Visual Enthymemes: How and Why They Work

In our last class session we talked about both visual arguments and the use of enthymemes.  One form of each of these that I have always found interesting is the visual enthymeme.  To best understand the essence of a visual enthymeme lets look at each individually.  A visual argument is basically just an image that can get a point across or sway opinion, essentially making an argument.  There are five modes of visual arguments that we looked at in class.

1. Visual Flags- these are aspects of the picture that jump out at a viewer and gets their attention.  An example of this could be a bright color or a scantily clad woman.  Basically, anything that will attract the eye.

2. Visual Demonstrations- This is an actual example being shown in an image.  It could be something like the anti-smoking campaign in which they lay out body bags outside of big tobacco corporate buildings to represent the number of people that tobacco use kills.

3.  Visual Metaphors- A visual Metaphor is nothing more than a regular metaphor portrayed through an image.

4.  Visual Symbols- This is a visual representation based on common knowledge and vocabulary.  This could be as simple the color blue meaning sad or green symbolizing money, or as complex as positioning a political candidate as a superhero like the image below.

5. Visual Archetypes- This is a visual symbol that meaning can be connected to popular narratives and cultural stories.  This is like saying that "x is like the story of y."

An enthymeme is a syllogism (a=b, and c=b, therefore a=c), that is missing one of the elements.  This leaves the audience to fill in the missing element.  Getting the audience involved is a strategy that helps not only make the audience more comfortable, but also caters to their appeals of cultural commonplaces.

Visual enthymemes work in the same way.  These images are making a statement but it is not spelled out for you.  These can be fun to dissect, and I will do so with a couple below.

This first image is an advertisement for Bare wetsuits and is an interesting image that really jumps out at you.  This image shows that wrinkly skin is a sign of being under water for too long, and that where this man is exposed he has wrinkly skin.  The element that is then filled in by the audience is that wearing a Bare wetsuit helps one stay underwater longer.

     The next image is one that connects a common brand image with a controversial statement.  It is clearly the word slavery with the Nike swoosh as the V in slavery.  The word is stylized like previous Nike advertisements and the aspect that would be left to the audience is that Nike supports and uses slave labor.

Visual enthymemes are very prominent in pop culture and advertising and add a great aspect of wit and a clever use of common narratives.