Only a human can appreciate symbols and see with inner eyes what outwardly stirs within them. The ability of imagination enables a person to ascend to levels of reality that range from the visible to the invisible, from the superficial to the essential, and to connect, by analogy, things of this world, revealing the small within the large and the large within the small. Only a human can see in the light and darkness of storms the universal struggle between good and evil, or in the kiss of an angel, the internal yearning for soul identification.
From this moment on, we should speak about art not only as a sensory creation, formal and beautiful, but also about its message, its content.
Over time, much has been written about the symbolic importance of art. In fact, art has always had the role of conveying the most sublime ideas that a human can have, from religious aspects to feelings of order and justice; all of this has always been sought to be expressed through symbols in art.
A symbol is the formal residence of an idea, whether that idea is superficial or profound.
An eye. The symbol leads us to that concept. Within the symbol lies the duality of soul-body: the carrier of content and the content itself.
On the other hand, the language of symbols is not structured and logical, but intuitive and evocative, connecting us to ideas through natural analogy without the intervention of the mind.
A symbol can evoke memories and act as a catalyst for elements connected by experience or agreement. However, what interests us most about symbols is their ability to open the doors to a deeper and more sublime reality in order to awaken the soul’s memories.
In art, this happens through its power of symbolic evocation. That’s why when it comes to a work of art, it’s not enough to consider just its form, but also the idea embodied within it; there needs to be a fundamental unity between the carrier of content and the content itself, between form and the breath that animates it, between body and soul, as in life.
A symbol as a conveyor of ideas, as a material imprint, can blend with the creative work. Harmonizing according to the natural canons through which life also constructs its forms; symbolic language thus becomes universal, intuitive, and valid anywhere in the world as it reproduces the creative process according to universal natural patterns.
Man can subjectively assign symbolic value to things, but true symbols are those whose message does not depend so much on arbitrary agreement, but those that, by avoiding subjectivity, convey a message common to all people. Art should rely fundamentally on the universality of its language and its symbols.
Colors are a clear example of this. The value we give to colors is not just conventional (like traffic light colors, for example); colors evoke certain attitudes within us because they channel specific wavelengths and vibrations of nature that are in harmony with the same attitudes within a person. Thus, when we talk about the color green as a symbol of hope, or red as a symbol of war, we are not speaking of something relative. Green evokes a certain calmness, a certain direction, a certain There is no need to continue, to follow, while red implies shock, conflict, and in a way demands special attention, to stop or take a stand.
The whole nature, in all its reality, not only material and sculptural, but also vital, psychological and mental, is closely linked by an attractive force, and it is precisely the symbol and the ability of analogical connection that allows us to circulate in this relationship, from large to small, from visible to invisible.
We could also say that the symbolic aspect of art is closely linked to associative linking of ideas. The symbol evokes memory. It can awaken instinctive, emotional memory or it can be about the memory of the soul.
There are memories of incidental, ordinary realities, and there are memories of profound, sublime truths.
In art, a thoughtful combination of sensory elements touches the inner strings of the human being. Feelings, impressions, images, and ideas merge and come to the surface. Art emerges as a true vo Sense of consciousness.
An artistic piece can awaken in a person the memory of the sublime contained within their soul through images, sounds, and shapes. We can say that observing beauty awakens inner beauty.
The evocative power of art will make our memories, feelings, deep impressions, and longings emerge from our dreams. Sometimes it seems that through the subtle paths of its language, it carries memories from the collective memory of mankind. Indeed, art can awaken our being, our treasure chest, and our experiences. With its elevating ability, it can lift us to sublime understandings and levels of consciousness. Art can, in a certain way, evoke within us sublime archetypes, models of the world that signify the goal of life’s journey.
Therefore, a true act of creation should unify what the artist sees and conceives, with suitable and perfect forms, find a form that expresses the idea, unequivocally that idea, and lead us to it within ourselves, not through the paths of reason, but through the paths of contemplation and pro illuminations.
Another element that appears within this symbolic function of art is its ability to portray universal types, allowing us to ascend towards archetypes.
For example, when a drama portrays an evil person or a hero, it will not depict a specific individual, but will present elements that enable us to recognize universal human types, compelling us to confront the nature of man, with ourselves. It is the same process that confronts us with certain mysteries of life, through the light that is expressed equally in every dusk, in the background illumination on the canvas, or in the transparency of water.
These universal types allow man to rise above form, above mere matter, to those prototypes that, to the extent that they unite in sublime unity, lead us to what Plato calls archetypes.
At another level, this same symbolic function of art leads us into a process where we will be While creating a piece, an artist encounters an inner dialogue with themselves. Art shows and represents our discoveries from within, what we have found and what can be directly grasped.
Art has this liberating ability to bring to light those elements found within us that we need to express, but cannot do so in a rational way. They can be expressed through representation, through images or symbols, through art. Through this process, the artist can often meet themselves many times over. It is not just a form of measurement but also a way of feeling and understanding oneself.
Today, artistic expression is increasingly valued as a form of communication therapy, not only in relation to others but also with oneself, breaking down barriers that cause psychological imbalance.
However, regardless of this possibility of inner and outer communication, artistic expression, through the inner dialogue taking place within the artist, can be transformed into a true power of transformation. Not only does it serve as a means of self-expression, but also as a path to self-discovery and healing. It is about an artwork as an object of contemplation, observation, not personal therapy, but an alchemical work that transforms the artist themselves, like catharsis, like a guide of consciousness that allows us access to a higher reality, ourselves, and nature.