Art Through Symbols -

Archive by category "Art Through Symbols"

Art Through Symbols: Fire

We are drawn to flame like moths by our innate survival instincts – but we are mesmerised by fire far beyond its simple ability to light our way, cook our meals, or warm our bodies. The ember embodies the spark of new life, and the inferno the destruction of another, with ideas on communication, foolishness and power found in between. The Art Through Symbols series explores the interpretation of symbols throughout art history – be they cultural, religious, folkloric, or personal. Each article analyses a series of artworks before detailing an art-making tutorial inspired by the symbol for you to try. Art Through Symbols: Fire Interpreting Fire “A great fire burns within me, but no one stops to warm themselves at it, and passers-by only see a wisp of smoke.” – Vincent Van Gogh The elemental force of fire can be essential for our survival, but it is also one of the greatest threats to it. From a purely aesthetic perspective, the dramatic lighting conditions brought by flame in a darkened room have inspired countless artists to render in chiaroscuro. The motif of a single candle carries a more romantic, calming, or reflective feeling than the …

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Art Through Symbols: The Skull

Skulls may arouse our morbid curiosity – with the knowledge each of us carries one hidden beneath the surface – yet their enduring symbolism extends far beyond anatomy. As memento mori, they remind us that we all meet the same end, but throughout art history, skulls have also embodied power, served as instruments of satire, and even become emblems of beauty. The Art Through Symbols series explores the interpretation of symbols throughout art history – be they cultural, religious, folkloric, or personal. Each article analyses a series of artworks before detailing an art-making tutorial inspired by the symbol for you to try. Art Through Symbols: The Skull Interpreting Skulls “The skulls were there and I could say something with them. To me they are as beautiful as anything I know. To me they are strangely more living than the animals walking around…” – Georgia O’Keeffe When we look at skulls, we are confronted with our own mortality – perhaps welcoming in an existential dread – or giving us the steadying reassurance that, aside from birth, death is the one experience we all share. For artists living through times of crisis, amid plagues, famines …

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Art Through Symbols: The Moon

The moon doesn’t just move our seas, and mark time through its phases, but is an ever-evolving symbol in the visual arts that has collected a broad net of meanings. From rebirth to madness, and introspection to immortality, our fascination with the moon is imbued with the reassurance that it’ll be in our sky as long as we are. The Art Through Symbols series explores the interpretation of symbols throughout art history – be they cultural, religious, folkloric, or personal. Each article analyses a series of artworks, before detailing an art-making tutorial inspired by the symbol for you to try. Art Through Symbols: The Moon Interpreting the Moon The moon has hung bright on our collective visual consciousness throughout history. Perhaps we are so enchanted by it because it’s our closest planetary neighbour in an endless universe, or that its cycles plainly mark the passage of time. The moon has always been associated most broadly with eternity, appearing to every living being for as long as our planet has existed and will remain. Our tides roll because of its constant tugging, and folklore and mythology both suggest the full moon pulls people into madness or beastly …

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