Semiotics is the study of symbols and signs in the context of visual conventions. It is the exploration of how words and other signs interact in order to create layers of meaning. Semiotics reveals the hidden meaning within images via the application of semiotic codes (rules) that connects signs with their meanings. Semiotics is a system of visual communication established through the context of cultural and social structures. Through the recognition of power structures and stereotypes, the potential and intended meanings of an image can be understood. It is a theory that involves many different methods and theoretical understandings, mainly between natural signs (freely occurring throughout nature) and conventional signs (those designed precisely for the purpose of communication. (Chandler, 2014).
References:
Chandler, D. (2014). Semiotics: Introduction. [online] Visual Memory. Available at: http://visual-memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/S4B/sem01.html [Accessed 26 Aug. 2015].
Rose, Gillian (2001). Chapter 4: Semiology. In Gillian Rose, Visual Methodoligies: An Introduction to the Interpretation of Visual Materials, (pp.69 -00)
Theories of Visual Communication 