African art, Buddhism, Hinduism, Chinese Art- Video Blog & Questions

1. Explain why you selected each of the FOUR videos you choose from the selection listed above.

I chose the African art video because I find their art very interesting and appealing.  There is so much variety to their works and I wanted to learn more.  I then chose the Buddhism and Hinduism videos because I wanted to learn more about the art and their cultures, which I was able to do.  I didn't know which video I wanted to watch last so I went with the Chinese art video, which I learned some new material from as well.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

African Art- There is a strong aesthetic sense of African art and in the making of everyday utensils. There is lots of expression in dress, hairstyles, and other forms of ornamentation.  Art has always been important in the tradition of African ritual.  Music and dance play a huge role.  Many generalizations about African art may be misleading.  There is a rich mosaic of cultures throughout the continent and a lot of variety.  An example of this would be that figure sculpture is more common in Western Africa opposed to other regions.

Buddhism- Buddhist art and architecture flourished around India in and after the Golden Age.  Between the 3rd and 7th century AD, Sanchi became a center of Buddhist art and architecture.  Within the carvings of the Great Stupa, Buddha disappears into symbolism and is only represented by the Bohdi Tree.  This religion began with questions, prayer, and rituals and it truly embraced all of them, including the idea of a personal god.

Hinduism- Hinduism's gods/goddesses are very similar to Christian saints in that they provide access to God or the Brahma.  Hindu art is full of decorative sculpture of many different gods.  Cremation was also practiced and assures direct access to heaven.  Hinduism has a very deep sense of spirituality in the ordinary and everyday life.  The source of all life to them is Brahma.

Chinese Art- This video shows a few dozen Chinese works of art that are not often seen.  Chinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art dynasties, most of which lasted several hundred years.  Most of the works in this video are very simple, yet fascinating in their own sense.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

All four of these videos directly relate to the readings and the Chapters.  The artwork and cultures we saw in the videos we chose were shown in the readings.  African art and their masks were talked about in detail in our text and we were able to visually see them in the African art video.  Buddhism and Hinduism were brought to life in greater detail as well.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

I enjoyed the films I chose, especially the one on African art.  The work is just so unique/distinct.  I learned a few new things as well about Buddhism and Hinduism that I did not know and gained a better understanding of them.  The readings get a little boring so the videos make a nice change while learning the same materials.