solve the notorious frame problem. By discussing and analyzing a number of related problems - the prediction problem, the revision problem, the qualification problem, and the book-keeping problem - the frame problem is distinguished as the problem of finding a representational form permitting a changing, complex world to be efficiently and adequately represented. This form, it is argued, is dictated by the metaphysics of the problem world, the fundamental form of the symbol system we humans use in rightly characterizing the world. In the second study, Pictures and words, the symbol theoretical approach is made more explicit. The subject Is the distinction between pictorial (non-linguistic, non-propositional, analogical, "direct") representation and verbal (linguistic, propositional) representation, and the further implications of this distinction. The study focuses on pictorial representation, which has received little attention compared to verbal representation. Observations, ideas, and theories in AI, cognitive psychology, and philosophy are critically examined. The general conclusion is that there is as yet no cogent and mature theory of pictorial representation that gives good support to computer applications. The philosophical symbol theory of Nelson Goodman is found to be the most thoroughly developed and most congenial with the aims and methods of AI. Goodman's theory of pictorial representation, however, in effect excludes computers from the use of pictures. In the final chapter, an attempt is made to develop Goodman's analysis of pictures further turning it into a theory useful to AI. The theory outlined builds on Goodman's concept of exemplification. The key idea is that a picture is a model of a description that has the depicted object as its standard model. One consequence Is that pictorial and verbal forms of representation are seen less as competing alternatives than as complementary forms of representation mutually supporting and depending on each other. / digitalisering@umu

The study focuses the evil within human beings and evil actions against other humans and the human kind. The evil is defined as evil actions such as murder and actions in war. The questions asked is whether the evil has a face and if it is possible in that case to paint that kind of face. The medieval mural paintings in old churches include Cain murdering his brother Abel based on the Bible. The study also includes reliefs, sculptures in stone describing Cains´s murder of Abel and sculptures with the Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem according to the Bible. These pieces of medieval art are compared with the paintings of evil faces by some modern artists. The method used in the analysis is Panofsky´s iconological method. The result shows that the medieval art is formally more strictly structurer and that the modern artists have a more personal style. In addition to this fact is the different purpose of the different kinds of art. The medieval mural paintings are storytelling from the Bible and modern art is based on influences from other artists in art history and the artists´own ideas and thoughts in a more persoanl way of painting. The meaning in medieval art is more clear and obvious than that in the modern art. The conclusion reached at is that evil exists but that one cannont talk about a special face of the evil.

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For fifty-seven years the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has been interpreting Canada to Canadians through documentary films which have simultaneously reflected and shaped the identity of this country and its peoples. This study is concerned with the NFB's documentary film portrayal of Native Canadians. Over the half century that the NFB has been making films about Canada's indigenous peoples their portrayal has undergone much change. Comparisons are made in this study between three of the earliest examples and three of the most recent examples of such films, with regard to attitude, voice, and technique. The effect these choices have upon representation is also discussed. Changes in technical, artistic, and philosophical aspects of the documentary film genre have also had a significant effect upon representation of Native peoples over the past fifty years, and are considered as well. Educationally, the study considers issues of manipulation of knowledge and hidden curricula. Playing an increasingly important role in education today, the media is a powerful tool both for teaching and for the inculcation of social norms. Suggestions are made as to ways in which this medium can best be used in the classroom.

Print materials for audiences with low levels of literacy usually include illustrations. This is particularly true of health education materials designed to raise awareness of serious diseases like the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and Tuberculosis (TB). When people cannot read well, it is often assumed illustrations will communicate information more clearly than written text. Theories of visual communication, however, suggest that visuals are ambiguous and more likely to be misinterpreted than written text, especially by under-educated viewers in environments where visuals and print materials are scarce. Moreover, the traditional guidelines on illustrating educational materials for adults with limited literacy are dated and often anecdotal. Due to South Africa’s high HIV/AIDS and TB infection rates, effective health education is important. The lack of basic literacy skills among millions of adults presents a challenge. It is important to understand the communicative potential and limitations of illustrations in health education materials in order to maximise their success. This qualitative research analyses how visual meaning is structured in illustrations from health education print materials from a semiotic perspective. A mixed method approach known as hybridised semiotics (Penn, 2000) is used, which in this case combines the semiotic analysis of the illustrations with data collected through interviews. Audience interpretations of the illustrations are contrasted with the producer’s intended meanings. 23 individual interviews were conducted with Zulu-speaking adult participants from ABET Level 1 Zulu literacy classes in two rural and two urban literacy centres in KwaZulu-Natal. The research instrument for the interviews included illustrations in different illustrating styles and with different approaches to content. The content of the illustrations included HIV/AIDS; the digestive system, safety for caregivers, and TB. The illustration styles included artistic techniques, levels of stylization, pictorial depth and background detail. The participants frequently misinterpreted the illustrations, or were able to describe the basic appearance of what was depicted without interpreting the complexities of the intended messages. Reported education levels seemed to influence participants’ abilities to interpret pictures, but not as significantly as expected. Findings suggest that rural participants were more likely to misinterpret illustrations containing symbols and unfamiliar objects, and tended to focus on describing surface details. Even though urban participants were more likely to discuss the connotations of illustrations, they often misinterpreted the intended message. Previous background knowledge and experience of the subject matter of the illustrations seemed to be the factor that enabled participants to infer the intended meanings of illustrations. This study demonstrates the use of a semiotic approach to analysing illustrations, which may help to predict and avoid sources of confusion for audiences with low literacy. It also confirms that certain guidelines remain relevant while others do not, and provides specific recommendations on how to enhance the effectiveness of visual communication in this context. Illustrations have many beneficial roles, and remain essential components of reading material for audiences with low levels of literacy. It is therefore important to understand their complexity, and the reasons why they may be misinterpreted, so that their educational potential can be maximised. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2014.

Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur två målgrupper tolkar Vings visuella kommunikation med hjälp av två bilder ur deras annonsering för att sedan jämföra detta mellan de två grupperna samt Vings intention med kommunikationen.  För att besvara detta syfte har vi utformat följande forskningsfrågor: Vad vill resebolaget förmedla med sina bilder i sin annonsering? Vilka skillnader och likheter finns det i målgruppers tolkning av resebilder? På vilka sätt stämmer sändarens intention med bilderna överens med mottagarnas uppfattning och tolkning av dessa? Vi har valt att utföra en kvalitativ fallstudie med en induktiv ansats. Valet föll på denna undersökningsmetod då vi ville inbringa förståelse för vårt problem. Vårt empiriska material är insamlat med hjälp av åtta personliga intervjuer med två målgrupper samt en telefonintervju med Ving för att få information om bilderna som använts i undersökningen. Vi har kommit fram till att resebolaget Ving vill förmedla följande budskap med sina bilder i sin annonsering: kunden ska besöka deras hemsida, kvinnor ska framställas som starka och med respekt, de vill förmedla känslor av avkoppling, lugn, harmoni och semesterkänsla samt differentiera sig på marknaden. Skillnader i målgruppernas tolkning har vi kommit fram till att vara följande: åsikter kring svartvita resebilder, förmågan att urskilja fler komponenter och den manliga modellens framställning. Likheterna är istället: den kvinnliga modellens framställning, sexanspelningar samt emotioner. Slutligen har vi identifierat på vilka sätt Vings intention med annonsbilderna stämmer överens med mottagarnas tolkning av dessa. Vings budskap med hemsidan, framställning av kvinnor och de känslor som upplevs är de som delvis uppfattas av målgrupperna. Dock lyckas Ving inte nå fram fullt ut med deras differentiering och konsekventa kommunikation. / The purpose of this case study has been to examine how two target groups interpret the visual communication of the Swedish travel company Ving by choosing two pictures from their advertising, for the ability to compare the result between the two groups and also Vings intention with the communication. To be able to answer this purpose, we have created following three research questions: What does the travel company want to convey with their pictures in their advertising? Which differences and similarities are there between target groups interpretation of travel pictures? In what ways does the senders’ intention with the pictures correlate with the receiver’s perception and interpretation of them? We have used a qualitative methodology with an inductive approach in this study. For the empirical material we have conducted eight personal interviews with women representing two different target groups, couples and parents. We have also had a telephone interview with the marketing manager of Ving Sweden to collect information about the pictures used in this study. Our conclusions are that the travel company Ving wants to convey the following messages to their customers with their pictures in their advertising: visit the company´s website, portrait women as strong and with respect, convey feelings of relaxation, calmness, harmony and holiday feeling. Finally they want to differentiate themselves on the market. The differences in the target groups´ interpretations of the pictures are: different views of black and white travel pictures, the ability to distinguish more components and the male models portrayal. The similarities between the target groups´ interpretations are; the portrayal of the female model, references to sex and also emotions. Finally we have identified that Ving´s intention with the pictures correlate in some aspects to the target groups´ perceptions and interpretations of them: visit the company´s website, portrayal of women and the feeling of the same emotions. However, the intention with the differentiation and consistent communication do not reach the target groups.

The aim of this study was to search for a link between the subject pictorial studies in means of expression and the ability to communicate in written and spoken language. To do so findings in relevant literature and a few complementing theories was addressed to cast light on interviews made with teachers dedicated to the subject pictorial studies in a subject-integrated curriculum. Interviews were conducted with nine teachers and all but one were teachers in the subject pictorial studies, spread across all of the nine grades in compulsory school. Informants were located in areas of socioeconomically high as well as low status, in central and densely populated areas as well as areas less densely populated. The diverse theoretical background consisted of semiotics, constructivist theory, social constructivist theory and genre theory. Theories and literature partly both contradicted and supported each other, depending on situation and circumstance. No evident conclusion could be made that discriminated one affecting cause from another on speech or writing skills. Yet some of the informants stated that the subject pictorial studies, to some extent, could be used to stimulate communication in written and spoken language, while some informants did not. One example on how this could be carried out, given by one of the informants, was by letting the pupils initially express their own thoughts and theories by aesthetic means which, according to the informants, enriched the following expressions in written or spoken language. Preferably future research should focus on classroom observations combined with interviews with language arts teachers as well as art teachers, and, in order to understand the perspective of the pupils, interviews with them as well.

網路的普及使得大眾越來越依賴網站資訊，作為消費依據。網路的超鏈結功能可讓瀏覽者任意跳接文本，這使得網路文本的核心意義流動不定；對於把網站作為重要傳播銷售工具的企業來說，該如何將網站的訊息正確地傳達給瀏覽者是重要議題之一。本研究挪用並調整法國符號學者Roland Barthes提出的圖文兼具的廣告文本研究取徑，據以分析房地產建案網站的文本，希冀能發掘網站文本中的符號意義指涉及其運作形式。本文發現，經由刻意的設計，網路文本限制了意義可能的開展，運用圖文符號的預設意義功能、以及情境意義功能等，將建案網站的核心意義保持單一，以方便建案行銷人員進行行銷推廣活動。 / We have entered an era in which hypertext has become a major information source for the audience. Hypertext allows the Internet surfers customize reading path based on their personal interests. However, the infinite hyperlinks between web-pages pose a challenge to marketing and advertising professionals. The study intends to describe the signifying process of the website texts based on Roland Barthes’ image-text analytical approach. We first appropriate Barthes’ analytical method by taking the features of websites into consideration. Secondly, we choose three real-estate websites and analyze the signifying process of these web messages. We conclude that commercial websites frames website viewers’ perception by utilizing the anchorage and relay functions proposed by Barthes. That is, the meanings of samples under this study are limited to a single voice so as to strengthen the persuasion effects.

Since its introduction in Australia, photography has had a profound impact on Australian culture. The modern era, it is often alleged, has been dominated by the sense of sight, and from its inception, photography was explicitly understood in relation to this prestigious notion of modern vision. The camera and its associated technologies offered a “new” and modern way of seeing that was central to the overall project of modernity. This thesis is a study of the role of photography in the increasing visualisation of Australian culture during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Drawing on debates around modernism, it explores the cultural and social expressions of photography. Each chapter of this thesis considers an aspect of photography or its use, and traces the emerging popularisation and commodification of the photographic image. The social impact of photography is explored in a selection of specific contexts that include early camera clubs and societies of the 1890s, and the growing amateur movement that followed the new “point and shoot” technology so ably depicted by the Kodak Girl. Other contexts include the professional applications of photography, official and private uses of photography during World War I, and finally the journalistic and cinematic uses of the photographic image in the 1920s. Together these contexts show how the romance and optimism of technology ignited enthusiasm for the visual medium across class and gender divides, moving from initial popularity amongst a local scientific elite, spreading to amateurs, professionals, and eventually being put to political and social uses, throughout the world. (For complete abstract open document)