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Semiotics of Culture and Art. A Trial of Encyclopaedia. Parts 1 and 2
by S.T. Machlina
Reviewed by S.V.Sintzova, Russia. E-mail: galeyev@prometey.kcn.ru The kernel of Encyclopaedia, integrating all the materials as a whole, is the author's own concept, presented formerly in her book "The language of art within the context of culture" (St.Petersburg, 1995). Correspondingly, some terms had been transferred to the issue to clarify author's own position (such as "convention in the art", "content and form", "semiotics of culture", "semiotics of modern science knowledge", etc.). The important part of the book regards to the terms, which are common in the world science, featuring semiotics method itself and its main notions ("intertext", "narrative", "sema", "semema", "reading/writing", "discourse", "figurativity", "signal", "view", "opposition", "denotate", etc.). For this part the author used and re-cast articles from a number of other Encyclopaedias, Russian and Western works. The introduction of these terms, with the references to the origins and further developing works of other scientists, gives a clear view on the dynamics of scientific ideas, their fate in connection with the progress of semiotics as a whole, the rotation of key problems and reference points. The Encyclopaedia also includes author's essays and reviews, especially regarding those cultural phenomena which were in the centre of semiotic research (for example, "vanguard" is viewed as Russian phenomenon, and author's article is presented, on the interaction of different arts in Russian culture in the late twentieth century; "mass art" is shown by the material of a well-known to Russian reader/viewer art phenomena, being characteristic features of national culture for a long time). The meaning of each term, and it's possible applications, are considered by the extensive material of Russian culture. For example, the fruitfulness of the notion "intertext" is revealed by the Poushkin's poem "Copper Rider", the most mysterious poem of our classic canon. The obvious merit of the issue is that in the course of analysis of cultural phenomena, S.T.Machlina applies not only famous sources, but also less known recent ones, including Ph.D. theses. This, as well as extensive bibliography, provides high informative level of Encyclopaedia. Let us especially note the articles on personalities. Side by side the well-known names of semiotics classics, Encyclopaedia gives place to the researches, who only just begin to explore this area. This provides an opportunity to follow new trends in modern semiotics studies. The Encyclopaedia does not pretend to offer a complete view of semiotics problems. This issue is intended primarily to those studying actual problems of culture by structuralist method (as it is said in the preface). It provides a theoretical means for basic course of this discipline. But the issue also has some valuable features, enabling us to recommend it to foreign reader. Due to pronounced national orientation, Encyclopaedia gives a clear view of semiotics' progress in Russia/USSR: its origin, development, methods, problems and current field of research. This allows reader to estimate the originality of Russian semiotics within the context of world science. We consider the "Trial of Encyclopaedia' as successful one and would like to wish the author further extending this edition with due regard to innovative publications. References 1. Rozin V.M. "Is Semiotics possible as independent science? (methodological analysis of semiotic approach and researches)". "Voprosy philosophii", 2000, N 5, p.63. (in Russian). |
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