A Visual Semiotic Analysis of Local Basra Council Electoral Emblems: Iʼtilaaf Dawlat Al-Qanoon as a Sample

Abstract

This paper proceeds within the scope of visual semiotics, a branch of semiotics. It examines the visual semiotic components of Iʼtilaaf Dawlat Al-Qanoon's (State of Law coalition) logo, a distinguished political Iraqi coalition. The theoretical framework adopted in the analysis of this logo is Kress and Van Leeuwen's (2006) Reading Images. Basically, the analysis of this logo is manipulated via the three Halidayan metafunctions: ideational, interpersonal and textual as well as the narrative processes. It has been found out that this logo demonstrates a variety of components to reach its goals, namely to galvanize and to gain the approval of voters. Volumes and vectors are used to affect and persuade voters. Colour manipulation is found to be significant to persuade voters. In addition, all the narrative processes are available in this logo in the sense that both interactive and represented participants are well represented.