Semiotics 1

Semiotics 1 - "Charging Bull"

1.   In the case of this sign, the image of a bull (male bovine animal) is the signifier or the sign’s physical form.

2.   This signifier signifies many different concepts.  Bulls are generally strong and aggressive animals; thus, the signifier represents a sense of strength, indomitability, and tenacity.  However, there is a deeper social association of the bull with concepts of finance and capitalism, illustrated by the term “bull market” and further enforced by the bull’s location on Wall Street in New York City.  A bull market refers to a market in which share prices are increasing, thus encouraging buying. This association takes the concepts of the strength and indomitability and applies them to an entrepreneurial setting; thus, the bull also signifies the fearless investors who brave (and ultimately conquer) the market place.  However, the bull signifier can also carry a negative connotation of aggression, foolhardiness, and destruction, as illustrated by the phrase “a bull in a china cabinet.”  This connotation is also applicable to the stock market; big businesses, stock brokers, etc. can all be seen as selfish, cutthroat, and aggressive forces that unconcerned with the effects of their actions.  In summary, the image of a bull is a loaded signifier that can communicate both positive and negative sentiments.

3.     Many societal and historical factors support the analysis of the bull as both a positive and negative sign.  This particular image,“Charging Bull,” was originally created to signify the positive aspects associated with the bull signifier.  Arturo Di Modica, the artist, has stated that he created the bull to represent the “prosperity and strength” of the American people and stock market after a market crash in 1986.  However, the modern connotation of the bull seems to be leaning far more to the negative side of the spectrum.  With the memory of the 2008 recession still fresh in their minds, most Americans would probably associate the bull with aggressive stockbrokers and the corruption of Wall Street.  This signification is being further entrenched by the recent instillation of another statue on Wall Street entitled “Fearless Girl.”  This statue depicts a young girl who stands right in front of the bull, seemingly challenging him as she stares him down.  Many people have seen “Fearless Girl” not only as a monument to women, but as a representation of the “little guy” – a symbol of simple innocence and strength against the greed of Wall Street.  In other words, the placement of “Fearless Girl” is making “Charging Bull” seem even more villainous than before.  In fact, Di Modica has called for “Fearless Girl” to be removed because he claims it has transformed his work into “a negative force and a threat*.” I believe that the signification of “Charging Bull” in the public eye has certainly shifted over the past decade, not because of “Fearless Girl” alone, but because of the nature of signs. Signs are constantly-changing societal constructs that we use and consume each day.  Thus, the image of the bull itself has no intrinsic morality; its connotation is created and defined by the community that consumes the sign.  Just as the community defines the sign, it can also change and redefine the sign as well.

*https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/nyregion/charging-bull-sculpture-wall-street-fearless-girl.html