Die buitebladkunswerk: kruispunt van die ikoniese en verbale teks met spesifieke verwysing na die werk van Johann de Lange

Abstract

In this article it is postulated that the cover designs of works of Interature are increasingly becoming a part of the "apparell para-textuel" (vide Ge nette and Goldenstein) of the text. According to existing contracts between publishers and writers as well as according to statements made by publishers (vide Ellhahoo et al.), publishers still have a final veto on covers. There is ample evidence however a cover design must, from a semiotic point of view, be regarded as an iconic complement to the linguistic text. Examples are cited of recent works In Afrikaans where covers were specifically chosen with the object of preparing the receiver for the content of the verbal text. Co vers must thus be considered part of the encoded text and can there fore be analysed as such. In the rest of the article the cover designs of four volumes of poetry, of Afrikaans poet Johann de Lange's first, are discussed 88 Iconic representations of the verbal texts. The origin and possible signi fication of the cover designs of Waterwoestyn, Snel grys fantoom, Wordende naak, and Nagsweet are elaborated upon while comparing them to the verbal signs of the poems. This interpretation not only shows that In De Lange's work Iconic and verbal signs stand in Intratextual relation to each other, but also that the Iconic signs of the cover designs can be regarded as Interpretative hipersigns (vide RI faterre et al) making possible a more complete signification of the text.