Komunikasi Visual dan Ideologi Kepemimpinan dalam Lukisan Kuda Api

Abstract

Visual art functions not only as a medium of aesthetic expression but also as a means of communication capable of conveying messages, values, and particular ideologies to society. In the context of political communication, works of art can be used to construct public images and represent a leader's character through visual symbols that carry profound meanings. This study aims to analyze visual communication and the representation of leadership ideology in the painting Strong and Energetic Like a Fire Horse by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. This study employed a qualitative approach using Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis method, which emphasizes three levels of meaning: denotation, connotation, and myth. Data were obtained through the interpretation of visual elements, including colors, shapes, and composition, which were analyzed systematically. The findings reveal that the horse symbol represents strength, energy, and leadership, while at the mythological level, the painting constructs an ideology of leadership that is stable, progressive, and oriented toward national development. These findings confirm that visual art can function as a medium of non-verbal political communication in shaping leadership image and legitimacy. This study contributes to the field of visual communication, particularly in understanding art as a strategy for ideological representation within the context of political communication.