Visual Communication's 8th Symphony

 The bow of the violin tilts upon its four strings and strums and the symphony has begun. A history told in the kinetic before the left hand of the violinists sends their left arm back. A crescendo and break and hearts stir in response. Commanding the room, the vibrations push and pull from string to string. A dance of emotion and a story told without hand gestures. Time is held in the hands of strings as they play.

 Communication is the beginning and end of every action, relationship and art form.

Visual communication is mesmerizing because it is provocative. Visual communication evokes a sensitivity in the eye, in contrast to written communication which prompts longevity and persistence into a conveyed message. The goals of visual communication are many, yet it does not demand an answer but allows space for contemplation. Unlike written communication, the visual has the option to enforce law and logic through imagery and symbols; from iconic, symbolic, and indexical- the opportunities are open ended to allude and seek progress. Symbols give direction whether it’s common ground to signify significance (symbolic), assume through evidence (indexical), or to alert and simplify (iconic), visual communication allows variance. Much more than allowance, it gives of itself shapes that become icons of pop culture. Visual communication befriends symbols and creates a narrative of color, depth, and remembrance through photographs. 

 

Banksy is an artist who uses piercing visuals to convey his messages. Spray paint on a city scape wall depicts the realities of man. Specifically, a man in full thrust throwing flowers, masked and looking as if ready to throw a grenade… instead he holds a bouquet of color. The contrast between black and white of the man’s clothing draws the eye in, but upon a closer look, the flowers are present. Provocative of the state of humankind. Banksy uses pop up art in cities to flip thought patterns. 

The non-for-profit Hope for African Children Initiative logo is an illusion. The two point of views it portrays are one: of Africa and its edges of orange, and two: the outline of mother and child separated. A play on vision and the purpose of the organization. The second image of a mother looking down on a child subjects the audience to moments of their own lives and calls for empathy.

To put a pin in it to remember something for later is the image that Pinterest has used. A play on words and a location to “pin” everything for a later DIY project. Pinterest displays that its users no longer need a board to place their goals but can save their pins electronically. The P in Pinterest is a mock style of a red board pin.  Their logo is simple yet effective. 

 

From written, audio, visual, and verbal communication, mankind is made dynamic allowing for different modes of communication to mean differently to all. The beauty in diversity and message is what allows for communication to persist. Through communication and the visual, mankind evolves.