ART OF THE NONWESTERN WORLD LOOKING AT THE

ART OF THE NONWESTERN WORLD LOOKING AT THE DIVERSITY OF EXPRESSIONS FROM THE GREAT CIVILIZATIONS OF NON-WESTERN CULTURES

NON-WESTERN VS WESTERN • Western art encompasses art from North America and Europe • Non Western art is essentially everything else- comprising of art from Africa, Middle East, South America, Asia and everything else • There are fundamental differences between the two that must be understood

IN THIS UNIT: • • • Multitude of perspectives India China Japan Southeast Asia Oceania and Highland Asia The world of Islam Sub-Saharan Africa Pre-Columbian art Native America

MULTITUDE OF PERSPECTIVES • Traditional non-western art frequently contains functional, religious and decorative aims. • The enormous variety of visual endeavors from cultures around the world reflect both the differences and similarities among humankind.

SO WHY DISCUSS WESTERN AND NON WESTERN AT ALL? • It’s a way to simplify art history so you can begin to learn how it developed. • Most of what you have seen, and the majority of the art that you have probably been exposed to, has been that of Western culture. • The study of a multitude of cultures enriches, enlightens and expands

WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS SEPARATED LIKE IT IS?

STUDY • Ma Yuan • Bare Willows and Distant Mountains • Ink on silk/ fan • 12 th century

• Ando Hiroshige • Hodogaya Station • 1832 -1834

• Areogun • Door from Palace at Ikerre

EVALUATION • What do all of these art pieces entail? • What visual images in America today reveal information about people’s existence? • In addition to paintings and sculpture, where else do we see images on a daily basis? • Would these visual forms deepen a non-western visitor’s understanding of American life? How?

UNDERSTANDING NON WESTERN ART • In non Western societies, art has many purposes including magic, worship, status and politics. • Much of the artwork produced has a basis in religion- symbols and motifs. • Symbol- shape, object, picture that stands for something • Motif- recurring images that hold significance in the piece

RELIGION AND NON WESTERN ART • Because it is such a major part of non Western art, no understanding of art from these cultures would be complete without understanding the religions • The more you know about what shaped the art, the more you can understand appreciate it. • *****What are the big 4 religions of the world?

MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS

RELIGION: QUICK OVERVIEW • • • Between 12 and 19 major world religions Each of these is broken down into smaller subgroups Every civilization also developed religious practices Based on worship of nature: planets, animals, fertility etc Western art typically depicts Christianity and ideas that reflect the Judeo-Christian tradition • Many other religions- Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Bah’ai, Sikhism- all influence their respective areas in non-western art

HINDUISM • Originated in ancient India around 2000 BC • Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer • In art, Brahma appears in white robes, often shown with 4 heads- Vedas, carries a scepter • Vishnu holds a discus, conch shell, mace and lotus. • Shiva often entwined in snakes with a headdress of skulls, sometimes dances around fire • Gave order to the universe- 3 zones- earth, middle space and sky • Animals and humans often used to depict power within these zones

HINDU ART The Descent of the River Ganges from Heaven 10 th century Mamallapuram, India Dancing and active human figures represent the source of life. Elephants symbolize the power of nature, have mythological ability to call upon the clouds to produce rain. Due to the size differences, nature is shown as much more powerful than humanity. Gods portrayed as more important than humans. Different registers correspond with social castes ruled over by king with divine power.

HINDU ART The portrait of Rama, (Basohli style, Pahari, circa 1730)

HINDU ART • King Dasaratha and His Retinue Proceed to Rama's Wedding: Folio from the Shangri II Ramayana Series • Artist: Bahu Masters (active ca. 1680–ca. 1720) • Date: ca. 1690– 1710 • Culture: India (Bahu, Jammu) • Medium: Opaque watercolor and ink on paper • Dimensions: Page: 8 5/8 x 12 1/2 in. (21. 9 x 31. 8 cm) Image: 7 3/4 x 11 5/8 in. (19. 7 x 29. 5 cm) • Classification: Paintings • Credit Line: Purchase, The Dillon Fund, Evelyn Kranes Kossak, and Anonymous Gifts, 1994

BUDDHISM • Emerged in India in the 6 th century BC as a Hindu reform movement • Founded by Buddha- enlightenment through meditation • Major teachings- charity to all creatures, equality of all beings and the practice of moderation • Goal- achieve nirvana, final state of eternal bliss • Bronze and wood figures of Buddha most prevalent • Mahayana Buddhism- salvation of souls and importance of saints- bodhisattvas- believers who had achieved enlightenment but chose not to enter nirvana but to remain and help struggling mortals • Avaloketisvara, known in China as Guan Yin and in Japan as Kannon - goddess of mercy with meditative countenance and reassuring confidence • Introduced in Japan in 6 th century • Several forms of Buddhism in Japan • Zen Buddhism -14 th century

BUDDHIST ART • Nyoirin Kannon (Bodhisattva) • 645 -647 • Nara Period • Bronze • Oka-Der-a Temple, Nara, Japan

BUDDHIST ART • Jizo is a compassionate deity • 8 th century • Concerned with needs of suffering humanity and patron saint of children • Usually shown as a simple monk • Jizo Bosatsu • 12 th century • Wood • Late Heian period • Japan

BUDDHIST ART • Torso of a Bodhisattva • Artist: Probably Sahri-Bahlol Workshop • Date: ca. 5 th century • Culture: Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara, mondern Peshawar region) • Dimensions: H. 64 1/2 in. (163. 8 cm) • Classification: Sculpture • Credit Line: Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1995

ISLAM • Much of Asia dominated by Islam • Founded by prophet Mohammed • In a vision, told that he was messenger of Allah, the one god. • Mohammed received his revelations in Mecca, city in Saudi Arabia in the 7 century • Spiritual writings of Mohammed contained in the Koran, sacred book of Moslems • Major teachings- way to Allah lies in learning the sacred writings and in service to him • Islam forbids use of religious images of any kind • Religious sculptures can not depict human figures, however miniature pictures are allowed to include men and women as illustrations for tales about successful Islamic rulers, their loves and their adventures • Representational art was done principally in service of rulers • Themes of power and courtly life most prevalent

ISLAMIC ART • Shah Nama (Book of Kings) • Illustrated history • 16 th century • Watercolor on paper

ISLAMIC ART • Mosque Lamp for the Mausoleum of Amir Aydakin al-'Ala'i al. Bunduqdar • Object Name: Mosque lamp • Date: shortly after 1285 • Geography: Egypt, probably Cairo • Culture: Islamic • Medium: Glass, brownish; blown, folded foot, applied handles; enameled and gilded • Dimensions: H. 10 3/8 in. (26. 4 cm) Diam. of rim 8 1/4 in. (21 cm) • Classification: Glass • Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917

ISLAMIC ART • Maker: Zain(? ) Hasan Sulaiman Isfahani • • • Object Name: Qur'an stand Date: dated A. H. 761/A. D. 1360 Geography: Iran or Central Asia Culture: Islamic Medium: Wood (teak); carved, painted, and inlaid • Dimensions: W. (when closed) 16 1/8 in. (41 cm) H. (when closed) 51 1/4 in. (130. 2 cm) Dimensions when open: H. 45 in. (114. 3 cm) W. 50 in. (127 cm) D. 16 1/2 in. (41. 9 cm) • Classification: Wood

DISCUSS • Using three words, how would you describe the personalities of the people portrayed in the previous works? • What characteristics do they exhibit that seem to be valued by their cultures?

MAJOR DIFFERENCES: MEDIA • Western painters tend to work within a frame, but many non-western artists work on screens and scrolls • Materials used include stone, brick, wood, paint and clay • Non-western artists also use bark, glass, silk, hide, stone, textiles and lost-wax casting more frequently than western artists • Much non-western art is also made of perishable items, feathers, flowers, leather, grass, bark and shells

MAJOR DIFFERENCES: COLOR • Over centuries, western artists have used color differently • Roman and Renaissance painters used realistic colors • Impressionists dabbed in color as it was reflected from objects, scientific approach • Expressionists used color to symbolize feelings and emotions • Asian painting examples of non-western art- color is arbitrary • Monochromatic colors, typically only using color for emphasis • Wood cuts- color kept flat • Color and value, in non-western art, typically not used together to describe form

MAJOR DIFFERENCES: PERSPECTIVE • Perspective was approached very differently in the East and West • Perspective- shows realistic spatial relationships of objects in drawing or painting • Western- converging lines to show perspective • Non-western- three planes, foreground, middle distance and far distance- each parallel to the picture plane • Eye moves back, but doesn’t converge • Aerial perspective- details in back look less distinct • X-ray views- internal parts can be seen at same time as exterior, depicting more that surface

COMPARE Shen Chou Landscape in the Style of Ni Tsan 1484 Ink Raphael School of Athens 1503 -1513 Fresco

DISCUSS • Who are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva? How are they represented in Hindu art? • How do we know that artists considered nature more powerful than humans? • Who are Jizo and Avaloketisvara? How are they usually represented in Buddhist art? Why? • Explain the relationship between Islam, Mohammed and the Koran. • Why are there no sculptures in Islamic mosques? • On what did traditional Chinese and Japanese artists usually paint? • Describe the use of color in Asian paintings.