Communicating through images symbolism Communicating through images

What is a sign? A sign is an image or a symbol specifically created to express a known meaning without words. Signs are designed to convey complex information or concepts in simple or fast ways.

What is an icon? An icon is an image that actually looks like the objects they are supposed to represent.

What is a symbol? Something that on the surface is its literal self but which also has another meaning or even several meanings. For example, a sword may be a sword and also symbolize justice. A symbol may be said to embody an idea. There are two general types of symbols: Universal symbols that embody universally recognizable meanings wherever used, such as light to symbolize knowledge, a skull to symbolize death, etc. Constructed symbols that are given symbolic meaning by the way an author uses them in a literary work, as the white whale becomes a symbol of evil in Moby Dick.

What is a symbol?

What is symbolism? The creation of meaning or the expression of ideas (telling a story) through the use of symbols, signs or icons instead of words (or by using words for their symbolic value)

Is symbolism universal Is symbolism universal? Do the symbols at left seem universal in their meanings? Could anyone understand them? Symbols and their interpretation can vary from region to region, culture to culture and especially from time/era to time/era.

Most people (we assume) would recognize these symbols, and what they stand for. However… Would people in non-industrialized countries recognize these symbols? Will people in a thousand years, digging up the remains of Usa, recognize what these symbols mean?

POP QUIZ What are the following – sign, symbol or icon?

A exercise in symbolism. Images of Peace A exercise in symbolism.

The life and death problem A exercise in symbolism. You will be creating a design that symbolizes the idea of life and death on the truck worksheet provided. What is the symbolism of the truck?

The design can be conceptual or more and less representational.

The best of the sketches will be reproduced in the large size truck.

LIFE and DEATH A study of the pictorial representations or the personification of the concepts of Life and Death.

Life and Death. Two opposite sides of the same coin – without one, you cannot have the other – both are necessary. Since the beginning of time, when man realized he was mortal, people have been obsessed with life and death. Artists as well, have been obsessed with creating pictorial representations of these concepts.

Virtually every culture has some sort of representation of “death” Virtually every culture has some sort of representation of “death”. Usually this is a religious figure, sometimes a god, others just a character. Most (but not all) also have a pictorial representation of “life”. Anubis – Egyptian god of death

Shiva Yama

Aztec god of death

Western culture has what is known as the Grim Reaper (usually shown as a hooded figure bearing a scythe) – an attempt at a pictorial representation of the angel of death.

However, since everyone has a different belief or idea – there are different versions and many resemble the traditional winged angel (of Christian and Muslim tradition).

There are also many less traditional expressions of the concept…

Sadly, there are fewer pictorial representation of the concept of life Sadly, there are fewer pictorial representation of the concept of life. (Is this an insight into mans outlook on the world or an insight into his creativity?) However – the bright point is that while there are notably fewer, they tend to be much more original and wide ranging.

Brahama – Hindu god of life

The dove is the traditional Christian representation of the concept of life.

Notice the immediate change in the color palette – or in the way the colors are used?

Quetzalcoatl – Aztec god of life

What sorts of nonrepresentational imagery can be used to show the concept of life and death?