The topographic function, in contrast, is used to express spatial relations among objects and it is represented by meaningful locations that exploit the iconic properties of the visual-spatial modality. Topographic locations are meaningful by themselves, so a small change in the location affects its interpretation. In this latter case, space is used to represent spatial arrangements via signed descriptions, and thus the actual spatial relations of signs are significant. In these descriptive localisations the relations among spatial locations become significant because they represent actual spatial relations topographically. The descriptive location in (a) represents a bike leaning against a tree; and in (b), a person seated on a tree. In both cases the location of the manual articulators is meaningful, and this is expressed via whole entity classifier predicates [LEXICON 1.2.1].
a) Bike leaning against a tree.
(recreated from Barberà, 2012: 37)
b) Person hidden seated on a tree.
(recreated from Barberà, 2012: 37)