symbols in art(艺术中的象征符号).

1、Symbols and artIntroductionDavid Hume has indicated that although we can observe one thing comes with another one, but we cannot observe the connection between the two things, which means it cannot be asserted exactly a connection of result and reason. Logically, a reason usually leads to a result,

2、but in a way, a certain reason might be an another result of a previous reason, conversely, a previous result might be a reason of next result. So, as Hume had said that we cannot assert that first thing leads to second thing because of the “fact” that second thing comes with first thing. So the ess

3、ay is based on this theory to elaborate more causal relationship between art works and materials or symbols in the context of artists and views.conceptionThe meaning of an art work is a synthesis that consists of surface meaning, implicit meaning, and direct meaning and symbolic meaning of object. B

4、ecause many materials and things had given many symbolic meanings by artists and people in the different context of culture, history and society etc. on the other hand, the views also are an important part of art work. Deleuze had thought that “artworks just are sensations connected in materials in

5、such a way as to free aisthesis from the assumptions of the sort of common sense that for Kant is supposed by the I think or the I judge”(Gilles Deleuze. 2001. P.9 ). It is just a way to stimulate views imaginations and sensations and establishes a definition of themselves in their mind. But some of

6、 views usually appreciate art works with different pre-experience, which leads to views pay more attentions on the surface symbolic meaning and ignore or misunderstand spirit and true meaning of the art work. For example, making an assumption that an artist creates an art works by pigeons, this work

7、 will be given a definition peace. And then, the artists of Art Provera make installation arts by some metal scraps, waste productions and plants or animals. A new definition will be given as well environment. But pigeon not merely symbolizes peace, the pigeon was revered by Figure.1the Semitic fert

8、ility goddess Astarte, it symbolized the Babylonian goddess, Semiramis. So, in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean world, the dove became an Figure.2iconic symbol of the mother goddess(figure.1). In addition, taking Michelangelo Pistoletto as an example, the mirror has always been an integral pa

9、rt of Michelangelo Pistolettos works(figure.2). He did an art work which named “Seventeen Less One”, and he broke one of the mirrors. The word of “break mirror” is a metaphor in Chinese, which means break up to make up, but Pistolettos action symbolizes the violence of human existence, reflected in

10、the depths of the broken mirror in this case. The pigeon does not necessarily need to be peace, and the waste productions also does not necessarily need to be the meaning of itself. As rope and metal as an example, rope is soft, it can be folded and distorted external force. Metal is hard Figure.3an

11、d it is difficult to break and distort except special measure. But if putting those two things together(figure.3) and usually thinking that the rope is hanging on the metal handle of door. Because the shape of handle of door is becoming a fixed shape in brain. But why the handle is not bended by the

12、 rope? So, although those examples are simple but it is true. Sometimes, views or artists are confused by symbolic things and nature of materials, and they are controlled by experience and consciousness subconsciously, which leads to ignore and misunderstand true meaning. So, on account of personal

13、experience and bias, paying more attentions on symbols and definitions, which are easy to cause a kind of fixed reason and result.ResearchIn term of symbolic things, many symbolic symbols are used in art works by artists in the ancient western art and oriental art. Chines people usually tend to expr

14、ess emotions through describing concrete objects to delivery profound meaning. But sometimes, because of different time and dynasty, it is easy to misunderstand symbols if people who do not know the certain background of history. Mandarin duck is usually misunderstood by people, which represents lov

15、e, especially conjugal love in China. But actually, it has a lot of meanings in different dynasty. In the Chinese Han Dynasty, the Mandarin duck in literary works is a metaphor of brothers and Sage, from the symbol of heterosexual love become the representative of the same sex between the brotherhoo

16、d and mutual admiration, mutual feelings. In the Jin Wei dynasty, the meaning of Mandarin is gradually moving toward a single, basically fixed in the couple love. In addition, in western, as early as Rascow and Altamira caves, our ancestors had painted many animals in the caves. “primitive hunters b

17、elieve that as long as they paint prey in the cave and hit them by spear and hatchet, the real wildlife is easily caught.” (Gombrich, E. 2008. P.43) So, those pictures are more like a sort of witchcraft to help them hunting. The images are focused on is whether it can play a role, rather than beauty

18、 and ugliness. In the case of Egyptian Art, eagle is significant. (figure.5) “the god of sun Horus has to be displayed as an eagle or an eagle head, and death Anubis has to be showed as a jackal.” (Gombrich, E. 2008. P. 65) However, in the 17th century, the eagle becomes a symbol of Zeus in art work

19、s, the Abduction of Ganymede is one of a typical example(figure.4).Figure.5Figure.4Every single art work has existent reason and result of itself, while same things present to different art works, their reason and result are dissimilated. In a way, the connection between reason and result is more li

20、ke a case of murder without any clues, detectives try to dig the reason out, unfortunately, they cannot find it, but they can feel the fear that comes from murder. Yves Klein had done an art work, he took all the works that had been left in the gallery for sale and told the gallery owner that his wo

21、rk was immaterial. If the customer wanted to buy, just leave a check and the transaction would be completed. The result of this work is that Klein threw a box in the Seine, and the buyer burned away reasonable than others. If viewers do not know the cause and effect of this art work, they might thin

22、k the behavior is abnormal and think more about the meaning and symbol of the box and receipt or they just throw some rubbishes in the river. And then building their own reasonable assumption and explanation in their mind, but it is totally wrong. in a way, causality is unreasonable in itself, it ca

23、nnot be sought, but meanwhile, viewer or artists have to seek it to take cover off. It is more like a case that detective and murder, if detective does not try to dig the true out, he will never know the reason, but the reason in the art is not the reason of detective, the detectives reason is real

24、reason but the reason in art is the “own reason” of artists or viewers. So generally, the objects are not very important whether there are, important thing is to deconstruct and taste causality of each sensation with the hands of uncertainty. MethodologySymbols usually come viewers (including artist

25、s) into notice, but it is not usually a key point. Roland Barthes tends to call it “punctum”. “he thinks that “punctum is more like a talent, which deigns me a new point of view to observe.” (Barthes. R. 2001. P. 71) And “punctum is always more or less hidden by an extended force, which is often met

26、aphorical.” (Barthes. R. 2001. P. 73) Indeed, in a way, the intermediary function of art work should be erased, and the function of symbols should be diluted to be itself. In addition, many viewers cannot understand abstract paintings, because they pay more attention on the symbols, colors or brushw

27、orks to seek why and what. “The abstract does not explain, but must itself be explained.” (Gilles Deleuze. 2001. P. 7) actually, there are no reason to explain why the symbol is here or why the color is there, but there is an existent reason of itself. Because of artistas a trace of emotion, an expe

28、rience or a movement, the symbols and colors will be different. As before one second, an artist paints with red, but if after one second, the color might be turned into blue on the same place. All of those things are decided by artists, so although artists works do not practically express something,

29、 because of artists themselves, the art works are created. But something that give rise to artists want to create the art works is another reason, which is an excitement of own inner feeling of artists. So, it is hard to find a real reason of artists art works. Making an assumption, an artist A crea

30、tes a piece of work because he was inspired by a piece of work of artist B, as the reason why artist B did the piece of work that inspires artist A, because artist B had inspired by another piece of work of artist A. for artist A, the reason of the art work might be artist A himself. So viewers have

31、 to find the “punctum” of themselves, no matter artists create the “punctum” intentionally or unintentionally, which can be a “real reason” of exist of a piece of work. While different viewers have different understanding of what the “punctum” is. “beauty is not a property of itself, it only can exi

32、st in the viewers inner world, and every single persons feeling of beauty is distinctive.” (yi, cun guo. 2012. 125). “punctum” can be understood a kind of beauty or ugly, even a sort of resonance between art works and viewers, which is a “best result” for viewers. Generally, the reason of the essay

33、is to emphasize the importance of doubt, observing something doubtfully to forget something about symbols. But this reason of the essay is just one of a reason of countless reason of essay. ConclusionNo matter art works or things, they all deserve to be doubted, but they all have existent reason and

34、 final result of itself. It might be megascopic, or microcosmic. A chair is produced because people can sit on the chair, and an exquisite chair is produced because people not only can have a seat, but also to be good to hear or see. While an extremely exquisite chair is usually regarded as art, but

35、 nature of the chair is still a chair, people also are able to have a seat, because it is decorated, the real function of chair is easy to be ignored. So, the nature of the chair is a most authentic result, and art is just a secondary reason at best. Why antiques are valuable? Because they have the

36、historical value, but in the certain time of existence of an antique, it might be not worth a cent. Antiques record history, and a relevant value is given by history. So, the main reason of value of itself is history, and itself of antique is only one of an unimportant reason. The whole reason of on

37、e event is consist of countless reason. Those reason are able to be selected by people, and for a certain event, most of people might choose same reason to explain, because they think the reason is much more reasonable then others. So, a so-called connection of causality is produced, but it cannot r

38、epresent the whole relation of causality, which is just a kind of mean of expression.In conclusion, the connection between reason and result resembles cobweb, many intersections in cobweb as same as an intersection in reason and result. People just choose the most reasonable one in their considerati

39、on and thinking as a causality connection. But if the causality relation is put in another background, the reason might become the result, and the result might become the reason. So, do not need to spend much time in the materials and symbols to seek for meaning (result or reason) in a piece of art

40、work, which would be a terrible circulation that ties artists and viewers in knot.Quotations1. Deleuze, G., Rajchman, J., Boyman, A. and Boyman, translated by A. (2001) Pure immanence: Essays on a life. 2nd edn. New York: Zone Books.2. Gombrich, E. (2008) Yi shu de gu shi. Nan ning: Guang xi mei zhu

41、 chu ban she.3. Barthes, R. (2001) Camera Lucida: Reflections on photography. New Library Press.Net.4. yi, cun guo (2012) Zhong guo yi shu lun: Cong fei wu zhi wen hua yi chan de shi jiao. Nanjing: Jiang su ren min chu ban she.Bibliography1.yi, cun guo (2012)Zhong guo yi shu lun: Cong fei wu zhi wen

42、 hua yi chan de shi jiao. Nanjing: Jiang su ren min chu ban she.2. David Hume (1776) in Wikipedia. Available at: /wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E5%8D%AB%C2%B7%E4%BC%91%E8%B0%9F (Accessed: 6 December 2016).3. Deleuze, G., Rajchman, J., Boyman, A. and Boyman, translated by A. (2001) Pure imman

43、ence: Essays on a life. 2nd edn. New York: Zone Books.4. Barthes, R. (2001) Camera Lucida: Reflections on photography. New Library Press.Net.5. Bendiner, K., Bendiner, K.), An jie gong zuo shi and an jie gong zuo shi (2016) Ni bu ke bu zhi dao de xi yang hui hua zhong shi wu de gu shi = you must kno

44、w these story of the food in painting. Hua zi.6. Gombrich, E. (2008) Yi shu de gu shi. Nan ning: Guang xi mei zhu chu ban she.7. Petrak, C. and profile, V. my complete (2007) Pigeons and doves - symbolism. Available at: http:/tailsofbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/pigeons-and-doves-symbolism.html (Accessed: 1 December 2016).8. Willette, D. (2016) The enduring symbolism of doves - biblical archaeology society. Available at: http:/