Pan Asian April 10 v2 2015
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Transcript of Pan Asian April 10 v2 2015
PAN-ASIAN POTENTIALS AND PITFALLS: An Object-oriented exploration of the Thematic Imperative
at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
Best Chronological / Geographical Practice in Pala GalleryDoes this catalyze an “all is one” perception for the visitor?
ReligionSpecific to Traditional
Cultural ContextsLocal
TradeAnd Transmission
Translocal
Global Contemporary
ArtTranscends Traditional Culture
Translocal
Thematic ToolboxA Diametric Conspectus
MaterialsAnd Techniques
Local
All is One: from the Unity of the Collective
Consciousness…
…to the unity of religious traditions
Thematics Can Reveal Deep StructureCan Also Elide Key Differences
Thai BuddhaNelson-Atkins
Transmission of Similar FormsThe Message is the Movement of MorphologyPerspective from the Nelson-Atkins
Indian religious traditions spread throughout South and Southeast Asia. The styles of religious art change to reflect local art-making practices. This is illustrated
by comparing sculptures from Java, Thailand and Cambodia. A Standing Buddha, for instance, made in Thailand sometime during the 7th or 8th century C.E.,
displays evidence of influence by Indian art of the Gupta and post-Gupta periods while also adopting
some of the physical characteristics of Mon sculpture of the Dvaravati era
Dvaravati BuddhaMetropolitan Museum of Art
Transmission of Different Objects along Silk RoadThe Medium is the MessageUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum
The Art of Continuity: Revering our Elders examines the impact of the veneration of ancestors and lineages on the arts of Asia. In cultures informed by Confucian
values, worship of family ancestors has generated countless objects for use in prescribed rituals. In other
areas of Asia and the Pacific Islands, elders of prior generations are revered for their accumulated wisdom and ability to guide us through life’s transitions. The exhibition includes paintings and sculpture from East
Asia and the Pacific Islands, including China, Korea and Papua New Guinea. In addition to enjoying a variety of
traditions through this exhibition, visitors can share their own memories of their ancestors, highlighting
the richness of Southern California’s cultural diversity.
Religious Ideas as Thematic Tool
The Other Side: Chinese and Mexican Immigration to AmericaFebruary 7 through July 20, 2014 EXTENDED THROUGH AUGUST 17! The exhibition presents a collection of visual narratives about the Chinese and Mexican immigrant experiences. Through the works of five contemporary artists, we explore the recurring issues of immigration, border relations and labor practices that have persisted throughout U.S. history and remain timely today. The selection of works demonstrates a range of different styles and references, spanning different historic periods, geographic locations, cultural influences and gender perspectives, bound together by the common threads of memory, history, identity and humanity. Artists featured include Zhi Lin, Hung Liu, Andrea Bowers, Tony de Los Reyes and Margarita Cabrera
Global Contemporary Art WorldMeans Contemporary Issues Bridge Cultures
CALLIGRAPHIC ABSTRACTIONMAY 9 – OCT 4 2015ASIAN ART MUSEUMTATEUCHI GALLERIES
Nearly a thousand years of the history of calligraphy—from the 11th century to the present day—can be
experienced in this exhibition. In East Asia, calligraphy has long been treasured as a form of art. Even without
knowing the meaning of the words, calligraphy continues to be admired for its beauty—the compositional structure and flow of lines.
With representative works ranging from Islamic to archaic Chinese style, to contemporary artist Xu Bing’s
invented writing system, and the Pacific Northwest artist Mark Tobey’s calligraphy-inspired work, the first
group introduces an overview, conveying that calligraphy can be appreciated as abstract art across
cultures.The striking juxtaposition of two primary categories of Japanese calligraphy—kana and kanji—is featured in
the second and third groups. The elegance of kana calligraphy often lies in its line, flow, and
rhythm; whereas kanji calligraphy, akin to its Chinese counterpart, emphasizes the overall composition in
addition to each individual line.
Abstraction in Global Contemporary ArtBridges Disparate Places, Times and Cultures
In 1931, Tobey began teaching at the experimental school Dartington Hall, in Devon,
England. Between terms, he traveled abroad, visiting Baha’i shrines in Haifa, a Japanese Zen
monastery in Kyoto, and his friend Teng Baiye in Shanghai.
Throughout his travels, he dedicated himself to studying Arabic calligraphy, Chinese
brushwork, and Zen painting, calligraphy, and poetry. Tobey
returned to Seattle in early 1939 and began working with the local office of the Works Progress Administration’s
Federal Art Project.
Global Contemporary ArtOrientalism or Cosmopolitanism?
The problematics of thematic interpretation manifest to us practically in three main forms
Museum
Gallery
Exhibit(ion)
Thematic interpretations with respect to the pan-Asian nature of the collection can reveal otherwise invisible patterns:
Thematic Interpretation in an Exhibition ContextEmploys Humanities Categories
Korean
Indonesian
Tibetan-American
Ancient Chinese
Pan-Asian Exhibitions that Rely on Thematic Interpretations Can Transcend the Flatland of Projected UnityAnd the Flatland of Linear Space-Time
Potential of Discerning Hidden Patterns and Processes
10/11/12 5
Nested Geometries in the Mandala:The Fractal Quincunx Revealed
small scale copies of itself, one inside the other,
at all scales
Eastern Sector of
the Mandala
The Cosmic Buddha Akshobhya
The Buddha Shakyamuni
The Buddha Gets Grounded and Finds his Center
Northern Sector of the Mandala
The Buddhist deity Green Tara
Enlightened Awareness Fuses Male and Female
Potencies