In Images Objects Are Juxtaposed But, As Has Been Noted Above, They Do Not

In images objects are juxtaposed but, as has been noted above, they do not need a linear reading, so usually the eye of the observer can move up and down, right and left without affecting the comprehension of the message. So, if they are looked from the point of view of Saussure's linguistic theory, the meaning of images can be emitted and received even though they do not obey any rule of syntagmatic association. Sometimes they even acquire a further meaning that might not be achieved using language. This is due to the fact that everyday everybody is used to experience the world mainly through the sense of sight, so that anybody is accustomed to visual confusion (such as that typical of the main streets of big cities) and can make a sense out of it, while the same could not be possible if speeches and books were not subdued to the rules of syntagmatic associations. Thus, as a final consideration it may be said that images can be more communicative than language, since they are not ruled by the same amount of norms and do not have to obey the same conventions. Nonetheless, as has been explained by W. J. Mitchell, visual communication is everyday more complex and, consequently, the viewer cannot go on relying to his/her sight only, but must be aware of all the cultural implications of a single image in order to fully appreciate the message.

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