Context and Anchorage

Images and signs often convey a certain meaning or message when put into a certain context or form, e.g. red is usually associated with danger, and so a red flame with a strike through it would certainly show that an open flame is dangerous. Whereas red in a heart shape would be associated with love and romance, without the bad connotations. Anchorage is the way in which a combination of elements are fixed together to create an interpretation, the way an audience pieces together evidence to create a conclusion of it's meaning.

When finding evidence of anchorage we looked over the way in which adding text to an image can completely change it's meaning, this is evident in the following image:

Denotations: A woman stands naked covering her breasts and stares into the camera. Her hair is large and styled. She wears flicked black eyeliner and is surrounded by a white background.

Connotations: The woman being naked immediately associates the image with sex and provocation, her stance appears quite 'inviting' and she makes eye contact with the viewer showing a connection. The white background allows the figure to stand out most clearly in the image, creating all attention and eyes on the woman. The messy styled hair could suggest something she has been doing whilst in her current naked state, and appears quite typically 'model' like. The covered eye and messy hair shows a sense of rebellion. The image appears as if it would fit in any stereotypical men's magazine

Adding text to the image completely alters meaning:

Through the addition of the caption the viewer understands that the ad in fact promotes awareness of killing animals to wear their fur. The ad is from the well known animal protection organisation Peta. The figure's nakedness shows a stand against cruelty rather than a particularly sexual message, as it would have been without the bold text. The text 'FUR? I'd rather go naked' shows a clear and bold opinion of the fur industry and of the people who wear it. That the figure would rather wear her own skin than something elses.