Semiotic Analysis with reference to 'Understanding Media Semiotics' Danesi, R. (2002)

George Butler

Meat Market - Azerbaijan, Baku 2008

Reportage Illustration

 

If I saw the words ‘Meat Market’ in my head I would think of a butcher stood in a striped apron, white overalls white hat, a strong smell, slabs of meat and meat hanging from hooks. What I think George Butler does so cleverly here is brings together this myth perfectly through index and symbols and his use of colour with splashes of media to immediately make it recognizable without title.

We don't even question this image or what it is because it has its validity. The question I am raising is why? What makes this a good representation of a meat market? Butler has not gone over the top with his media and colour adding lots of detail and making a packed out reportage scene but rather been selective with his lines and picking out the symbols he felt were most necessary when observing the scene.

The shapes that he uses compositionally hanging imply meat hanging from hooks although not detailed drawings of meat or proportionally correct we get an understanding that they are meat because of the myth of what meat looks like or should be shaped like and this is repeated within the illustration used as codes. These codes are as Danesi says 'a recipe' like basic ingredients for us to create our understanding of something. Along with the meat are the splashes of red colour indexing blood dripping. This may be red ink or could actually be blood meat used I am not sure but it adds to the context of the piece and represent the idea of rawness and flesh.

The connotation of the piece is that the meat market is not as you would immediately imagine with the jolly butcher in his apron; but rather a tired looking, miserable working man in an environment that appears not fit to work in. The blood splashes are not selective and are used in any area which could suggest that it is maybe an unsanitary workplace and uncontrolled - not a place we would desire to buy our food from. One of the 'blood drippings' is also a darker red colour which suggests blood that is not fresh.

The signifier is a line drawing of a meat market stall in Azerbaijan with red ink splashes and selective use of line. The signified is connotations of working men that are trying to make a living, with no pride in selling their meat as it is slapped along the counters and hanging from anywhere possible. Green and brown coloured ink index old meat, perhaps mould, and dirt.
'Connotations is powerful because it evokes feelings and perceptions about things.' This definitely rings true when looking at this illustration. Immediately I get the feeling that this meat market is not a place I would like to visit, it looks dirty and bloody and the server looks miserable. His hands are behind his back, he is not smiling and inviting suggesting he is fed up and over-worked. Straight away Butler has created this atmosphere and evoked these feelings within me by a simple line drawing which is amazing. Illustrations are not photographs, George Butler has not simply drew what he sees exactly but rather been selective in the symbols he feels are most powerful and would evoke these feelings, and exaggerated those adding his media as metaphors for blood and flesh.