Rationale - Symbol

Idea

The poster represents an old Mexican tradition of pregnant women wearing safety pins on their clothing during a solar eclipse. This is in order to protect their unborn children from evil spirits that are linked to the eclipse. The idea was to draw the form of a safety pin using a chart displaying the phases of the moon, in order to visually communicate the link between the solar eclipse and safety pins.

Semiotics

In terms of Pierce's semiotics, the image fits into the symbol category due to the fact that it is far removed enough from the object and would need context to be given to understand the meaning. Without any given context, the viewer is unable to identify what the image represents. But after learning the context about solar eclipses and the link to safety pins, the viewer is able to learn the meaning of the symbol.

Visual Communication / Design Principles

The solar eclipse research is visually communicated in the final image through the use of circular shapes. Although the final image does not show the safety pin form drawn using the moon chart in its entirety, the abstract outcome lends itself better to the symbol category - as the context must not be so obvious but instead learnt. Despite this, the eclipse motif is enhanced further through the use of an inverted filter, creating an interesting contrasting gradient between the circular shapes and the background. This differing gradient visually communicates the many phases and movement of the moon through the use of light and dark contrast. Furthermore, in terms of the background, the image has been heavily zoomed-in on the safety clasp part of the pin (hard to make out, but recognisable once the context is given). This links back to the idea that this tradition is about safety - mothers protecting their unborn children. Moreover, the heavy grain filter on the image not only lends itself to creating an interesting contrast but also pushes forward the idea of a sonograph - an image of an unborn child.

Links to Research

The final image as a whole visually represents Mother's in Mexico protecting their unborn children from a solar eclipse and visually communicates fertility, motherhood, and safety.