Week eleven required us to read three different chapters and discuss certain topics. Because there were three chapters it was difficult to remember and fully understand all of the information that was being presented to us. When choosing the video I chose to watch one movie from each of the topics. I chose to watch Islamic Art at the V&A, African Art: Legacy of Oppression, Buddhism and Chinese Art: Treasures of the National Palace of Museum. I chose Islamic Art at the V&A because it was interesting to learn in more detail about Islamic Art. I have also heard about the V&A and was interested in learning more about the museum because it was and still is important. I chose African Art: Legacy of Oppression because it sounded interesting and the fact that the video discussed African art and oppression was more appealing because it discussed both topics opposed to just African art. I chose Buddhism because it has always been an interesting topic to me and I enjoy learning about it. And finally I chose Chinese Art: Treasures of the National Palace of Museum because I have always found an interest in Chinese art but mostly the Chinese language and the symbols that are used.
There were many interesting concepts that I have learned while watching these videos. In Islamic Art it was interesting to learn about The Jameel gallery in the Victory and Albert art museum. This museum has a great display of Islamic art and is well known throughout the world. Many people are under the impression that Islamic art is religious but it is not. It was also interest to learn about the Ardabil carpet, which is the largest and most important piece of the Islamic culture; it is also described as the oldest and most beautiful piece. And finally it was interesting to learn that it is considered non-European art and it is specialized during the middle ages and after. In African Art is discussed the Belgium’s Tervuren Museum, this museum has the largest collection of Central African Art (over 250,000 pieces). This video was interesting because it discussed the use of masks in this culture. Certain masks were designed to scare people and used in battle. The masks were meant to teach boys how to respect men and also to teach people how to cope with people who have disabilities. The video on Buddhism was interesting because it taught me how it began in India, and how the ruler was unfamiliar with the real world that involved sickness, elderly and death. This ruler was unaware because his father was a king; he had a beautiful life and a child. Borobudur Temple is the largest Buddhist Shrine and is found in Indonesia. In Chinese Art there are 33 works of art displayed in the National Palace Museum. It was also interesting to learn about all the different types of artwork such as the goblet and the chicken cup. It was also interesting to learn that all artwork symbolizes a story or meaning.
All four of these videos related closing the chapters in the textbook. Chapter 18 discussed Islamic Art and African Art and of the key points in the video were also emphasized throughout the chapter. The textbook as well as the video discussed the importance of the carpets and how the how creation of books and poems began. The chapter also discussed how African art originated and the importance of masks and the roles masks play within the African culture. Chapter 19 in the textbook discusses in full detail about Buddhism and how it began in India. The textbook and the videos also portray the representation of the lion, elephant and pot belly dwarfs. Chapter 19 also discusses the influence of Chinese art and how important it is in the history of art. Throughout the chapter there is also examples of art that was created that was similar to the art displayed in the video. Both the video and the textbook talked about the influence of Buddhism within the Chinese culture and what role it plays.
All four of these videos were interesting to watch. Each video had its own features that I enjoyed learning more about. In the Islamic video I enjoyed learning about the books and poems in more depth. In the video on African art I enjoyed learning about the masks that were created and used. In the Buddhism video I enjoyed learning about the representation of the animals used and the rules they have. And in the Chinese art is was interesting to learn about what the art really symbolizes and the story and meaning behind specific pieces. As always I feel that these videos are very helpful, specifically this week the videos were helpful because there was a lot of reading required and was beginning to mesh together. By watching these videos it allowed me to get a better understanding of certain topics that may have not been so clear or so interesting to me while reading the textbook. It was also interesting to see the scenery and sculptures in the videos. I enjoy watching the videos every week. Also I feel that the videos I chose were helpful in the topics I was interested in learning more about.
