Non Western Art- Ming Dynasty

Shaded Dwellings Among Streams and Mountains,1555-1636, Dong Qichang

This work was headed of it’s time. In the west artist where still primarily focused on religion, myths, and emphaised the human subject, but what I find in Dong Qichang is a trancendence in art work that didn’t come about in the western world until the 20th cenutry. Dong incorprated abstract, cubism, and expressionism in his work, and instead of over complicating the technique,  he emphasizes  structure and he choose to try to capture a simpler less decedent style that westerners didn’t strive for until after the classical era. Most of the art from this time is devoted to depictions of nature, ways of life, and the glorifcantion of chinese art restoration. And although there were contempories of Dong that made intricate works, dong choose self espression over catering to the mases. I love the simpicty of Dongs works and from what I can see he didn’t do exact landscapes , he interpeted them into his own perceptive which was very progessive. The lack of color only makes the work more real for me. Dong calligraphic  technique gvies the work a light but serious feel. It’s soothing to look at and uncomplicated. It conveys tranqulity and peace.

Non Western Art Work- Comtemporay African Art

Beau Temps , 1996, Hama Goro                      La Solitude, 1996, Hama Goro

These paintings depict the loneliness Hama Goro felt when he visited Europe.  The Artist commented modernization has consumed Western culture, and I felt his paintings where a symbolic of what the west has done to itself and other countries as well. In Beau Temps Goro depicts a human form sitting isolated from the big city in the distance. I can only imagine what the artist experienced emotionally while traveling to Europe and if the figures in his paintings are representations of him or if that represent western society as a whole. I can relate to the isolation that Goro describes. We have become very much removed from community and family as a whole, and it’s nice to know that other cultures still value what we have forfeited with our insatiable hunger for glory and improvement. The other thing I really appreciate about Goro paintings is his use of mostly nature ingredients known as Bogolan technique. It involves using  substances such as tree bark, leaves, and clay, which account for the natural coloring in his works and is a tradition from of his people in Mali who also used the dye to color  clothing. All of Goro’s painting have natural colors as a result and convey a link to nature.  That link is so spiritual and real. Goro involve himself into his works and one can tell that his culture highly influences his creations. I feel soul and spirit in his works. Many Western works in comparison seem stiff and isolated compared to Goro. Below is a link in which in can further explore Goro’s other works.

http://www.africaserver.nl/virtual/exhibitions/hama/eng/hamthumb.htm