Pacific Rim & Ancient Cultures History and Appreciation of the Visual and Performing Arts

Pacific Rim  China  Japan  India  Malaysia

Chinese Culture  One of the oldest cultures in all of world history  Has existed for thousands of years basically unchanged  Outlook is in centuries, not decades

Chinese Art  The basis of the work is the philosophy of “Dao” or “Tao”  This is the belief that all things have a spirit or “Ch’i”  This includes animals, plants, landform & weather

Chinese Art  Art for the Chinese means:  “A picture is a voiceless poem, a poem is a vocal picture”  Calligraphy (writing) is often included in the work

Famous Works - Ceramics

The Great Wall

Terra Cotta Army

Scroll Painting

Architecture

India – Indian Culture  Also one of the oldest surviving cultures of the world  Strong influence of the Hindu religion and belief in reincarnation  Focus on “Santi”: Peace and Tranquility

Indian Art  Reflects Hinduism  Images of Gods play an important role  Focus on domes and rounded objects along with emphasis on line

Architecture - Stupa  A burial mound used much like those of Native Americans and ancient Egyptians  Built to hold the body and important artifacts from the person’s life

Stupa vs. Pyramid

Famous Works – Shiva Nataraja

Taj Mahal

Japan – Japanese Culture  Focus on discipline and honor  Striving for “Zen” or balance in life  Strong work ethic, commitment to excellence  Great refiners, not creators

Japanese Art  Painting was the preferred artistic expression  Well defined painting techniques  Sculpture is religious in nature  Architecture points always upwards  Wood carvings finest in the world

Famous Works - Pagoda

Sculpture – The Great Budda

Woodblock Print

Japanese Drama  Japanese audiences love fantasy  Realism in story is avoided  Movement is large and overdone – so is vocal quality  Performances last all day in festivals showing different types of stories

Noh  Oldest form of Japanese drama  Originally performed for the Samurai class  Masks are worn  Actors all men  Little stage decoration  Movement is slow & large  Uses music in background

Noh Masks

Kabuki  Developed after Noh  Designed for the middle and lower classes  Stages more elaborate  Large elaborate costumes  Make-up used in place of masks  All actors are still men

Kabuki Costumes

Kabuki Make-up  Designs are made to show character qualities  Different colors mean different things  White powder and wigs draw attention to the lines of the mask  Many actors play the same characters their whole career

Kabuki Colors  Deep Red/Anger  Red/Passion  Pink/Cheerfulness  Light Blue/Calmness  Indigo/Gloominess  Light Green/Tranquility  Purple/Nobility  Brown/Selfishness  Black/Fear or Gloom

The Process

The Most Famous Kabuki Act