Semiotics

I have never heard of the term 'semiotics' until today's lecture. From what I gathered semiotics are signs, the analogies, metaphors and symbolism in a photo. For example like an ad campaign for Gucci. You would ask yourself questions such as:

• What message are they trying to portray?
• Why is the model posing the way she is?
• What does her clothes connote?
• What does her surroundings suggest?
• What type of customer are they targeting?
• How does this image make you feel?

Azealia Banks, Dazed & Confused Cover

Azealia Banks is an American hip-hop artist. She is known to be controversial and tends to do everything in her power to be different and go against the grain of society. Firstly the background suggests to me that she is in her room, I see what looks to be a bed-frame behind her and a picture of the late rapper Tupac. Who could be her favourite rapper? Her idol? Her pose oozes confidence and self awareness. She is showing us her middle finger, which suggests to me that she doesn't about what you think about her. She is also shown blowing up a condom, which of course is sexual but I find difficulty depicting the meaning behind it. Is she promoting safe sex? Is it just a prop to go alongside her pose?

This Gucci campaign was released when Tom Ford was creative designer. I get the impression that the models are in a hotel room, possibly about to engage in an sexual act. The image is highly sexualised but also switching the power roles of genders. In todays society we only ever see images of women to be in the position of where the man is in the photo. Also the female model has her pubes shaved into G, which obviously stands for Gucci. I get the impression that Gucci wanted to target a more younger sexier market with this risque campaign.