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eastasianartgrade8-161104152451-1

East Asia Arts Overview

Objectives

  • Identify characteristics of arts and crafts in East Asia, including:

    • China: Chinese painting and calligraphy

    • Japan: Origami, woodblock printing, theater masks, face painting, anime, and manga

    • Korea: Theater masks, paper arts, knot tying

Geography

  • Overview of East Asian countries:

    • Mongolia

    • North Korea

    • China

    • South Korea

    • Japan

    • Taiwan

Painting in East Asia

General Concepts

  • Subjects/Themes in Paintings:

    • Common subjects include animals, people, landscapes, and environmental themes.

Chinese Painting Themes

  1. Flowers and birds

  2. Landscapes

  3. Palaces and temples

  4. Human figures

  5. Animals

  6. Bamboos and stones

Japanese Painting Themes

  1. Scenes from everyday life

  2. Narrative scenes filled with detailed figures

Korean Painting Themes

  1. Landscape paintings

  2. Minhwa (folk painting)

  3. Four Gracious Plants:

    • Plum blossoms

    • Orchids (wild orchids)

    • Chrysanthemums

  4. Bamboo

  5. Portraits

Important Aspects of Chinese Painting

  • Landscape painting regarded as the highest form.

  • Three concepts considered: Nature, Heaven, and Humankind (Yin-Yang).

Yin Yang Symbolism

  • Meanings:

    • Black and white symbolism across various dualities (e.g., dark/light, night/day, cold/hot)

Mediums in Chinese Painting

  • Silk used historically but expensive.

  • Cai Lun's Invention of Paper:

    • Introduced in the 1st Century AD, making painting more economical.

History of Korean Painting

  • Dates back to 108 C.E., with significant influence from Chinese painting until the Joseon dynasty.

  • Features like mountains and water were essential for environment and culture.

Connection of Painting and Calligraphy

  • In China, painting is closely related to calligraphy.

  • Chinese Calligraphy:

    • Expressive art of handwriting using brush techniques.

Historical Development of Chinese Writing

  • Earliest logographs (written symbols) on animal bones and tortoise shells known as jiaguwen.

  • Cangjie: Legendary writer inspired by nature at the origin of Chinese writing.

East Asian Architecture and Design

Roof Design and Beliefs

  • Traditional roofs constructed to protect against elements.

  • Buddist beliefs in sweeping roofs warding off evil spirits.

Types of Roofs in Traditional Chinese Architecture

  1. Straight inclined: Common and economical.

  2. Multi-inclined: Used for the homes of the wealthy.

  3. Sweeping: Reserved for temples and palaces.

Woodblock Printing

  • A historical technique for printing text and images in East Asia.

  • Highly developed visual art known for various styles.

Japanese Ukiyo-e

  • Translates to "pictures of the floating world" characterized by serene and daily life scenes.

  • Initially admired by the upper classes and later embraced by common people.

Face Painting in Performance Arts

Cultural Practices

  • Kabuki in Japan and Peking Opera in China use face painting as an art form.

  • Peking Opera Face Painting:

    • Different colors signify character traits and personality traits.

Color Symbolism in Peking Opera Characters

  • Red: Devotion and bravery.

  • Yellow: Fierceness and ambition.

  • Green: Impulsiveness and lack of restraint.

  • Black: Roughness and impartiality.

  • Purple: Uprightness and nobility.

  • White: Treachery and suspicion.

Kabuki Makeup

  • Two approaches:

    • Standard Makeup: Common actors.

    • Kumadori Makeup: For heroes and villains.

  • Dramatic lines and colors convey emotional and character qualities.

Korean Mask Art

  • Korean masks (t'al) have rich cultural origins with religious meanings.

Color Roles in Masks

  • Black, Red, and White: Denote age and race of the figure.

  • Half Red and Half White: Symbolizes dual parental figures.

  • Dark-faced Masc: Indicates birth from an adulterous context.

Paper Arts and Knot Tying

Historical Significance of Paper

  • Invented by Cai Lun.

  • Key medium for artistic expression in East Asia.

Chinese Folk Arts

  1. Paper cutting

  2. Chinese knots

  3. Paper folding

  4. Paper kites

Importance of Origami

  • Traditional art dating back to 17th century Japan.

  • Common models: Flowers, animals, geometric shapes.

Kite Making

  • A traditional activity in East Asia with historical relevance.

  • Types of kites include Centipede, Hard-Winged, Soft-Winged, and Flat Kites.

Knot Tying Practices

  • Korean "Maedeup" and Chinese "Zhongguo" emphasize art in decorative knot work.

  • Japanese “Hanamusubi” focuses on braids and individual knots.