India, Middle East, and Japan

Great Mosque of Damascus

I chose Islamic Art: India & Middle East because India has always interested me. The architecture is so grand, with pointed arches before Gothic Age and beautiful mosaics of stylized plants and script. A mosque is suppose to have a feeling of home. Islam had an explosive expansion from Spain to the border of China unlike any other religion. There are two groups of Muslims the Sunni and Shiites. The Sunnis believe that the leader of Islam should be from Muhammad’s bloodline but Shiites believed the person should be qualified for the position. The Great Mosque of Damascus was built on the Temple of Jupiter, which was converted into a cathedral. The cathedral was used for both Christian and Islam religions. Once Al-Walid took control he demolished the most of the cathedral and built the mosque. It took 10 years to build. It had a fountain in the center and a meeting place. The mosaics inside show trees and water but no one in it. It is believed it represents paradise as in the Quaran and it is waiting for us. This mosque was design was all other mosques for 1,000 years. The Muslim people were ahead of Europeans in aspects of science. There were sundials and other gadgets to show this. The desert palace of Umayyad caliph Al-Walid II was surrounded by huge hunting park, sculptures of curvy topless girls, and gorgeous mosaics buried under the sand. Islam went back and forth on the thoughts of imagery it was what was fashion at the time. Fatimids were a revolutionary force in Islamic art. They created colleges in 972 AD to spread Shiite ideas. They were also fascinated with quartz. They would carve it until paper-thin. Safavids built bridges over the Balikhichai River. They were usually 2 levels, one level was for camels and the bottom level was for tearooms. You can rent them and pleasure seekers and free thinkers would meet there. Islam was always trying to depict paradise.

Borobudur Temple

I chose the video Buddhism because I enjoy the image of Buddha, he is so calm and relaxed. Bodh Gaya in India was a place where Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains made pilgrimages. Buddha was compassionate but also rebelled against authority. He believed you have to extinguish your desires and things that feed your ego to reach enlightenment. There were two schools of Buddhism, which are hainayana (monks) and mahanyana. The Great Stupa shows the aspects of Buddha’s life but there is no visual imagery of him. Borobudur Temple in Indonesia is built in a form of lotus flower. As you go up levels the reliefs show world temptations and then shows lessons of Buddha. At the top, there are 432 carved Buddhas. It took 100 years to build but was abandoned until 1990s. The Chuang Yen Monastery in Camel, NY has the largest Buddha in the Western hemisphere. The building had to be built around it. The Great Buddha Hall has no internal pillars but layers of timber that is glued and pressed together. Surrounding the large Buddha statue there is 10,000 little Buddhas. On the pedestal there are 12 bas-reliefs of Bodhisattvas and the outside wall has paintings.

Kandariya Mahadev Temple

I chose the video on Hinduism because their believe of gods and goddesses intrigue me. The imagery of them is beautiful. Varanasi is the holiest city in India and the Ganges River is the symbol of life, death, and rebirth. Hindu gods and goddesses function like Christian saints by providing access to Brahma/God. Hindus invest so much in elaborate decorations because it is believed you can’t take it with you. A devote Hindu can’t touch a dead body only outcasts do. Mamallapuram, India is where the Gange River turns into stone. It is a holy and highly decorated place. There are underground caves that depict the epic and ordinary and the fantastic and familiar. In Khajuraho, India there is Kandariya Mahadev Temple that is for Shiva, who lives in the surrounding mountains. Panels on the side of the temple depict erotic scenes. Sex reflects the love that Brahma gives to us. Hindus were the writers of the Karma Sutra.

The Great Wave by Hokusai

I chose The Great Wave because the painting is seen in so many contexts. I wanted to learn more about it. At age 70, he had a lot of downfalls and had to go back to creating art. This print was a piece of the 36 Views of Mt. Fuji. When Hokusai first sold the prints it only sold for a price of a large bowl of noodles in the 19^th century. Since it was a print, it was thought as throw away art. For each color printed a different wood block had to be carved. The original copy was destroyed in the process of making the blocks. The printer used a new imported pigment called Prussian Blue, that didn’t fade. Hokusai used geometry to create print using circles and triangles with space collapsing. The print seems to be a work of today’s artist. It seems to be benign at times but then violent at other times. The West sees scary and fear and the Japanese see courage and perseverance in the print. The boatmen in the print weren’t fighting the wave but were going with the flow. It is believe that it is an extreme wave not a tsunami. A distinct Japanese style is the floating world style, which is living life in the moment; it wasn’t only in art but novels and illustrated poetry books. Hokusai must have studied Dutch prints and the writing was written horizontal instead of vertically, which is the Japanese way. The Great Wave influenced Warhol, Hockney, and Lichtenstein in the 1960s but it was used so much and people abused it.

The videos give us a better understanding of the photographs in the book. We can see the sculpture and architecture in 3-dimension. I get more details about the specific work in the video then the book could give me. The book only has generalized descriptions of the works. My favorite videos were Buddhism and Hinduism. The religions peak my interest. I’m Christian but I like to learn about different faiths. The imagery in them two religions just intrigues me. One day I want to go to Thailand to see the grand Buddhas there and the artistry that they create in fabric and jewelry.