Can 'The Scream' painting warn future generations of radioactive waste risks?

[kristopher]

4. I don't think that makes your case.

The pictogram you offer relies on a different sort of information content than The Scream. What is being sought is a symbol that is meaningful within a set of shared cultural experiences. The group that shares the set of experiences behind the pictogram is not universal.

However, some basic facial expressions are universally recognized. A 'smile' for example is a full set of facial settings that when seen together is recognized by everyone. Horror is another.

The problem arises when we try to distill the amalgam of inputs available in live communication into a stylistic abstract that conveys the same meaning. For example, I would imagine that under a certain set of cultural referents, the smiley face icon we are all so familiar with could represent cold shark-like aggression.

The question you are addressing is is, does The Scream capture enough characterists of our 'horror face' to convey that message universally. I'd argue that it is a comprehensive rendering that might well achieve that task.

What I'd then ask however, is how do you link the horror with the physical objects being warned against. That seems to me a much more difficult task.


I believe your statement about color might reflect a misunderstanding of the research you refer to. Dirrerent cultures draw the lines for the names of colors in different places on the spectrum, but we generally all see the same spectrum.