What’s in a landscape?What’s in a landscape?

The term The term LandscapeLandscape denotes the denotes the interaction of people and place or a interaction of people and place or a social group and its spaces. social group and its spaces.

LandscapeLandscape is one of the key terms of the is one of the key terms of the discipline of geography.discipline of geography.

Landscape refers to the spaces from Landscape refers to the spaces from which a social group derives some part of which a social group derives some part of its shared identity and meaning.its shared identity and meaning.

How do we understand How do we understand Landscape?Landscape?

How are landscapes How are landscapes produced and produced and consumed? consumed?

We need to examine We need to examine what elements are what elements are involved in each side involved in each side of the relationship. of the relationship.

Landscape Perceived - Mati Klarwein - 1963

Representation and Representation and signifying practicessignifying practices

RepresentationRepresentation connects meaning and connects meaning and language to culture. language to culture.

It is an essential part of the process by It is an essential part of the process by which meaning is produced and which meaning is produced and exchanged between members of a exchanged between members of a culture. culture.

Landscapes are a form of representationLandscapes are a form of representation..

Signs and RepresentationSigns and Representation

The general term we use for words, sounds or The general term we use for words, sounds or images which carry meaning is images which carry meaning is SignsSigns. .

Any sound, word, image or object which Any sound, word, image or object which functions as a sign, and is organized with other functions as a sign, and is organized with other signs into a system and is capable of carrying signs into a system and is capable of carrying and expressing meaning is a language.and expressing meaning is a language.

The process which links things, concepts and The process which links things, concepts and signs is what we call signs is what we call RepresentationRepresentation..

CodesCodes

The relationships between concepts and The relationships between concepts and signs is fixed throughsigns is fixed through CodesCodes. .

They stabilize meaning. They stabilize meaning. They make it possible for us to speak They make it possible for us to speak

and hear intelligibly. and hear intelligibly. Codes are a product of culture such that, Codes are a product of culture such that,

in various languages, certain signs will in various languages, certain signs will stand for or represent certain concepts.stand for or represent certain concepts.

Meaning is constructedMeaning is constructed

So, what’s the point: that meaning does not So, what’s the point: that meaning does not inhere in things, it is inhere in things, it is constructedconstructed, produced. , produced.

It is the result of signifying practice—a practice It is the result of signifying practice—a practice that produces meaning, that makes thing that produces meaning, that makes thing mean.mean.

Things don’t meanThings don’t mean: we construct meaning : we construct meaning using representational systems—concepts and using representational systems—concepts and signs.signs.

The Signifying ProcessThe Signifying Process

A sign can be broken down into two elements:A sign can be broken down into two elements: SignifierSignifier (which is the word or image of an (which is the word or image of an

IPod, for example)IPod, for example) Signified Signified (which is the concept in your head of (which is the concept in your head of

a portable music device)a portable music device) In short, the In short, the sign sign is the union of a form which is the union of a form which

signifies (signifies (signifiersignifier) and the idea of it () and the idea of it (signifiedsignified). ).

Writers and ReadersWriters and Readers

Every signifier given or encoded with Every signifier given or encoded with meaning by a sender has to be meaning by a sender has to be meaningfully interpreted or decoded by meaningfully interpreted or decoded by the receiver. the receiver.

Signs which have not been intelligibly Signs which have not been intelligibly received and interpreted are not, in any received and interpreted are not, in any sense, ‘meaningful’.sense, ‘meaningful’.

SemioticsSemiotics

Since all cultural objects convey meaning Since all cultural objects convey meaning (think landscape), and all cultural (think landscape), and all cultural practices depend on meaning, they must practices depend on meaning, they must make use of signs: and in so far as they make use of signs: and in so far as they do, they must work like language works, do, they must work like language works, and be amenable to an analysis. and be amenable to an analysis.

SemioticsSemiotics is that analysis: a method for is that analysis: a method for analyzing how visual representations analyzing how visual representations convey meaning.convey meaning.

The Devil Wears PradaThe Devil Wears Prada

Let’s take a look at a cultural code in action Let’s take a look at a cultural code in action and how it incorporates all the elements we and how it incorporates all the elements we have talked about so far:have talked about so far:

Signs (Signifier and Signified)Signs (Signifier and Signified) Signifying Practices Signifying Practices Representations Representations CodesCodes SemioticsSemiotics

Semiotics and LandscapeSemiotics and Landscape

Just like fashion, landscapes can be read and Just like fashion, landscapes can be read and interpreted.interpreted.

Sometimes there are knowing subjects who are Sometimes there are knowing subjects who are aware of the codes and can read them with aware of the codes and can read them with ease.ease.

For others, the landscape must be studied in For others, the landscape must be studied in order to derive meaning from it.order to derive meaning from it.

In In all casesall cases, meaning is likely to differ from , meaning is likely to differ from reader to reader.reader to reader.