1. Explain why you selected
each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.
I chose to watch African Art: Legacy of Oppression because I was
very interested in learning exactly what was being oppressed. Was it the art itself due to lack of
materials? Women in art? African Art as opposed to other styles of
art? I wanted to know which it was, so I chose to watch the video and find out
for myself.
I chose to watch the
Buddhism video because I’ve always been very interested in the ideas and
beliefs of Buddhism. Though I am not a religious
person, I always thought that Buddhism had some intriguing morals and practices. The system of rebirth always made sense to me
for some reason; the idea of trying and trying again until you were a good
enough person to move forward. Therefore,
I decided to watch this video to learn more about this religion that fascinates
me.
2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
I learned that in African culture, priests wear masks to connect
with spirits of the dead, and the masks are painted white, so as to be the same
color as the spirits. African art helped
Modernists in other cultures to give a psychological presence to the human
form; it helped to simplify this form of art. Interestingly, I learned that African
art may look primitive, but it is actually an advanced form of symbols and
gives off specific meanings. Some artistic
figures were actually employed as magical objects to store potions or
frighten/make people aware of something (usually in the form of a mask). The Africans used masks to scare people off,
but soon found that they were no match for Western bullets. All of this African art seems to be made with
the purpose of making its audience feel something specific. Unfortunately, this art was oppressed and not
able to be seen by most of the world until more modern times, because Western
civilization had the means and technology to be able to dominate the art
world.
In the Buddhism video, I learned that Siddhartha Gautama was a
rich prince who had a perfect world that was shattered when he stepped out into
the world and was exposed to the suffering, sickness, and despair found
there. This inspired him to find a new
path, Buddhism. I learned that Buddha
was a rebel in his day and spoke out simply but firmly against authority,
asking the people to, “find their own way.”
Buddha’s main focus was love and healing. Even though Buddha preached finding one’s own
way, he helped mentor the monks who wanted to follow his path to enlightenment
and nirvana. The Great Stuppa in India
is a wonderful example of Buddhist art, in that every stone has a story to
tell. Also, a lotus-shaped Buddhist shrine that was uncovered after being buried by a volcano holds 432 carved Buddha statue art on the top of the temple. Buddhist art focused mainly on creating elegant, intricate statues, reliefs, and architecture.
3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?
I believe that the African Art video relates to the readings in the text because most of the videos content was the same as the book. Both touched on the importance of masks, positioning of statues, the magical qualities of the art, etc. and some of the art itself could be found in both the book and the video.
I also believe that the Buddhism video relates to the readings in the text because there was a whole section in the text devoted to describing what Buddhism is, how it affects and inspired art, and what art resulted.
4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to
understanding of the readings and art concepts?
I like to watch these films for class because I feel as though they give me an inside look into the cultures that produce these varying forms and styles of art. I enjoy that watching the videos is simultaneously an art and history lesson. The videos allow students to gain a deeper understanding of what is was like to live in the times and what might have inspired someone to make that specific piece of art, or composes in a specific style of art.
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