Research Exercises

Exercise 1 - Indirect Direction

the task: find 5 symbols that annotate direction without using arrows.

Exercise 2 - Group Symbols

After the last class i felt i had developed a better understanding of what a symbol is, compared to my hazing grasp last week, on how to identify indirect directional symbols. However even with a refined understanding, i found it a little more difficult to identify symbols that would be associated with groups of people. i think it may be because i'm thinking a little too literally, rather than laterally. But here are my findings for the week.

The International sign for Rock On!!!

i felt this was an appropriate sign, cos it tends to be done by large groups of people at festivals or concerts.

The Olympic rings become a signpost for many participants of the games.

United Nations, group of countries aimed at tackling global politics.

The symbol of medcine, a symbol representing those that have been able to join societies elite personnel.

Finally, the sign of buddhism.

Research Exercise 3 - symbols of superstition

horse shoes

walking under ladders

friday the thirteenth

religious symbols

touching wood

Research Exercise 4 - Symbols of Changed Meaning
This weeks exercise challenged my understanding of what exactly a symbol is, and how diverse and how broad the concept actually is. With what i was able to gather this week, I've come to a conclusion that almost everything can be a symbol, its just a matter of how it is used and how it is applied. 
With this new found ( i would like to put 'knowledge' here, but i may just be completely going off on the wrong tangent) understanding, i decided to delve deeper into a world of symbols other than just Nazi Swastikas. After rummaging around for a while, Mickey Mouse, popped up, in-between researching symbols and watching a disney marathon. Ive come to realise Mickey Mouse, has evolved from being a character in one of Walt Disney's earliest cartoons, to being the face of a massive conglomerate. 
More recently, the Mickey Mouse character itself has adopted a greater symbolic representation. Thus turning Mickey himself into a symbol, distinguished by a silhouette of his ears and a rounded head. 
Though it may not be a symbol that has changed its meaning, i believe Mickey has become a symbol in himself, and adopted a meaning, or has had meaning attached to him.

Research Exercise 5 - Symbol Drafts
This was definitely a difficult task to complete, i was trying to venture away from the traditional symbol of using purely the hand and trying to display that in a way that creates a high five feel. I know my attempts were not very successful, however i am glad i tried something a little different. 


Research Exercise 6 - Revolution
This class has revolutionised the way i think about symbols, and how i would pick one out, does that mean i can be a symbol of revolution? Perhaps not, but the Southern cross can be. Prior to the Cronulla riots, the southern cross was a proud representation of being Australian. 
The Southern Cross has overtime been used for a number of reasons by different cultures. European navigators and explorers used the constellation as a method determining the hemisphere they were in, and also what period of the year they were in. Aboriginal Australians, used the southern cross as the head of the 'emu in the sky'. Brazilians mention it in their national anthem. 
However, in Australia the Southern Cross is seen as a symbol of national pride. It became a very popular piece of iconography. However, recently, the southern cross has adopted the stigma of being associated with white supremacy. It only took a few quick days in Cronulla for this icon to have a whole new meaning attached to it. 

Research Exercise 7


Research exercise 8 - Intangible symbols
after thinking about this week's task for a while and brainstorming what an intangible symbol actually is, i came to the conclusion that the sleeping Z's is one of the most disassociated symbols from what it represents, and is also highly intangible, which is a big bonus. I'm unclear about how the letter 'Z' became the symbol for sleeping, but i have my suspicions that it has to do with the grinding sound of snoring. Which i suppose is probably easier to represent symbolically than closed eyes or being tucked away in bed because i think they would eventually become tangible symbols. From intangible symbols, and this research topic, i suppose i have learnt there are so many ways of intangibly symbolising things, and most of them are blatantly obvious but are really just hard to think of.