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Hypoiconicity in the architecture of Suzhou: authentic resemblance, diagrammatic reduction, and metaphoric displacement
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Hypoiconicity in the architecture of Suzhou: authentic resemblance, diagrammatic reduction, and metaphoric displacement

Y. Chu
Social Semiotics, Vol.30(1), pp.114-132
2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2018.1531548
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Abstract

In this paper, I discuss the architecture of the Chinese city of Suzhou from the perspective of hypoiconicity, Charles S. Peirce's subdivision of iconicity into direct resemblance, diagrammatic resemblance and metaphoric resemblance relations. Accordingly, the paper distinguishes our iconic recognition of traditional, architectural motifs in old Suzhou from their diagrammatical representations, and their metaphoric displacement in the modern parts of the city. At the same time, the paper provides a minimal sketch of the city's cultural background as a frame of reference for my argument, as well as photographic evidence, without however addressing photographic iconicity itself. Instead, the focus is on how we recognize traditional architectural motifs in terms of their quality, their internal structure, their repetition in the cityscape and emplacement, and how their modern modifications revive, and yet differ from, their traditional function. As such, architectural motifs are viewed as a significant feature of human dwelling within the broader domain of social semiotics.

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Citation topics
10 Arts & Humanities
10.126 Philosophy
10.126.1995 Philosophical Semiotics
Web Of Science research areas
Communication
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Linguistics
ESI research areas
Social Sciences, general
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