looking at digital art (ii)
Symbols, Icons, and Aesthetic Choices: art talks–let’s understand it.
Where did symbolism in art come from?
Symbols have been part of art since the first cave paintings; they’re a kind of visual shorthand that conveys complex ideas, emotions, and stories. In digital art, this symbolic language has only grown richer, now incorporating icons from our digital lives. Recognizing these symbols is like understanding a secret code, whether you’re looking at a Renaissance painting or a cutting-edge digital piece.
Let’s unpack how today’s digital artists continue the fine art tradition of symbolism with a 21st-century twist.
The Roses of Heliogabalus, Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Visual Language in Digital Art: Bridging Classical and Modern Symbols
Like the flowers scattered in the Pre-Raphaelite icon, Ophelia, or the mind boggling pictorical references in any of Dalí’s work, symbols in digital art tell you something deeper about the subject, setting, or story within the artwork. Just like in movies, artwork has had hidden Easter eggs for centuries.
Artists in every era have drawn on familiar icons to communicate themes—think of medieval depictions of animals for virtues and vices, or the loaded flower choices in Dutch still life paintings…
Here’s a little historical crash course:
Ancient Egypt: Egyptians pioneered symbolism with complex iconography that represented gods, afterlife beliefs, and social hierarchy. A crook and flail meant power, while the ankh symbolized eternal life—a vocabulary of icons meant to communicate beyond words.
Classical Greece and Rome: Mythology-driven symbols ruled Greek and Roman art, embodying virtues, fate, and morality. The laurel wreath symbolized victory, while the owl (Athena’s companion) represented wisdom. Statues and frescoes were filled with these enduring motifs, aiming to capture ideals in visual form.
Medieval Art: Symbolism turned religious, with animals and objects conveying moral qualities and virtues. The lamb symbolized Christ, a dove meant peace or the Holy Spirit, and even everyday items (like keys or lilies) were chosen to suggest purity, authority, or the divine. Artists used these to guide viewers towards moral reflections.
The Renaissance: Symbols became more personal and layered, as Renaissance artists embraced humanism and secular themes. Flowers took on specific meanings—lilies for purity, roses for love—and even colors became loaded, with blue symbolizing the Virgin Mary and red denoting passion. These hidden codes transformed portraits and scenes into deeper narratives.
Dutch Golden Age: Symbolism took on a rich, detailed role in still lifes, loaded with complex moral messages. A skull represented mortality, a blooming flower the fleeting nature of life, and hourglasses captured the swift passage of time. Wealthy patrons commissioned these “vanitas” paintings as subtle reminders of life’s impermanence.
Romanticism and the 19th Century: Artists like Delacroix and Goya infused symbols with emotion, protest, and the sublime, reflecting their views on society and human nature. Stormy seas symbolized inner turmoil, broken chains meant freedom, and sunsets embodied the transient beauty of life. Nature itself became a powerful metaphor.
Modern Art Movements (20th Century): Surrealists, Abstract Expressionists, and Dadaists deconstructed traditional symbols. Surrealists like Dalí used icons like melting clocks to explore the subconscious, while Abstract artists made color and form the symbols themselves, communicating raw emotion and breaking free of traditional visual cues.
Digital and Post-Internet Art: Today, symbols have evolved to incorporate tech elements, internet icons, and references to digital culture. Glitches, emojis, and icons are the new symbolic “language,” reflecting themes like virtual identity, consumerism, and digital connection. These symbols speak directly to our screen-savvy age, blending traditional art language with modern life.
Why should YOU care?
Why It Matters: Just as in fine art, symbols in digital art give you a way to read between the lines. They can be cultural, historical, or personal—adding layers of meaning that make a work richer and more impactful.
How to Look at It: Start by identifying any familiar icons or motifs. If it’s a glitchy image of an apple, is it hinting at tech, knowledge, temptation? Just as you’d question the symbolism of an apple in a Renaissance painting, try to read it in the digital context too. Ask: Is this a universal symbol, or is it speaking to something very specific to our digital era?
Aesthetic Movements and Digital Symbols: New Genres of Fine Art
Digital art has given rise to aesthetics that have evolved into whole artistic movements, each uniquely expressing themes of our digital age. Just as we recognize the Impressionist brushstrokes of Monet or the abstract forms of Kandinsky, we can now identify digital movements with their own distinct visual languages and symbolic vocabularies.
Glitch Art
Glitch art uses distortion and errors to communicate themes of chaos, fragility, and digital disruption. In an era where technology is interwoven with our daily lives, glitches can symbolize the “errors” or flaws within society, technology, or even our own perceptions. Much like how Dadaism used collage and absurdism to critique cultural norms, glitch art challenges our expectations of perfection in digital imagery, highlighting the “breaks” in a world that runs on code.
How to Spot It: Look for distorted, fragmented, or corrupted images. Ask yourself if the “errors” seem to make a statement on disorder, decay, or imperfection—are they revealing something about the digital world’s instability?
Vaporwave
Vaporwave’s neon color schemes and retro-futuristic visuals serve as a nostalgic yet critical look at early digital culture and consumerism. Using pastel gradients, ‘80s-inspired visuals, and warped corporate symbols, vaporwave captures a sense of irony toward commercialism—similar to how Pop Art played with ads and consumer products. But it’s also sentimental, holding onto a longing for the earlier days of digital media and simpler technology.
How to Spot It: Notice the use of neon, vintage graphics, and a slightly kitschy vibe. Does the artwork convey irony, nostalgia, or a critique of modern consumerism?
Post-Internet Art
Post-Internet art goes beyond aesthetics, often diving into themes of surveillance, identity, and the blurred boundaries of reality. Artists in this genre use familiar digital symbols like icons, emojis, and screenshots, reflecting on the ways technology mediates our lives and interactions. Think of it as a cross between Surrealism and Conceptual Art, where the work questions the digital conditions shaping our perception of reality.
How to Spot It: Look for internet symbols and media references used in unusual ways. Is the artwork reflecting on digital identity, or commenting on the blurred line between virtual and real worlds?
Generative Art
Generative art is a form of code-based art where artists create algorithms to produce artworks. These pieces often evolve through rules set by the artist but are ultimately shaped by randomness or computational processes, meaning no two pieces are exactly alike. Generative art can evoke the infinite possibilities within digital systems and reflect on the relationship between human creativity and machine-driven results, aligning it with modern minimalism and process art.
How to Spot It: Generative works often have repeating, intricate patterns or sequences. Ask yourself if the artwork feels “calculated” or algorithmic—consider how randomness or order might play into its meaning.
AI Art
AI art, created with machine learning algorithms, brings an entirely new level of interaction between artist and tool. Artists train AI models on vast datasets, allowing the machine to generate unique works based on its "understanding" of art forms. AI art often explores themes of identity, authorship, and human-machine collaboration, asking provocative questions about creativity itself. It’s like a digital twist on Cubism or Surrealism, where the unexpected perspectives of the machine challenge our view of what art can be.
How to Spot It: AI art can look surreal or uncanny, with imagery that sometimes seems “almost human” but feels slightly off. Consider if the work seems to question authenticity or human input in the creative process.
[An article on AI Art genres is coming out soon!]
How do we decipher symbolism in digital art?
When it comes to symbolism, digital art is layered with meaning that’s often informed by the artist’s choice of color, icons, glitch elements, and even stylistic movements. Here’s how to start breaking down these symbols like a pro.
1. Start with the Basics: Observe Color and Composition
Why: Color and composition are often the “entry points” for symbols. Just as in classical art, these elements help set the mood and guide your attention.
How: Take a step back and notice the color scheme and layout. Are certain colors more prominent, perhaps evoking specific emotions? For example, a predominance of cool blues might suggest calmness or detachment, while neon greens and pinks could hint at retro-futurism or irony, common in vaporwave aesthetics.
Look For: Does the composition lead your eye to specific areas of the artwork? Symbols are often placed centrally or in isolated areas to draw focus.
2. Identify Familiar Icons and Digital Symbols
Why: Many digital artists use everyday digital symbols like emojis, pixelated effects, and glitch textures as visual shorthand for cultural ideas. They borrow icons from our digital landscape to comment on technology, communication, or identity.
How: Pay attention to familiar icons that may stand out. For instance, glitch elements often signal disruption or commentary on technological dependency. Emojis, meanwhile, might convey a specific feeling or reflect internet culture itself.
Look For: Ask yourself why a particular digital symbol is used in the artwork. Is the artist inviting us to think critically about its meaning in our lives? For example, a glitch effect in a portrait could symbolize the instability of modern identities or the artificial nature of our digital personas.
3. Look for Cultural References and Visual Quotes
Why: Digital artists often pull symbols from pop culture, memes, and historical art, weaving in references that may act as visual “quotes.” These are clues that help you understand the artwork’s message or the artist’s stance on cultural issues.
How: Try to identify familiar motifs. Does the piece reference an iconic character, historical artwork, or internet meme? These elements often enrich the story the artwork is telling.
Look For: Search for unexpected juxtapositions or familiar images re-contextualized in new ways. For example, if a piece references Botticelli’s Venus in a digital glitch format, the artist could be contrasting ideals of classic beauty with the fragmented self-image of today’s social media era.
4. Consider the Artistic Movement
Why: Knowing if a piece belongs to an aesthetic movement—like glitch art, vaporwave, or post-internet art—can provide context for interpreting its symbols. Each movement has unique themes and symbols that reflect its core ideas.
How: Research the movements associated with digital art. Glitch art often explores imperfection in a digital world; vaporwave critiques consumerism and capitalism; post-internet art tackles online identity and surveillance.
Look For: Ask how the style of the piece complements or challenges its content. For instance, vaporwave’s nostalgic neon tones might signal a critique of hyper-consumerism, using past visuals to comment on current issues.
5. Dive into the Artwork’s Description and the Artist’s Statement
Why: Digital artists frequently provide statements or descriptions that offer insights into their symbolic choices. This context can be crucial for understanding layered meanings.
How: Before interpreting a piece, take a moment to read any description or artist notes available. Artists often hint at themes or meanings that might not be immediately obvious. If no description is provided, see if the artist has shared similar works or has a statement on their portfolio.
Look For: Pay attention to words that explain their thematic goals, cultural references, or personal inspirations. Artists sometimes use language that parallels the visual symbolism in their work.
6. Reflect on Your Own Reaction
Why: Your emotional response can be a clue to the artwork’s symbolism. Often, symbols are meant to evoke specific feelings—unease, nostalgia, even humor.
How: After analyzing colors, icons, cultural references, and the artist’s statement, take a moment to think about your own reaction. Does the piece make you feel uncomfortable, amused, or nostalgic? Your response might reveal the artist’s intent.
Look For: Symbols are meant to resonate, so trust your instinct. If a neon-colored, glitch-filled artwork makes you feel disconnected, the artist might be commenting on disconnection in the digital age.
Let’s do a Practical Exercise…
Pick a digital artwork that intrigues you. Follow each step:
Start with colors and composition.
Spot any familiar icons or symbols.
Think about cultural references or art movements.
Check for an artist’s description or statement.
Reflect on your response.
Symbolism in digital art invites us to look beyond the surface, blending familiar icons with the aesthetics and issues unique to our digital era.
By observing color, composition, icons, and references to cultural movements, we can uncover the deeper layers of meaning these artworks hold. Digital art, like any fine art form, uses symbols to speak to us—about identity, technology, nostalgia, and the complexities of modern life.
So, take your time with each piece, let it unfold, and remember that sometimes, the more you look, the more you see.