Weekly Photography Challenge: Symbol

We are constantly surrounded by symbols in our day to day life, many so mundane we barely notice them. I’ve been thinking about them, because this week’s Photography Challenge theme is “Symbol”, which asks for something more profound and personal than, say, the symbol for “ladies loo” or “left turn only”- 

 

I made this beaded artwork a few years ago, following the kind of pattern that gives a general outline, and then says, do your own thing.

It began with the disc (symbol of wholeness) and then the triangle inside it, with symbols at each point. The top one is “your idea of God”, for which I chose a copper washer, backed with a shisha mirror, the lower left is “how you see yourself”, for which I picked a turtle, as symbol of self-containment/introversion, and the right is “how your friends see you”, with the kettle symbolising comfort and friendship – tea and sympathy, even.

Having put those symbols in place, the rest is packed with tiny beads in random colours, and with  more symbols here and there. The beaded fringe has even more, although you can’t see them in this photograph. As a further symbol, my reflection in the glass of the frame could be a symbol of this piece being a reflection of how I see myself…

 

I have quite a collection of bowls – I just like them, and they come in handy – but they can also be read as symbols of The Feminine, being containers, receptive and all that. My husband thinks I have too many, but what would he know? Here are three of my tea bowls, and one lovely green vintage cereal bowl.