AUTHOR=Raappana-Luiro Leena TITLE=Miracle of nature—dialog with nature through artistic creation JOURNAL=Frontiers in Communication VOLUME=9 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/communication/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1440368 DOI=10.3389/fcomm.2024.1440368 ISSN=2297-900X ABSTRACT=

The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of an illustrator’s visual style in representing nature. The focus is on the author’s own artistic project in which the personal relationship with nature is reflected. As for theory, the style used in the representation is seen as a combination of semiotic resources. In this case, the style is inspired by historical images: old still life paintings and illustrations from natural encyclopedias and field guides. The stylistic influences work as a connotative semiotic resource. From a wider perspective, how we represent nature creates social discourses of nature and our attitudes toward it. The results indicate that fact-based communication of nature would also benefit from the emotional effect of esthetic imagery.