Iconography

   What are icons? Icons are better recognized in religious terms, such as religious works of art, or a painting more commonly found in Eastern Christianity or Eastern Catholic churches.

 

Archangel Gabriel on a Russian icon

Icons gain their power over societies by societies themselves. The Christianity religion is constantly growing at an amazing pace, and as it does, it grows stronger, drawing yet more people into its beliefs. But a belief cannot stand on its own and be expected to grow. It needs a face, a body, something people can see in replacement of their invisible deity.

That is where icons come in. Religious icons can appear in any form, so long as it is visible, be it a statue, a  book, a painting, a sculpture or a piece of toast.

                                                        

Along the course of history, a wide array of religious cultures have been equipped and inspired by concrete images, in any kind of dimension or form. These icons, depending on how they are depicted are treated as holy objects meant for worship and such. 

Over the years of modernization, icons have grown a new purpose to their existence aside from religious relics.

"by extension- icon is also used, particularly in modern culture, in the general sense of symbol — i.e. a name, face, picture, edifice or even a person readily recognized as having some well-known significance or embodying certain qualities: one thing, an image or depiction, that represents something else of greater significance through literal or figurative meaning, usually associated with religious, cultural, political, or economic standing."

                                           

An example of simplified versions of objects.

Icons are basically symbols used to simplify what would have been a large paragraph of explanation. Icons smooth over the rocky edges of communication and produce and easy peasy quickie form of understanding things around us.