3.1 Visual rhetoric defined
Visual rhetoric is a special area of academic study to its own. It has a long history in the study of art and semiotics (the study of symbols) and it has kinship to the classical study of oral rhetoric such as persuasive speeches and legal arguments.
For the purpose of our studies, we will define the phrase “visual rhetoric” as the means by which visual imagery can be used to achieve a communication goal such as to influence people’s attitudes, opinions, and beliefs. The study of visual rhetoric, therefore, is to ask the question, “How do images act rhetorically upon viewers?” (Hill, C. A., & Helmers, M., 2012, p. 1).
The techniques of visual rhetoric align with the classic pillars of rhetoric:
- Ethos – An ethical appeal meant to convince an audience of the author’s credibility or character.
- Pathos – An emotional appeal meant to persuade an audience by appealing to their emotions.
- Logos – An appeal to logic meant to convince an audience by use of logic or reason.
One of today’s most familiar uses of visual rhetoric are the memes you see in social media. Memes, in an incredibly concise and penetrating way, are able to punctuate a dialogue or issue with “likes” and shares calculating a somewhat blunt measure of their popularity.
An example of a popular meme as documented by the KnowYourMeme.com website.
From KnowYourMeme.com: “Success Kid, sometimes known as I Hate Sandcastles, is a reaction image of a baby at a beach with a smug facial expression. It has been used in image macros to designate either success or frustration. In early 2011, the original image was turned into an advice animal style image macro with captions describing a situation that goes better than expected.” © KnowYourMeme.com All Rights Reserved
So if memes are a common part of your daily communication, it is a good entry point for describing the capability of visual rhetoric.
Read Purdue OWL: Visual Rhetoric Overview
This brief resource will show a graphical representation of visual rhetoric in relation to other disciplines plus some references to other research.
Read The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) – Visual Rhetoric: An Introduction for Students of Visual Communication
This article provides an overview of visual rhetoric as a body of knowledge within visual literacy and graphic design.
