User:Ronaldreagann/Visual metaphor

Types
Visual metaphors are a type of metaphor. There are two types: spatial metaphors and stylistic metaphors. Spatial visual metaphors include where objects are located, their size, whether they are abstract or realistic, and how it is arranged in respect to other objects. Stylistic visual metaphors are more about how they look specifically. For example, its color, how detailed it is, or its size.

The study of metaphor involves numerous fields in recent history from cognitive neuroscience to linguistics. Visual metaphor research occupies an underrepresented area of inquiry. With the development of the cognitive sciences, a cognitive view of metaphoric thinking is emerging. This calls for a reconsideration of visual metaphor in the practices of artists and leads to the central research question: Is there a conceptual structure to the creation of visual metaphors by artists that closely aligns with the cognitive view of metaphoric thinking? This question is addressed in a qualitative, phenomenographic research study of a consortium of artists brought together for an exhibition. Findings highlight the cognitive, social and personal domains contributing to their creation of metaphor. The result is a conceptual structure of visual metaphor derived from the practices and exhibition of the artists. The article concludes with implications of the conceptual structure of visual metaphor for art education. (Serig, 2006)

There are three types of visual metaphor that are also seen often. There is juxtaposition, fusion, and replacement. These three types of visual metaphor all differ from each other, and are all complex in their own, specific ways. These levels of complexity are based on how difficult it is for viewers to come to a conclusion on that specific visual metaphor.

In juxtaposition metaphors, both the actual product image and the metaphorical image are incorporated within the advertisement. In replacement advertisements, there is only one image shown instead of both. Because only one image is shown in replacement advertisements, the image shown is in place of the image missing as well.

"Metaphors are inherently open-ended, and can produce both strong and weak implicatures, the latter of which are alternate readings of the main message that are nevertheless called up in the mind of the interpreter"

Visual Metaphor is often seen within advertisements. Because visual metaphor is used to persuade, advertisements utilize visual metaphor to intrigue consumers. In some cases, the visual metaphor has a clear and concise message, and other times it is much more complex and hard to break down. Visual metaphors are one of the most common rhetorical devices used in advertising.

An example of a visual metaphor within advertisements can be found many places, but one is from a BMW campaign in 2007. This advertisement showed a large dog with a tiny bowl of food in front of him, and it read, "more power, less consumption." This was a clear replacement metaphor, because the dog was supposed to be in replacement of the car.