Semiotics In The Artworks Of Isan Artists

Abstract

This article is part of a dissertation titled Semiotics in the Artworks of Isan Artists (the northeast region of Thailand) for Online Art Exhibition Design, which aimed to study the background and artworks of two Isan artists, i.e. Tawee Ratchaneekorn and Pairoj Samosorn, who are significant contributors to the Isan Arts. They received national and international awards, including Isan Best Artist and Isan Heritage Artist, as well as consistently creating numerous artworks that analyzed signs in artworks using semiology developed by Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce. The semiology was used as a framework to analyze styles, techniques, concepts, strategies, and communication in creating artworks. The artworks were associated with the names of pictures, catalogues, and interviews with the artists and art educators. Sign meaning was analyzed for both explicit and implicit meaning.

The results reported that Tawee Ratchaneekorn and Pairoj Samosorn are not Isan people. Tawee Ratchaneekorn was born in Ratchaburi. In addition, Pairoj Samosorn was born in Nakorn Srithammarat and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the Painting Department at Silpakorn University. He was a follower of Professor Silpa Bhirasri, who has a crucial role in powering the Isan contemporary arts and is respected and accepted by Isan and Thai artists. He received national and international awards, including Isan Heritage Artist and Isan Best Artist.

Semiology was employed to analyze the meaning of sign levels divided into two types. The first type was used to find the meaning of the sign in the artwork of Tawee Ratchaneekorn from the interview with the artist. The other was used to find the meaning in the artwork of [1]Pairoj Samosorn, the dead artist, from the interview with art educators. The research revealed that the artwork of Tawee Ratchaneekorn and Pairoj Samosorn were designed as icons and indexes. The interpretation of sign meaning can disclose the meaning of the sign, background, concept, and inspiration in art creation. The viewers would then understand the inspiration in creating artworks, which the artists attempt to express through their artworks.