Verbalising the Visual

Verbalising the Visual: Translating Art and Design into Words by Michael Clarke introduces readers to a broad range of language and terminology: formal and informal, academic and colloquial, global and local, all of which can be found in current art and design discourse.Exploring the complex relationship between language, objects and meaning, Verbalising the Visual shows students how to select and effectively employ language to present oral and written critical assessments of visual culture.It includes a variety of examples and case studies that explore the many ways in which language is used to discuss, describe, analyze and critically evaluate art and design.

How to get the most out of this book. Introduction. Language and meaning: Language, object and meaning; Language and visual artefacts; Linguistic devices; Activity one: the relationship between language and artefacts; Summary. Formal language: the academic disciplines of art and design: Academic language; Language across the disciplines; Language and art and design history; Language and art and design theory; Language and ideology; Activity two: how well does formal academic language communicate?; Summary. Informal language: beyond the academic disciplines: Colloquial language; Language and difference; Language and popular print; Activity three: how well do reviews communicate?; Summary. Studio talk: Language and oral communication; Oral presentations; Choosing the appropriate language; Sampling one; Summary. The essay: Expectations; Interpreting the assignment; Writing the essay; Sampling two; Summary. Other written texts: Self-reflective texts; Written reports; Critical reviews; Sampling three; Summary. Conclusion. Glossary. Picture credits. Index. Acknowledgements.