Make Up for session 6 - March 27, 2012

[Anonymous]

It's been several years since I've been to LACMA. After reading your post, I am eager to once again check it out!

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Erin Fowler

East Asia Since 1800

USCI/NCTA Spring 2012 Seminar

27 March 2012

Make- Up Assignment
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
I had the privilege of visiting LACMA on April 3, 2012. I mistakenly thought we had class that night, and remembered only when I had driven the 40 miles that we indeed, did not have class that night. So, being a productive individual (and a mom with a free night out on the town) I decided to use my time to make up for the class session I had missed the previous week due to my school site’s Open House.
I must admit, I thought that I wasn’t going to find any “Asian” art, but to my surprise, the LACMA had entire buildings dedicated to art from Japan, China, Korea, Tibet, etc. According to the information in the museum, Chinese art was “one of the earliest areas collected by LACMA; the selection here reflects the museum’s collecting history.” I meandered through the museum, unsure of what I was supposed to be looking for. I saw more renditions of the Buddha that I thought were humanly possible and the pottery was exquisite. In between the buildings containing the “Asian” art, I saw my artifacts from Europe and Eastern Europe, including paintings depicting various religious figures, and felt ashamed that I hadn’t been to church in a while.
What I cam to realize was that I was making connections with the art that I definitely would not have made prior to taking this seminar. I saw various interpretations of the Bodhisattva, which Dr. Dube referenced in his second lecture. These particular pieces were from Sri Lanka, but were similar to the one in the lecture due to the metalwork detail. The copper artifacts were breathtaking; the detail was so intricate and it is baffling that they were made over 800 years ago. Another piece that stuck with me was the satin tapestry called “Badge of the Third Civil Rank with Peacock” made in China during the late 19th century during the Qing Dynasty. I remember we talked about the ranking system of officials, specifically dealing with their salary, dress, and social status. This “examination period” was successful because they were accommodating, and dealt with ethnic, cultural, and political issues with poise. This depiction was so beautiful; it was designed for a third rank official. I have to remind myself of how different our government is designed; we lack attention to detail and the cultural infusion that existed in China during this time. The colors and focus on the peacock in the center is striking; I struggle to imagine what the first ranking official’s emblem might look like.
I am proud of myself for using my time after realizing that class was not meeting, but I am more proud of how much I’ve internalized the information that I listened to in class. I was hesitant to take this course because I didn’t know how useful it would be. However, already I have broadened my knowledge of U.S./China relations and have used the debate structure that we practiced in class during our discussion of totalitarian government while reading Animal Farm. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to adding more to my repertoire as a professional.
edited by efowler on 5/8/2012

[Anonymous]

I missed the very first session and this is my make up assignment: The Taiwan Palace Museum Exhibit in El Monte at the Taiwan Cultural Center. I have never seen such innovative use of technology in presenting information such as Chinese writing as well as Chinese paintings. One painting was done in both a Chinese style and western style, the western style exemplified through the use of shadow and three dimentional presentation. In other words, there was depth achieved by contrasting the items in the foreground as larger than the objects in the background. The painting is "Hundred Horses" and was painted by Giuseppe Castigliane, an Italian Jesuit who lived in China for several decades during the Qing Dynasty. The painting was done in 1728. To me it is very beautiful. Then, the museum animated the painting so that the horses are moving through the woods and water. Other paintings of Chinese court ladies playing instruments, chatting and drinking tea were also animated and it really brought the time and culture to life. As you entered the exhibit, there was a large round plate on which hundreds of Chinese characters were written. They could be highlighted to show the ancient writing found on large vases a thousand years ago and highlighted it showed the modern version of that character. If touched, the character would turn into the person, bird, concept, animal, etc. that the character represented which was projected on three walls. It was a really innovative and fascinating exhibit and very pleasant to experience. Additionally, a film depicted a lovely, modern, very poised young woman enjoying pleasent moments such as the tea ceremony with others in a beautiful setting. Another film, this one for children was about the adventures of a child and a cat, and was very charming.
edited by scraig on 5/27/2012
edited by scraig on 5/27/2012

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