Visualizing Ideas

When an idea is expressed in a visual form there needs to be a meaning that can be understood by an audience. Having individual ideas expressed and understood by an audience is what artist strive to achieve. Being able to hold an audiences attention whether it be visually or maybe conceptually, for instance making them wonder and think, is what every artist hopes to achieve with each piece of artwork. When thinking about how to get an idea across to an audience, the artist must take into account terms like language, iconography, audience, immediacy, stereotypes, cliches, and elements of surprise. Art is not all about visual components, engaging others and expression are almost more important than the work itself.

This image takes a few different approaches to expressing the meaning that lays behind the work. The man getting ready to throw the flowers looks to me like an anti violence protest image. At first glance I get the feeling that this picture is a flower advertisement, it reminds me very much of a Ken’s Flower icon that I would see on a side of a building or on a van driving down the road. But after I look at it closer I realize that the figure has a cloth over his face and instead of carrying flowers looks like he will throw them. The man ’s stance looks like he should be throwing a bomb, which leads me to violence or a war/ raid idea. By incorporating the flowers I fee that the image now has become a protest or maybe just a statement about peace. By having the flowers in color I am more drawn to them then the figure, emphasizing more importance on them. This image is done by the artist Banksy and I believe he created meaning very well by playing with the audience own ideas. He used flowers which are symbolic, and he connected other feelings with these ideas. Psychological plays on the mind were important in creating an effective piece like this one.