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Part
III:
Culture &
Context
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Chapter 18: Traditional
Arts of Asia
1.Indian painting
is often composed of colorful, flat and very complex images. Browse through
Indian Miniature Painting and compare two images and how they use
flat areas versus patterned areas.
2.A person does not need the ability to read Chinese to understand the
beauty of
Chinese
calligraphy. Visit and practice writing your name with a calligraphy
pen or felt tip marker.
3.
Ukiyo-e
prints originated in the Edo culture of Japan when the country was
virtually isolated from the rest of the world. Visit this site and select
two prints to compare and contrast.
4. The Chinese have a rich
heritage
of pottery. The Tang dynasty AD 618-907 produced some of their most
beautiful examples. Visit this site and discuss the use of pottery in
relation to funerary rites.
Chapter 19: Art
from the Islamic World
1.The prohibition
of figurative art only applies to religious art in Islam. Visit the
Metropolitan
Museum of Art's collection of Islamic art and discuss Islamic figurative
work. What other cultures do you think do similar work?
2.Due to the ban of figurative art in religious settings Islamic artists
use a great deal of pattern. Visit the Islamic
artist site and take special note of the importance of mathematics
in Islamic art. Then design your own pattern in the Islamic style.
3.
The Taj
Mahal is one of the most beautiful buildings in all the world. Explore
the Taj Mahal and discuss what Sir Edwin Arnold meant when he described
the Taj Mahal as "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings
are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living
stones."
4. Islamic calligraphy performs a primary role in religious illustration.
Visit
Calligraphy
and view the use of calligraphy in portraying animals. Do you think that
this illustrative calligraphy could be seen as representational art and
banned? Why or why not?
Chapter 20: Africa,
Oceania,
and The
Americas
1.Why did the
Hopewell Indians build mounds shaped like animals? Learn more about their
culture by browsing
Hopewell
Central . Do we have any similar motivations for the buildings we
build today, especially the ones you see near where you live? Explain.
2.The Yoruba are one Africa's most prolific producers of art. Visit the
Yoruban collection from the
African
Museum and discuss the items displayed. Make sure to discuss what
the works are intended for.
3. Machu Pichu was rediscovered in 1911. Hidden at the top of the Andean
mountains a small vibrant city was developed. Visit
Machu
Pichu and discuss the layout of the city and contrast it with the
layout of San Diego.
4 The Maori of New Zealand were some of the first Oceanic peoples to introduce
tattoos
to Western sailors. Explore the Polynesian Gallery and compare the tattoo
designs of the Maori to the Maori Meetinghouse, then design a tattoo for
yourself based on the Maori style.
Special thanks to the
Prentice-Hall Companion Website for ARTFORMS!
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