Study Skills - Metaphors

Metaphors refer to implications – they imply to what is not present and connect to other information and aspects that are linked to an artwork. In an artwork, metaphors help viewers to tell more about a certain work or an underlying message that comes with it (Meesen and Unteregger, 2013). Metaphors are also described as using one element to describe another; for example, in writing, a person may find phrases such as ‘as light as a feather’ or ‘as brave as a lion’. Visually, artists use images to do this instead of words (Artsalive.ca, 2013).

Visual metaphors help viewers understand a work more, as it gives visual cues that connect the artwork to something else that may be parallel, but connected to the artwork (Meesen and Unteregger, 2013). These can either be something the viewer is familiar with, or something the viewer may not be familiar with altogether. By using metaphors, artists can bring provoke thought into viewers for a brief amount of time by making unconscious connections to a certain issue, or message (Meesen and Unteregger, 2013).

Figure 1: A normal illustration.

In figure 1, the picture above may be a simple drawing with elements that do not connect with each other; a sleeping dragon surrounded by water and lotuses, watched over by an owl. When taken into account that Figure 1 is a drawing that represents the artist’s self, there are a number of visual metaphors at work here. For example, the owl on the bottom right corner is a symbol of wisdom, but as it is placed far into the corner, it suggests that wisdom may not be the artist’s stronger quality. The sleeping dragon suggests docility, but the dragon itself suggests courage and even ferocity.

Visual metaphors help create a richer sense of understanding between the viewer and the artwork, allowing for the viewer to achieve a deeper understanding of the artwork.

Bibliography

Meesen, Y., Unteregger, T., 2013. Metaphors at work. Available at: http://manifestaworkbook.org/metaphors.pdf [Accessed 16 July 2013]

Artsalive.ca, 2013. Visual metaphor: what is it? How do we use the concept?. Available at: http://artsalive.ca/collections/posters/pdf/en/ArtsAlive_visualmetaphor_e.pdf [Accessed 16 July 2013]