In this we explored Charles Sanders Peirce’s Theory of Signs:
Firstness
Charles Sanders Peirce explains this characteristic of semiotics as being “such as it is, utterly ignoring anything else.” Firstness is characterized by the pure form of the phenomenon, that does not allude to any larger idea not explicitly presented. In firstness the phenomenon stands alone. Firstness is represented through icons.
The close up image of the girl’s scrunched up face is an example of firstness, in which the subject is presented in a very direct way without implying any larger meaning or representing and idea not shown.
Firstness is also exemplified in the close up image of the feather, in which the viewer can experience the shape and form of the feather in its raw, unadulterated state.
Secondness
Secondness describes the perception of a phenomenon as it exists against something greater. In secondness, the phenomenon refers to a second subject without showing the relation between the two subjects. The connection of the subject to a second idea is made by the viewer in secondness, through the viewer’s memories and associations, and is not necessarily presented in the image. An example of secondness is the image of the face which the viewer connects to the image of the eye in the example of firstness. Secondness is experienced through indexes.
Thirdness
Thirdness is experienced when one is able to incorporate a phenomenon into one’s mind. In thirdness we are able to place a subject or experience into schemas and are able to categorize and interpret it. In an image that presents thirdness, the viewer is able to understand how that image fits into their existing world.
The image of the bird flying exemplifies thirdness as it helps the viewer to place the concept into his or her understanding of the world. In this image, the viewer is able to understand more about the bird and it’s behavior.
The image of the girl shows an example of thirdness because the image furthers the viewers understanding of the girl from the previous 2 images, and allows the viewer to understand how she exists in comparison to the viewers preexisting schemas of the world.
We created a three spreads with these themes as seen below:
