ref: 2004/1 (10)

Distinctive approaches to visual culture analysis

The articles in this second issue of Art on the line offer some distinctive approaches to the analysis of visual culture in its widest sense. In Putting the magic back into design: from object fetishism to product semantics and beyond, Rafael Cardoso poses the fundamental but vital question, 'exactly how do objects of art and design express ideas through their appearance, shape and use?' By analysing 'object fetishism' within the context of contemporary debates addressing product semantics, Cardoso explores the relationship between artefacts and their signification and challenges common assumptions regarding the relationship between form and meaning with specific reference to new conceptions of product life cycle and post-use.