The Symbolism of the Swastika in Contemporary Art - An Interpretive Study -

Abstract

Summary

The current research includes four chapters. The first chapter deals with the research problem, which is represented by the following questions: (What is the symbolism of the swastika? What are its historical and intellectual references that contemporary artists have relied on in their artistic productions? How has it been reinterpreted in contemporary visual art?) Then, it explains its importance and the need for it. The chapter also includes the research objective, which is Learn about the symbolism of the swastika and its interpretive connotations in contemporary art. The objective limits of the research were limited to studying the symbolism of the swastika in terms of its historical dimensions, connotations, and interpretations in contemporary visual art works, from (1980-2010) to the artworks of contemporary artists. The researcher concluded the first chapter by defining the most important terms included in the title of the current research.  The second chapter included the theoretical framework, which consisted of three sections. The first section dealt with the concept of symbolism in aesthetic thought and human expression. The second section dealt with the swastika across civilizations: transformations of meaning and significance.

The third section dealt  whith The swastika in contemporary visual art: between use and symbolic interpretationt 

The second chapter also included previous studies and indicators of the theoretical framework.

The third chapter addressed the current research procedures, which included a statement of the research community, which numbered 40 artworks by contemporary artists. The research sample, which numbered 4, was chosen using the intentional method. The researcher also relied on the descriptive approach using content analysis.

The fourth chapter included the research results, conclusions, recommendations, and proposals.

 Among the most important findings reached by the researcher are:

1.     The historical and cultural symbolism of the swastika played an effective and controversial role in various works of contemporary visual art, contributing to the revelation of the beliefs and ideas held by artists. This was evident in all models of the current research sample.

2.     Contemporary artists demonstrated a shift away from the negative dimensions of the swastika's symbolism, resulting in abstract, imitative forms with an implicit, high-spirited nature that are in keeping with the cultural contexts of contemporary artists, as in all models of the research sample.

As for the most important conclusions reached by the researcher, they are: The spiritual and religious nature rooted in the symbolism of the swastika played a significant role in directing its meaning and visual imitation according to the cultural and aesthetic context. Therefore, contemporary artists incorporated it into their symbolic and semantic encodings, moving toward an interpretive direction.