Indexical signs of automatism in contemporary art

Abstract

Automatism has been defined in various ways across different disciplines. This study, which examines the effects of unconscious processes in nature and art, aims to construct a visual system of automatist signs using Peirce's semiotic method. The reflections of automatism in contemporary art after 1940 have been analyzed based on the notion of indication. The views reveal that automatism manifests in contemporary art in various ways and that artists employ reflexive and involuntary processes in a creative way, as demonstrated through numerous examples. The purpose of this research is to develop a framework of automatist indexical signs by examining the signs produced by artists in contemporary art from 1940 to the present. Peirce's semiotic approach has been adopted as the research method to achieve this aim. Within the aim of the study, contemporary artworks have been examined, and the results are categorized under the headings: "Accumulated Lines," "The Sensory Weight of Color," "Persistent Images," "Contemplative Texture," "The Transformation of Ordinary Action," "Unifying Sonic Images," "Reproductive Object Usage," and "Reproductive Experience." These results highlight the distinct aspects of automatism in contemporary art compared to modern art. Semiotic analysis serves as a crucial method in explaining the style and context of the artist. In light of Janet's theory of automatism, unconscious processes in art can be further examined, opening avenues for new research in this context.