Pictorial Metaphors

A colection of pictorial metaphors and metonyms

[pictorial-metaphors]

Wiesław Wałkuski, unnamed acrylic painting.

The picture of a man whose face seems to have been gradually peeled off (or ripped off) revealing that he is made of rock (of a dark tone). But his shirt is white and looks clean and intact.

Metonymy: the face represents the whole self.

Metaphor: The face as metaphor can mean his external identity, not his real self (which is made of rock). The gradual peeling off of his face can represent the effects of time.

Metaphor (personification): the rock can symbolize rigidity and lack of love. If we compare the picture to the meaning of a “heart of stone”, for example, the rock can mean that the self could have become rock like to protect itself, solid but unfeeling. 

Metaphor (antithesis and irony): The darkness of the face and stone contrasts with white shirt. This contrasts serves to intensify the dark nature of the character. The white shirt may represent the protective layer that seems clean and presentable, but hides a sad and ridgid self. In this sense, this picture suggests irony.

[pictorial-metaphors]

Wiktor Sadowski 

"My Fair Lady” (Poster for play by Bernard Shaw) 1986.

Synopsis: Snobbish phonetics Professor agrees to a wager that he can make a (poorly educated) flower girl presentable in high society. The professor tries to win the bet by teaching the girl the aristocratic vernacular of the english language.

Metonymy: the eye represents vision.

Metaphor: vision and light (or lighter tones) represents the acquisition of knowledge. 

+ Metonymy: the gloved hand represents the aristocratic professor who reveals linguistic knowledge to the girl. 

Metaphor (antithesis): the darkness of the picture contrasting with light tones, represents ignorance versus knowledge. In addition, this contrast can mean dirt versus cleanliness, because of the earthy tones and texture used. In this sense, the dirt could mean the ignorance of the working class, contrasting with the cleanliness of the pompons but well-educated aristocracy. This concept can be reinforced by the fact that the girl was dirty when the professor met her for the first time.

+ Metaphor: Her unkept hair can represent her wild nature, but because its dark and dirty it can reinforce her ignorance (as mentioned before). The fact that the hand is gloved may represent that the professor acknowledges the the girl is not clean, if only in a metaphorical sense ;)

[pictorial-metaphors]

Mieczysław Górowski

Policja (Police) (Poster for play by Slawomira Mrozek) 1982

Gagged and blinded by a serpentine rope, the head in this poster is suggestive of both victim and oppressor: like their prisoners, the police hear, see, and say nothing. Martial law was imposed in Poland in December 1981 in an attempt to crush support for Solidarity, the first non-Communist trade union in a Communist country. (MoMA)

[pictorial-metaphors]

Mieczysław Górowski 

America!, America! (poster for a Elia Kazan film) 1991

Synopsis: story of the hardships faced by an immigrant who dreams of going to North America

Metonymy: the hands represent two different people, the diference is strengthened by the varying skin tones. The darker hand is the immigrant.

Metaphor (irony): a handshake symbolizes goodwill and agreement among two parties. The irony is that the lighter hand only pretends goodwill to the other,  the thumb performing harm reveals the hand’s true intent.