Visual Analysis: WHAT ARE VISUALS?

Visuals are images/collection of images that are made to be seen. There is a continuum of images in which people live; and visual is a paused/frozen moment from them.

Study the PDF below (for academic use only)

What Are Visuals? PDF

People/artists/designers capture/construct/make images/visuals for others to see. Therefore we only see the image/visual/frame that is given to us to see. For John Berger, a visual is a sight which has been recreated or reproduced ... which has been detached from the place and time in which it first made its appearance.

Art: Traditional art, the oldest form of visual expression, represents humanity's first attempts to interpret and document the world. From prehistoric cave paintings to Renaissance masterpieces and contemporary installations, art has evolved beyond mere representation to become a vehicle for emotional, philosophical, and social commentary. Artists manipulate colour, form, texture, and space to create works that challenge perceptions and provoke thought, demonstrating that art is not just about aesthetic beauty but about pushing boundaries and questioning reality.

Design: Design differs from pure art in its purposeful functionality. While art often exists for its own sake, design solves specific problems through visual solutions. Whether in graphic design, industrial design, or architectural design, practitioners must balance aesthetic appeal with practical utility. Good design is often invisible—it guides users seamlessly through experiences, communicates messages clearly, and enhances daily life without drawing attention to itself. The principles of design—balance, contrast, hierarchy, and unity—create order from chaos and make complex information accessible.

Photography: Photography literally means, 'writing or drawing with light'. Photography represents a unique merger of technological precision and artistic vision. Unlike traditional art, photography captures actual moments in time, preserving reality while simultaneously interpreting it through the photographer's lens. The photographer's skill lies in framing, timing, and understanding light—choosing not just what to include in an image, but what to leave out. Despite its mechanical nature, photography remains deeply human, capable of conveying profound emotion and truth through careful composition and moment selection.

Cinema: Cinema synthesises all previous visual forms into a temporal experience, adding motion and time to the visual vocabulary. It combines photography's ability to capture reality, art's creative freedom, and design's purposeful construction to create immersive narratives. Filmmakers orchestrate countless visual elements—composition, colour grading, production design, and camera movement—to craft experiences that unfold over time. Cinema demonstrates how visual elements can work in concert to tell stories, evoke emotions, and transport viewers to different worlds.

The richness of visual analysis lies in its ability to navigate the diverse realms of visual expression, from art and design to photography and cinema. Art analysis explores the representation, expression, formalism, and aesthetic dimensions of artistic works, while design analysis examines the functional, problem-solving, and user-centered aspects of visual designs. Photography analysis considers the various genres and techniques employed in capturing and communicating narratives through still images. Cinema analysis delves into the language of moving images, examining genres, film movements, and the interplay of visual, auditory, and narrative elements in creating cinematic experiences.

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Visual Culture

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