Social semiotics of the image of migration in the photos of Iranian photographers "A case study of the collection of staged photos of three Iranian photographers"

Document Type : Original Article

Author
afsane kamran
Faculty Member of the Faculty of Art and Architecture, Kharazmi University
10.22034/jcsc.2024.2010343.2693
Abstract
By a social semiotics framework, this article examines the staged photography collection of three Iranian photographers (Tabrizian, Moradi, and Dashti). Drawing inspiration from the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) in advertising, which builds upon Lakoff and Johnson's conceptual metaphors in contemporary metaphor theory, the study delves into conceptual representations such as homeland, identity, and culture. The primary research inquiry revolves around how Iranian photographers construct the concept of migration and how these metaphors are visually depicted. The findings reveal that the central themes in the representation of migration are home, nature, and the road. The photographers' perspectives on migration are reflected through four overarching metaphors: journey and vessel, transformation, and source. The photographs primarily convey the profound metaphor of the journey, symbolizing the inner and mental voyage of the migrant individual. Home and its spatial representation as an emptying vessel for familial connections encapsulate the reservoir of memories and aspirations of the migrant individual. In Moradi's photographs, migration is portrayed through external and internal transformations, illustrating the evolution of the migrant's identity. Gohar Dashti's collection portrays nature as a timeless substitute for the homeland, with its representation as a sublime panorama suggesting its ability to encompass the migrant's memories, relationships, life, death, and love.

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Cultural Studies & Communication
Volume 20, Issue 76
Autumn 2024
Pages 173-198