Semiotic Confusion in the Phenomenology of Perception: West Meets East, One Actuality Becomes Two Realities

The communication analysis presented in the article compares the semiotic coding of visual perception in cultural theory and practice. The USA is used as an example of Western Culturology (egocentric, isometric) compared to the PRC as an example of Eastern Culturology (sociocentric, axonometric). Perception is explicated within the general context of Discourse Expression (rhetoric, aesthetics) and illustrated using examples from the visual arts, notably painting, a television image, and flower arrangement. Because contemporary popular media image production emerged from Japan, Chinese and Japanese art examples are also considered. The primary purpose of the general analysis is pedagogical, to teach semiotic phenomenological methodology in communicological and culturological research.