Human Figure in Hindu Architecture - Essay Example

?Midterm Essay Responses Category A Discuss the representation of the human figure in Hindu architecture. Cite specific examples in your answer. The human form occupies a central position in most Hindu art and architecture. Most exemplary of this are the temples erected for the worship of the early Vedic gods, and later the modern Hindu triumvirate, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Hindu temples display large sculpted figures of the deities and their various incarnations, or the scenes from their battles. These are erected in the large niches carved in the three exterior walls of the sanctum house. Various sculptures also highlight important events in Hindu mythology, and whereas the temple may be dedicated to one particular god, other gods are likewise represented by figural sculptures. It is also common for temple walls to be adorned with sculptures of scroll-like foliage, images of women, and couples exhibiting romantic scenes. These human figures are voluptuous, curved, and appear to be in perpetual motion, representing growth, prosperity, and abundance, and were regarded as auspicious motifs (India Netzone,2009). A famous example of a temple with ornate scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata is the Virupaksha temple, the biggest temple located in Pattadakal which is a World Heritage Site. Another, the Hutchimali Temple, displays a sculpture of Vishnu sitting on top of a large cobra. A third, the Ravalphadi cave temple, is a celebration of the many forms of Shiva. These temples depict the gods in human forms or derivations thereof – e.g., Vishnu is sometimes shown as a male form with four arms representing his wide-reaching power. The human form is therefore deified in Hindu architecture. References: Acharya, Prasanna Kumar (1946). An Encyclopaedia of Hindu Architecture. Oxford University Press. India Netzone (2009) ‘Hindu Art’. IndiaNetzone. 10 Aug 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2012 from http://www.indianetzone.com/42/hindu_art.htm Rajan, K.V. Soundara (1998). Rock-Cut Temple Styles. Somaiya Publications: Mumbai. ISBN 81-7039-218-7 http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1036&bih=602&tbm=isch&tbnid=7XMgE3Kxs5sNSM:&imgrefurl=http://www.viasingapore.com/author/admin/&docid=6C8I_lf8GUOvbM&imgurl=http://www.viasingapore.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vacation_645x320-1.jpg&w=645&h=320&ei=gyF5UPHFK8HPrQetoYHYCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=114&vpy=331&dur=1799&hovh=158&hovw=319&tx=127&ty=136&sig=113358727395579824739&page=1&tbnh=133&tbnw=266&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0,i:100 Category B (3) Discuss the contemporary art of Meera Mukherjee's Ashoka at Kalinga. How does her art embody the past with the present? Meera Mukherjee is a modern Indian sculptor whose artistic efforts were directed at incorporating local, traditional, and non-western themes and techniques, with those of the international, modern, and western approaches. Her masterpiece, Ashoka at Kalinga, exhibits both the influences of her German training and her stay with the Bastar tribe in central India, where she studied their unique method of casting bronze. Ashoka was a great emperor who ruled during the 3rd century B.C., specifically the last major emperor of the Mauryan dynasty. The conquest of Kalinga, a country on the east coast; the battle was Ashoka’s only aggressive war. It lasted a full year and turned out triumphant but bloody, during which 100,000 people were slain, 150,000 were taken into captivity, and an untold number died of starvation. Severely distressed by the violence of war, Ashoka thereafter rejected war and adopted Buddhism as his empire’s official religion. Drawing upon this significant segment of India’s history, Mukherjee used Ashoka at Kalinga as a means of peaceful protest against the political violence in late 20th century India. By depicting a moment in her country’s past through her sculpture, she was able to make a connection with the present events with the same timeless message – the rejection of violence. Aside from the theme, Mukherjee was also able to merge European and Indian artistic techniques in this art piece. She combined ‘the intricate surface textures of traditional Bastar work with the expressive swelling and abstract forms characteristic of some 20th century European sculpture.’ References Byu Harold B. Lee Library Digital Collections. (2009) ‘Ashoka at Kalinga.’ Civilization Collection. Retrieved 10 October 2012 from http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/Civilization/id/762 Rickard, J (15 February 2010), Ashoka's Conquest of Kalinga, c.271-261 BC. Retrieved 10 October 2012 from http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_ashoka_kalinga.html http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1036&bih=602&tbm=isch&tbnid=NptVwXyJisGUEM:&imgrefurl=http://www.scholarsresource.com/browse/textbook_chapter/948&docid=CXFGah8Gec8o0M&imgurl=http://www.scholarsresource.com/images/thumbnails/192/p/pid0015.jpg&w=128&h=192&ei=ECF5UL_BHNGzrAezioGoDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=242&vpy=191&dur=3543&hovh=153&hovw=102&tx=47&ty=65&sig=113358727395579824739&page=1&tbnh=153&tbnw=101&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:70 Category C (1) What did excavations from the burial mound of the First Emperor reveal about the Qin Dynasty? Emperor Qin Shi Huan Di was China’s first emperor and the founder of the short-lived Qin dynasty. For his personal glorification, Emperor Qin had several elaborate palaces constructed. Beyond this, the emperor’s other great project was the construction of his mausoleum along the slopes of Li Mountain and south of the Wei River. The tomb mound unearthed measured 76 meters high and 1,250 in perimeter; written records indicate that the mausoleum was intended as an underground palace complex, with inner and outer walls with perimeters of 4 and 6 kilometers respectively. True to the tomb’s grandeur, archaeologists speculate that the First Emperor had an entourage similar to the earlier dynasties when human beings and animals were entombed with the deceased. The retinue was found with the discovery of several pits where an army of full size terracotta warriors (numbering 6,000 in one pit alone), 96 horses and 11 chariots were discovered; a subsequent discovery further yielded a pair of four-horse chariots with a charioteer each, cast in bronze. Each of the terracotta warriors had unique facial expressions, making them uncannily realistic, while all the horses faced east which archaeologists felt proved significant. What experts felt this said about the Qin dynasty was that the emperor desired to create an illusion of strength and manpower. The emperor desired to overwhelm the approaching enemies with what seemed like a massive army; the invaders would then be disheartened and would turn away. One million workers were estimated to have created the pits and the life-size figures in them. Reference: Shapiro, S (n.d.) The Underground Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shiu Huiang. Fu Tianchou. Berlin: New World Press. Asian Art Mall (2012) ‘The Qin Emperor’s Terracotta Warriors’ Asian Art Mall. Retrieved 10 October 2012 from http://www.asianartmall.com/clay.html http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=680&bih=602&tbm=isch&tbnid=cuTAvlvflv5-eM:&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army&docid=uDZNCkdukGUjNM&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/Xian_guerreros_terracota_general.JPG/250px-Xian_guerreros_terracota_general.JPG&w=250&h=167&ei=uB95UIb2JNHwrQfZtYDQCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=408&vpy=226&dur=475&hovh=123&hovw=167&tx=111&ty=27&sig=113358727395579824739&page=1&tbnh=123&tbnw=167&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:87 Category D (3) Discuss the impact of Communism on Chinese art since 1949. Provide examples by analyzing Rent Collection Courtyard. The spirit of socialism was spread by Mao’s Cultural Revolution, the period when government control peaked, during which art was characterized by their strong and moving quality intended to inspire the oppressed masses towards concerted action. Actually, the artists were compelled to abide by the communist party’s beliefs to avoid being forced to work as farmers as a means of “re-education.” The resulting form and content of the artworks give the viewer ‘a sense of the times and the tenor of the struggle’ (Onesto, 2008). The art of the period was characterized by socialist realism, such as may be seen in the painting ‘Chairman Mao Inspects the Guangdong Countryside, 1972, Oil on Canvas’ by Chen Yanning. The painting shows Mao, depicted as a head taller than the other people, and positioned at the front and center of the tableau to emphasize his leadership. The setting was rural, with Mao walking in the company of peasants between rice fields. The mood is jovial and friendly and emphasized Mao’s hands-on concern for the rural working class. The Rent Collection Courtyard began as an array of over 100 life-sized clay sculptures in 1965. The scenes depicted downtrodden peasants bringing their harvest as payment for their rent to their landlord. The figures were arranged in six tableaus portraying the various stages of rent collection: the peasants bringing their harvest; inspection of the grain; its measurement (using the landlord’s infamous “trick” winnower which inaccurately measured the grain in the landlord’s favor; calculation of the rent, punishment of those unable to pay the rent, and the gathering of the discontented young male peasants (Li, 2008). References Li, V. (2008) ‘Art After the Revolution: Rent Collection Courtyard’. University of Michigan. Onesto, L (2008) ‘Art and China’s Revolution.’ Asia Society Museum. 19 Oct. Retrieved 10 October 2012 from http://revcom.us/a/145/art_revolution_china-en.html Rent Collection Courtyard (2012) China Reconstructs 1967. Retrieved 10 October 2012 from http://media.reed.edu/RCC/ Chairman May Inspects the Guangdong Countryside. Yanning, 1972 Works from Rent Collection Courtyard, 1974 Fiberglass Category E (3) Discuss the influence of Zen on the arts of the later periods of Japanese art and culture. Cite specific examples in your answer. The influence of Zen Buddhism was felt strongly in Japan for the first time during the Kamakura period which lasted from 1185 to 1333. It was during this time that the warrior class, which gained power over the nobility, had for the most part adopted Zen Buddhism not only as a belief but as a way of life. It gained a foothold in the religious life of the country, with numerous Zen temples being erected such as the Kenchoji and Engakuji temples in Kamakura, the nation’s capital (Kanzaki, 1996). Zen influenced not only the spiritual life but all aspects of daily life in Japan, until the present time. There are a variety of Japanese art forms such as the chado (tea ceremony), ikebana (flower arrangement), shodo (calligraphy), and martial arts, which were profoundly influenced by the Zen aesthetic philosophy or Wabi-sabi. This concept sees beauty in all things though they may be imperfect, impermanent or incomplete. The result is Japanese art that embody refinement, moderation, asymmetry, rusticity, naturalness, and imperfection (Zen Guide, 2012). For instance in calligraphy, the ‘one-corner’ style was developed among the Southern Sung artists; it is a ‘thrifty brush’ tradition that retains the least possible number of lines or strokes, but conveys a discernible picture and message (Suzuki, 1970). In all these art forms, the emphasis was on calmness, serenity, simplicity, and self-growth. The resort to these art forms serves as a means by which people can attain the peace of mind and calmness of spirit which enables them to attain the state of perfection. Harmony with nature is stressed, in the form of a deep spiritual bond, with no compulsion to exploit or control nature References Kanzaki, M (1996) ‘Chronology of Japan’s Fine Arts.’ Japan: A Pocket Guide, 1996 edition. Retrieved 10 October 2012 from http://www.kanzaki.com/jinfo/jart-fine.html Suzuki, D.T. (1970) Zen and Japanese Culture, Volume 0, Issues 691-9842. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press ‘Zen & the Japanese Arts.’ (2012) Zen Guide: Experiencing Real Zen. Retrieved 10 October 2012 from http://www.zenguide.org/arts/zen-and-arts.html Japanese calligraphy as an embodiment of Zen. At left is a monk concentrating on the fine art of calligraphy. To the right is the calligraphic symbol for ‘circle’ meaning enlightenment in Zen Buddhism. The artist must make a perfect circle with one fluid brush stroke. 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