Image Essay #7

Symbols, especially when they are cliché, often have an obvious meaning behind them or associated with them. A heart is used as the symbol for love, two hands clasped signify friendship, a yin-n-yang is a symbol of harmony, and a peace sign is obviously a symbol for peace. In the “Texture, Symmetry, and Gestalt” assignment, one of our goals was to create a non-cliché symmetrical symbol that stands for desire, friendship, disgust, or betrayal.

The above image is an Irish symbol known as the Claddagh, which symbolizes friendship, loyalty, and love. While the goal of our project was to create a symbol that was not cliché, I think that this image is an above average example of a symmetrical symbol and the meanings that people derive from symbols that carry obvious associations. In other words, I believe the Irish Claddagh is a wonderful example of what not to do on this project, and therefore encourages us to ignore cliché symbols and create something of our own, both innovative and unique.

In the Claddagh, the heart symbolizes... you guessed it…love. The two hands clasped around the heart are obviously a symbol of friendship, and the crown on top of the heart is associated with loyalty. The symbol is symmetrical, meaning it has mirror-like halves. Many symbols are symmetric, and creating symmetry such as this is a requirement of our project; however, we are challenged to come up with our own unique symbols that do not use cliché associations as the Claddagh does.