Transcript Asian Cultures

Asian Cultures
Influences
• Religion:
– India was the birth place of Buddhism and
Hinduism.
– Which later traveled to China, Korea, and Japan.
– Buddhism was based on a path of right
understanding that led to nirvana (release from
the cycle of life and death)
– Hinduism believed in sacrifice to a deity in order
to attain release form the cycle of life and death
and be at one with the universal spirit.
Influences continued….
• Later, the Chinese philosophies of Daoism and
Confucianism contributes to the culture with
beliefs that anyone can cultivate wisdom and
ability, which leads to good for all.
Influences….
• Religion was the biggest influence in the early
Asian arts. However, Utility and function also
played an important part in the creation of art
and architecture.
Architecture
• Hindu temple architecture was monumental in
size.
• Temples were elaborately fashioned and
sometimes carved right out of rock.
– Example of this is Pampapati Temple located in the
city of Vijayanagara in southern India.
– magestic, beautifully decorated 11-tier tower
– Built between the 13th and 17th century.
– Dedicated to Virupaksha, an aspect of Shiva, and his
consort Pampa, a local diety.
Buddhist Architecture
• The first Buddhist architectural structures in
India were stupas
• Stupas: mound shaped buildings used to
house the relics of Buddha's body.
• These were more like shrines than temples.
Structures in china
• Many of the early Buddhist temples in China
were sophisticated structures constructed in
wood.
• The Chinese pagoda emerged as a tall tower
structure with many stories, each one having
its own projecting roof with upturned eaves.
Liurong Temple
Architecture in Japan
• Temples in early Japan
were grand wooden
structures that served
as elaborate shrines to
Buddha
• They echoed Chinese
architectural influences
• Some of the oldest
surviving wooden
structures in the world.
Calligraphy
• Calligraphy: decorative or fine handwriting
generally created with a quill, reed pen, or
brush.
• 4,000 year old writing system based on
symbols
• Serves as a common means to communicate
• Botha form of writing and an art form
• The symbols are painted with ink and a
pointed tip brush of animal hair set in a
bamboo shaft on paper silk, both of which are
absorbent and do not allow correction or
erasing.
• Symbols stands for a word
• You do not have to be able to read the words
to appreciate the painting.
• Calligraphy is abstract art.
Ceramics
• Ceramic pottery has
early origins in China
and Japan dating
back to 10,000BCE.
• Jomon: an early
Japanese pottery
with interesting
texture and unique
cord markings that
embellish the
surface in a rich
array of patterns
and design.
Ceramics continued…
• Early Asian ceramics varied in size, shapes,
some had lids, spouts, and most were created
without a potters wheel.
• Painted and glazed mostly with red and black
color.
• China contributed a wealth of ceramic
knowledge in early times.
• Porcelain: a hard, white, translucent form of
ceramics.
• Porcelain was originally used for decorative
and funerary purposes and later was used fro
more functional pieces.
Chinese and Japanese Painting
• Scrolls were very popular
• Painting on a long piece of
paper or silk.
• Scrolls could be hanging or
hand scrolls.
– They were intended to be rolled
up so that the viewer could open
small parts at a time enjoying the
scenes until the entire painting is
revealed.
• Traditional scroll painting had four categories:
– Religious paintings
– Landscape paintings
– Portrait paintings
– Paintings of plants or animals.
• Characteristics of traditional Chinese
paintings:
– Importance of line
– A lack of shading
– Emphasis on capturing the feel or spirit of the
object.
Other Early Asian Art forms
• Textiles: artworks
that are created from
natural or man made
fibers. Weaving,
basketry, stitchery,
and knitting are just a
few of the processes
involved in textile
design.
• Batik: A method of dyeing cloth that
originated in Indonesia, in this method
designs are created by coating with wax the
parts not to be dyed.
Japanese Printmaking
• Wood block printing appeared in Japan during
the Edo period (1615-1867)
• Images are cut into a wood block then inked
and transferred onto paper or silk.
• Early prints were black and white and later on
multicolor were gradually used.
• Placement and transfer must be precise.