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The hidden language of symbols / Matthew Wilson.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: London : New York, New York : Thames & Hudson Ltd ; Thames & Hudson Inc., 2022Copyright date: ©2022Description: 271 pages : illustrations (chiefly colour) ; 26 cmContent type:
  • text
  • still image
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 0500025290
  • 9780500025291
Subject(s): Summary: "The Hidden Language of Symbols' covers a wide-ranging selection of visual culture under one unified theme: symbols. Often not immediately apparent, our day-to-day lives abound with symbols of various kinds from national emblems to emojis, allegories to logos, all of which exert a strong hold in the image-saturated, globalized world of the 21st century and have a fascinating story. Organized across four all-encompassing themes - power, faith, hope and uncertainty - this stimulating illustrated account of forty-eight key symbols from global art history is aimed at gallery-goers, armchair art sleuths or anyone who wants to understand the history of their visual environment from an unusual and creative angle. Drawing on examples from the imaginary, natural, physical and religious worlds; from dragons to eagles, butterflies to labyrinths and rainbows to wheels; author and art historian Matthew Wilson discusses the different types of symbols from their creation, their development and why they evolved, to the various ways they have been interpreted. He also explains in what way symbols are markers of identity that have the power to unite and divide societies and looks at how they have shaped the world beyond the gallery, revealing their impact on the appearance of our cities, the language of advertising and blockbuster films and even the design of corporate logos."-- Publisher's description.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 704.946 W751 Available 33111010923932
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A stimulating resource thatguides readers through themost significant symbols fromart history, spanning manycivilizations and centurieswhile revealing the commonheritage of a globalvisual language.

The Hidden Language of Symbols covers a wide-ranging selection of visual culture and art under one unified theme: symbols. Often not immediately apparent, our day-to-day lives abound with symbols of various kinds, from national emblems to emojis, allegories to logos, all of which have a fascinating story.

Organized across four all-encompassing themes--power, faith, hope, and uncertainty--this stimulating illustrated account of forty-eight key symbols from global art history is aimed at museum-goers, armchair art sleuths, or anyone who wants to understand the history of their visual environment from an unusual and creative angle. Drawing on artistic examples from the imaginary, natural, physical, and religious worlds, from dragons to eagles, butterflies to labyrinths, and rainbows to wheels, author and art historian Matthew Wilson discusses the lives of these different types of symbols. Analyzing their development, why they evolved, and the various ways they have been interpreted, Wilson also explains in what way symbols are markers of identity, that is, how they gain the power to unite and divide societies. Looking at how they have shaped the world beyond the museum, Wilson reveals their impact on the appearance of our cities, the language of advertising, and even the design of corporate logos.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"The Hidden Language of Symbols' covers a wide-ranging selection of visual culture under one unified theme: symbols. Often not immediately apparent, our day-to-day lives abound with symbols of various kinds from national emblems to emojis, allegories to logos, all of which exert a strong hold in the image-saturated, globalized world of the 21st century and have a fascinating story. Organized across four all-encompassing themes - power, faith, hope and uncertainty - this stimulating illustrated account of forty-eight key symbols from global art history is aimed at gallery-goers, armchair art sleuths or anyone who wants to understand the history of their visual environment from an unusual and creative angle. Drawing on examples from the imaginary, natural, physical and religious worlds; from dragons to eagles, butterflies to labyrinths and rainbows to wheels; author and art historian Matthew Wilson discusses the different types of symbols from their creation, their development and why they evolved, to the various ways they have been interpreted. He also explains in what way symbols are markers of identity that have the power to unite and divide societies and looks at how they have shaped the world beyond the gallery, revealing their impact on the appearance of our cities, the language of advertising and blockbuster films and even the design of corporate logos."-- Publisher's description.

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