The VMFA had an amazing exhibit called the Forbidden City: Imperial Treasures from the Palace Museum, Beijing. Because we have talked about the forbidden city in ancient China in our global studies classes, the school sponsored a trip to visit the exhibit. We spent about one hour walking around the exhibit, but it wasn't even close to enough. The art is very intricate and obviously very meticulously carved. There was one carving made entirely with jade that surprised me. The individual parts were very thin and could have broken easily if the artist had made one wrong step. From the expensive materials and careful work done in these pieces of art, they were obviously made to benefit the emperor and the royal family. Like many other places during the time period, art was a luxury and portrayed only what the sponsors wanted it to.
Because much of what we knows about history comes from art, from cave painting to ceremonial objects, and because this art only portray the rich, a lot of middle class culture and culture from lower classes escapes us. This makes me wonder how our perception of ancient China, or any other ancient nation. would change had we access to art based on the middle and lower classes. If art was commissioned to portray only reality during that time, we could know so much more about the common people.
Seeing the work from so long ago makes me realize how much and how little art had changed. Before, art was about proportion and depicting things as they really are. Today, on the other hand, splattering paint on canvas can be art as long as there is a meaning behind it. The audience's view on the art is based on their perception of it instead of what the artist clearly laying out for them to read. I think going back to the precision and meticulous nature of the art from Imperial China will help me explore the "normal" type of art more and help me appreciate art that may not have a meaning behind it, but instead, focus on technique saving the present for the future.
Because much of what we knows about history comes from art, from cave painting to ceremonial objects, and because this art only portray the rich, a lot of middle class culture and culture from lower classes escapes us. This makes me wonder how our perception of ancient China, or any other ancient nation. would change had we access to art based on the middle and lower classes. If art was commissioned to portray only reality during that time, we could know so much more about the common people.
Seeing the work from so long ago makes me realize how much and how little art had changed. Before, art was about proportion and depicting things as they really are. Today, on the other hand, splattering paint on canvas can be art as long as there is a meaning behind it. The audience's view on the art is based on their perception of it instead of what the artist clearly laying out for them to read. I think going back to the precision and meticulous nature of the art from Imperial China will help me explore the "normal" type of art more and help me appreciate art that may not have a meaning behind it, but instead, focus on technique saving the present for the future.