These are images that are chalked with meaning. A lot of the meaning that comes from icons is subjective. For example one can see the Nike swish and think of both famous athletes or of sweatshops that force their workers to work in terrible conditions. Also if you are from Oregon you might be proud of how the Oregon Ducks are sponsored by Nike. Another symbol or icon that is easily recognized is the swastika. It means both racial superiority (anti-semantic) as well as devotion to various Hindu Gods. As I walked around on my mission I saw swastikas all over, because this was a symbol stolen from the Indian people by the Nazi party.
The reading gave reference to how icons were first religious representations of sacred figures. This can be applied to the various pictures of Mary and the infant Christ. Each icon takes place in a different art movement (Byzantine, Early Renaissance, High Renaissance, etc, until you have the Modern rendition) yet because of how many pictures of Christ I have seen as a Christian it is easy to see how these icons represent Mary and Christ.
Mr. Kidd seems really drives home how important the distinction is between having an outfit and a uniform. Superman did not have an outfit he had a uniform. Uniforms have lots of implied meanings dealing with duty and integrity. Chip Kidd seems to me a pretty cool man to get to know because of how good he is in visually capturing stories. I also appreciate how this reading took time to explain the uniform worn by Wonder Woman and how she has, “all of the strength of superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman.”
The last idea that stood with me from the reading was the importance of taking time to develop logos. They cannot simply be switched around and reinvented. The logo must somehow convey the message that the company cares about the people they provide their service to.
-Jeremy Ashworth
That is so true Jeremy. Religious symbols are extremely powerful. I had no idea that the swastika was taken from India. I am not sure what it means for them, but now that I know that it changes its meaning for me. I'm still amazed by the power that symbols and icons have. You are right the Nike logo can mean different things according to the person that is looking at it.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated you talking about how a single icon can shift in meaning. When I was reading your commentary on the swastika, I thought of another symbol that got tugged around in a similar manner. The bald eagle was a significant icon in ancient Greek culture. Because of the Greek revivalist movement, it became our nation's symbol. Interestingly, Hitler was also interested in the bald eagle as a symbol because of its origin with the Greeks. This is almost a danger of icons: they become fair game for anyone's use.
ReplyDeleteI never considered Mary and the Baby Jesus to be icons, but based on the readings, it is a completely appropriate label for their depictions. Your firsthand experience with the transformation/abuse of the swastika is pretty cool. I think we often overlook the roots of some of the more prevalent icons and in doing so lose out on understanding why they were used in the first place.
ReplyDelete