Today's art is an important symbol of the society that a single community of people retains. Understanding one's culture fosters solidarity and understanding among people, making art a means of socialization and integration. The Asian exhibition at the Harn Museum reflects a lively people's culture marked by modesty and elegance. It is somewhat distinct from Gainesville society, but there are certain parallels. Asian art depicts how worship is held in high regard, as well as the attractiveness of women regardless of their social status. The city of Gainesville is rich in culture because it is a resident to many people from various backgrounds. It is a home also to Florida University which is the known for its cultural events. Therefore cultural diversity in this city is prominent. It is also a city with numerous museums preserving the culture of many people around the world. One of these institutions in this area is the Harn Museum. This is situated in the University of Florida and has served as a place where students can learn about the different cultures both in the past and the present. This means that the population in this city consists of mostly students and hence different cultures are showcased. This paper is, therefore, a detailed research of the Asian Art and how it relates to the community in Gainesville.
History of Asia
Asian art depicts a direct relationship of the lifestyle of these people from the early days. The Asian art collections cover a vast area since this is an enormous continent. The items include the ceramics, jades, metal works, stone sculptures, paintings, and prints. The Harn art collection has various arts from Asia ranging from the early 3rd and 4th century to current years (Harn). The rich culture that is witnessed in culture has been passed down from generation to generation. Religion is one of the factors that significantly contribute to the culture of this part of the world. The most common beliefs are the Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Muslim among others (Forth, 936). This affects the different aspects of people’s lives in such areas as marriage, festivals, worship and eating habits. One of the elements that show the Asian art include the Shakyamuni Buddha which is from the Thai community, and it is a representation of the religious background in this part of Asia (Harn). As opposed to what many people think, this statue is not an object of worship. It is, however, a symbol that is much used to give a sense of direction during the meditation process. The statue is made using bronze, and it is a representation of the religion and the firm conviction that the people had concerning worship. This figure has always been a representative of different physical attributes in Thailand. This sculpture comes in a sitting position with some hand gestures. The people held Buddha to have supernatural qualities though it was clear that he was not god.
Shakyamuni Buddha, Thai people, (Harn), 15th-16th Century
This sculpture depicts a sitting Buddha in an adamantine posture where the soles of the legs are turned up. The robe that is worn by Buddha is monastic, and it is a representation of the great humility that he had. This shows that these people hold that it is essential to seek spiritual enrichment with a lot of humility. According to this, it can be said that therefore religion is a crucial aspect of the Asian culture especially in the Thailand where this sculpture is taken from. The position of Buddha’s hands is the right arm on the right thigh with the fingers pointing downwards and not touching the earth. The left one is on the left leg in a position known as ‘calling the earth to witness’ his fulfillment of perfections (Harn). It is commonly known as Buddha defeating the demon that had prevented him from reaching spiritual fulfillment. This, therefore, shows that the people of Thailand have a very close relationship with their god and they believe in religious enrichment. Religion is held in high position in the Asian culture as shown by the Shakyamuni Buddha sculpture. It can be made of gold, bronze or any other materials that were used in the ancient Asia.Present culture in AsiaThe Asian can be said to be people who have maintained their culture for many years. This is because what they do today is closely related to what was found many years ago. An example is the stupa tower in China which is multiple eaves that were built as a house of worship. It is a place where the items of religion were kept safe and secure.
Stupa Tower, China, (Harns), 11th -12th Century
It is a building that was associated with the Buddha Shakyamuni. It is used to represent the spiritual presence of Buddha in any location that they are found. In China, this was built to beautify and sanctify a temple courtyard. It has several images of Buddha sitting and standing in shallow alcoves which are put on top of a base that is decorated with angels. The visible difference between this sculpture and the Shakyamuni Buddha is that the latter is not used in any way as an object of worship but is instead a tool that is used to motivate people into meditation (Albedil, 108). The stupa on the other is a representation of prayer and is found in the sacred places only. Therefore, this is a representation of the great religious belief that these people have and the culture of worship that they have taken from their ancestors. Asians have a firm belief in Buddha because of they think that he was the one who showed them how to go to spiritual enrichment. They also believed that he was humble and was, therefore, a man to be emulated from generation to generation. The reason why they held with so much respect is that they can be used to represent miracles, victory or reconciliation. This is because they have an in-depth knowledge of worship and through it, several things occur. The shape of the stupa tower has various meanings. The square base that represents the earth, the hemispherical dome represents the water, conical spire represents fire, and the crescent moon and the lotus parasol represent the air while the sun represents the element of space. Therefore the tower is filled with a lot of religious cultures and much Chinese even today pay respect to this tower. Social RolesIn Asian countries, the art of painting is one of the means that are used to show the cultural heritage of the community. One of these aspects is the place of woman in the society. In their culture, a woman is a person who is the lowest in the nation and is under the control of man. In Japan, women have been bound to not go out of the house without a good reason and to be humble before their men. This can be depicted by the painting of the Fuchu: Female Tea Pickers which shows that the place of the woman is low in the society. They are supposed to take care of the children and the houses and do other minor jobs as opposed to developing themselves as men do. This shows that the Asian culture has well defined the role of the women in the society. They are not to undertake leadership positions or go to school but instead engage in businesses that will benefit them and their family. This painting shows a culture that is discriminative and a culture that values men more than a woman. Women are to serve men irrespective of their ambitions in life, and they are to talk in sound tones always when addressing men. It’s a culture that has left the women behind. This painting also depicts the grown culture where a woman is only supposed to work until she reaches the marriage age after which she should settle at home and perform domestic chores.
Fuchu, Japan, (Harns), 1843-1847
This painting was a typical representation of the Japanese woman and what her roles and responsibilities were around the house. A woman place according to this dressing code indicated in the painting is at home doing the daily chores. She should also be hard working because after all, she has to pick tea leaves. Therefore it shows how the society held a woman in a low place where she was supposed only to become someone to take care of others and not to develop any career. Similarities and differencesThere are some similarities of the Asian art with the Gainesville community. This is a community that comprises of many youths from diverse backgrounds, and therefore there is the tendency of finding some aspects also differ from the Asian culture. First of all, there are still some of the people who believe that a woman’s place is under the authority of the man. Though this is a place where you expect the people to be far from this ideology, it is a common practice that men are held in excellent areas than women. However, the community in Gainesville does not believe in the importance of Buddha and the sanctity of the stupa towers. Students freely choose their religion, and as such, no one is teaching them on what they should know about the past ages and the religious beliefs they held. The connection I have with the Asian culture is that I have lived in Africa for some time and I identify with beliefs and practices which they hold. The culture in this part of the world is so precious, and they believe that their ancestors were right and thus even the way they worship is dictated by what they have learned from generation to another. A shrine is well respected and though this is not the god they worship it is a symbol that is used to make them go close to their god. This is the same as the Buddha sculpture in the Asian culture which they have held so dear because it enables them to worship. Art and Cultural HeritageIn Asia, a woman should always look beautiful. This explains why the women are ever endowed in jewels. This can be seen from the Parvati or the Uma sculpture. It represents a woman who is very beautiful and serene with well-worn jewelry to depict that she is noble (Harn). A woman is also supposed to be attractive and curved just like this sculpture to show that she is feminine. It can also be said that the jewelry is a source of great help to a woman at the time of need. Since they are a symbol of wealth, they can be sold regarding the financial crisis. Those that are made of gold, silver, and diamonds are used to depict the power of a woman, wealth and functional status (Harn). This, therefore, means that a man whose wife has this expensive jewelry is respected among the others.
Parvati, Indian, (Harns), 15th-16th Century
Educational role The other importance of art is to educate the people. It is a medium that can be used to warn or even encourage people I certain times. The A Multi-Scened Painting of Radha and Krishna is a painting that is there in the Indian community that is used to educate the people about the love they should hold to a deity. It is a poem composed by a poet by the name of Bihari Lal about the love experiences of Radha and Lord Krishna. The Indian holds a lot of respect for her and as such this poem is used to educate the people about theological aspects.
Radha and Krishna painting, india, (Harns), 1719
In conclusion, the Harn museum is a place that has provided an avenue for the diverse society of Gainesville to learn more about all other cultures. A community is defined by its art and from several such aspects can be deduced. It enables people to understand that there is a rich culture embedded in all of our societies. The Asian people have learned their culture by practicing what they learn from generation to another. Thus, their art has enabled the current age to be able to identify with their origin even when they are not living in Asia. It is, therefore, a topic that makes the people appreciate and respect all cultures because they are all based on the past. It is possible to learn about dressing code and religion of the Asian communities by just visiting this museum.
Works Cited
Albedil, M. F. “Buddhist art: on the nature of perception.”Современное буддийское искусство: традиции и инновации.—Екатеринбург, 2015. (2015): 102-110.
Forth, Gregory. “Dynamics of Religion in Southeast Asia: Magic and Modernity. By Volker Gottowik.” Pacific Affairs 89.4 (2016): 936-939.
Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art label for Japan people, Fuchu. Gainesville,FL. Web. October 28, 2017.
Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art label for Indian people, Parvati. Gainesville,FL. Web. October 28, 2017.
Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art label for Indian people, Radha and Krishna painting. Gainesville, FL. Web. October 28, 2017.
Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art label for Thai people, Shakyamuni Buddha. Gainesville,FL. Web. October 28, 2017.
Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art label for China people, Stupa Tower. Gainesville,FL. Web. October 28, 2017.
