Use of different metaphors through the seagull ımage in visual arts

Abstract

This study is dedicated to analyzing the use of the seagull image as a metaphorical symbol in the visual arts. The relevance of this research stems from the increasingly significant role that metaphorical images play in the production of cultural meaning in contemporary visual art, as well as the seagull image’s acquisition of multilayered symbolic meanings across different social contexts. This analysis is also significant in the context of modern art, as today’s artists address social issues through the use of symbolism. The aim of the study is to identify and interpret the various metaphorical meanings attributed to the seagull image in the works of different artists. To achieve this objective, works in which the seagull is used to express a wide range of emotions and concepts—from positive ones such as hope and faith to negative ones such as greed, anger, violence, helplessness, danger, and cruelty—were analyzed. A qualitative descriptive research design was adopted for this study, and selected works by Marsden Hartley, James Browning Wyeth, Rushan Ismagilov, and Medina Akkaynak were examined using semiotic analysis and cultural-historical context analysis methods. The results of the study revealed that the image of the seagull is not limited to traditional meanings such as freedom or hope; it also carries layers of metaphorical meanings that are in opposition to one another, such as hope and faith, greed and anger, oppression and helplessness, danger and ruthlessness. It was revealed that in the works examined, the same symbol is reinterpreted within different social, psychological, and ideological contexts. The findings show that the image of the seagull is one of the powerful tools of multilayered metaphorical expression in contemporary visual art and makes significant contributions to the cultural interpretation of works of art. The results of this study may be of interest to art historians, art critics, curators, artists, and a broad readership interested in art and culture.