Berik Kulmamirov
SIGNS AND SYMBOLS IN INTERPRETATION OF PAINTINGS
Conceptual explanation
Symbolic art, a visual supplement of symbolic philosophy, is based on historic research. The results of efforts in deciphering pagan and ethnic signs spurred the wildest interpretations of paintings. Archaeological discoveries gave us the chance to penetrate the symbolic environment of Bronze Age. Such items from those times as war armor and everyday tools and utensils carry upon them various signs and symbols, offering us a rich source of our ancestral symbolic heritage.
Symbolic art and symbolic philosophy are inextricably linked to the religious tradition, myths, the cosmological ideas on the nature of the world and astrology. The historic heritage of Kazakhstan is represented particularly by symbols that were prevalent during the Middle Ages. Different stylistic trends within various pattern concepts underlying our applied art should be emphasized.
Finally, the Tamga (or brand) system is a distinct feature of the tribal and clan hierarchy of the Kazakh people. Each Tamga sign represents the symbol of a particular tribe or clan. When using some of these signs in my paintings, I never strive towards their precise graphic representation or the precise reflection of their symbolic meaning. My main goal is to express my view on the symbolic art of the world at large and to present my unfettered, sincere representation of the symbolism of our times.
Berik Kulmamirov
Artist, genre of Ethnical Symbolism
