The signified and signifier between the object and its shadow and the possibility of their separation in the urban scene

Abstract

People used to see shadow as an accidental result of light and object and as a sign of the object's existence .For example, when we see shadow we know an object exists. What happens if shadow is created without the object's existence?.Dismantling the relation between the object and its shadow, in addition to the possibility of making the shadow as an independent design factor, constitute the research's problem.The background relationship between the object and its shadow is presented according to the "signified – signifier" duality which has been extensively theorized by semanticists ,as it is made clear in Baflov's theory about the "conditional reflex" .This theory highlights the possibility that the "signified" has the same effect on the recipient as the " signifier". The research then focuses on the "shadow";its concept and characteristics ,and it specifies the main mechanisms by which the shadow could replace the original object .These mechanisms are employed to form what the research calls" shadow drawing elements";defined as design elements aiming at drawing shadows to provide formal richness by alternative means which would add beauty and interest to the urban scene in particular and the artistic work in general.