SORRY, this pic is upside down...perhaps not a bad thing though, could give a different perspective on things. Hopefully folks will be able to get a jist of things from the closeups also.
I really liked the readings on symbols. The idea that has most stuck in my head is the concept of "symbols can not be seperated from their meaning". Which makes me think back to a previous reading that talked about how we are limited by the symbols that we use. They have their limitations as to what they can express even at the same time as they try to express things that 'cannot quite be grasped'.
I also appreciated all the examples in the first reading and how the author wrote very plainly about a subject that could become quite confusing.
It was interesting comparing signs v.s. symbols and how signs have no 'excess meaning' and can be replaced according to what is current. The distinction is never something that I have thought about before. What also resonated with me is that not everyone thinks in symbols or symbology and not everyone accepts symbols. As the author says, "In order to actually experience symbols as symbols...we must be prepared to respond emotionally". So engaging the emotions is an intrinsic part of using, reading and interpreting symbols.
All this information was good for me to have in the background as I worked on my spiral. I realized that the symbols that I used have personal significance to ME but now I also have a broader understanding that they might also have significance and meaning for someone else. This new awareness around using symbols is and will be very important to me as I incorporate more symbols into my artwork.
It's interesting to think about the symbol filters people have and how they affect people in different ways. I agree that it is interesting to keep this in mind while using them in art. I've had the experience where I've used a symbol in my art then someone pointed out what it meant to them and then I realized it had more meaning to me than I thought. As if I was pulling from the great symbol subconcious during the art.
ReplyDeletei am struck again by the power of symbols and how they work on our psyche- powerful because there is room for us to add our own associations, yet this openness to interpretation seems to scare some people too- i am thinking of the use of elephant dung by the nigerian born/british artist chris ofili in paiting of holy virgin mary---how it means different things to different people and can become quite controversial.
ReplyDelete