Visible Language in Contemporary Culture

Abstract

Visible language appears in many forms in our society and serves a wide variety of functions. More often than not, it is built into an aesthetic design to serve a graphic as well as a referential function, as in posters, tee shirts, restaurant menus, or graffiti in New York’s subway stations. This article focuses on specific instances in which visible language works with or against an accompanying image to produce certain effects on the reader/spectator by playing with conventions of representation. By exploring the book cover of Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman (with its reference to movie posters of the 40’s) and various "comic strip" paintings by Roy Lichtenstein, the article investigates the extent to which myths and fictions invade and play dominant roles in our daily lives.