Symbolic Interpretation of Daud Rahim’s Visual Artworks in The Context of Social Cultural Change

Abstract

Visual art as a medium of human expression is a reflection of the changes that occur in society and culture. This study, therefore, aims to approach, understand and interpret the symbols behind the artworks created by Daud Rahim in the context of social cultural change. This study applies an art study approach that falls under the qualitative method that emphasizes on an in-depth and holistic explanation method based on a conceptual model that is developed based on concepts that are thought to be relevant to be the framework of the analysis. From the result of the analysis and discussion, it was found that the visual artworks created by Daud Rahim used personal symbols inspired from the world of animals and combined with the machine parts. Through the perspective of social and cultural change, the personal symbols he created reveal the human aspects of modern society that has lost it soul (spiritual) because it is too engrossed in the material world. The materialism culture, individualistic attitudes, secularistic process and crisis of spiritual crisis has pushed modern society to focus their attention on the accumulation of material things and goods until finally causing them to be complacent and unable to cultivate spiritual aspects that are very important to their inner life.