What does figure and ground mean?

Definitions for figure and ground
fig·ure and ground

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word figure and ground.

Wikipedia

  1. figure and ground

    Figure–ground organization is a type of perceptual grouping that is a vital necessity for recognizing objects through vision. In Gestalt psychology it is known as identifying a figure from the background. For example, black words on a printed paper are seen as the "figure", and the white sheet as the "background".

Wikidata

  1. Figure and ground

    Figure and ground is a concept drawn from Gestalt psychology by media theorist Marshall McLuhan, which in his work underpins the meaning of his famous phrase, "The medium is the message". He used this concept to explain how a communications technology, the medium or figure, necessarily operates through its context, or ground. McLuhan believed that to fully grasp the impact of a new technology, one must examine figure and ground together, since neither is completely intelligible without the other. McLuhan argued that we must study media in their historical context, particularly in relation to those technologies which preceded them. The present environment, itself made up of the effects of previous technologies, gives rise to new technologies, which, in their turn, further affect society and individuals. Furthermore, all technologies have embedded within them their own assumptions about time and space. The message which the medium conveys can only be understood if the medium and the environment in which the medium is used — and which, simultaneously, it effectively creates — are analyzed together. He believed that an examination of the figure-ground relationship can offer a critical commentary on culture and society.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of figure and ground in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of figure and ground in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

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"figure and ground." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/figure+and+ground>.

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