twelfth post

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

I selected the videos African Art, Buddhism, The Great Wave, and Islamic Art: Africa and Central Asia. I chose African Art and Islamic Art: Africa and Central Asia purely because I am very interested in the different styles, mediums, etc. that are used in Africa. For the Buddhism video, I picked it because I love the concept of Buddhism and want to know that besides religious influence, how Buddhism is related to art. Lastly, I picked <i>The Great Wave<i> because ever since middle school, I've loved anime and everything Japanese, so it was an obvious pick when it came down to it.
 
2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

African Art:  In the villages of sub-Saharan Africa where traditions are still strong, art is an integral part of daily life. Indigenous African religious beliefs are explored through rituals—a spiritual form of performance art—and funerary statuary. The oldest existing African art is found in drier regions. Ancient bush paintings represent animals and humans; these stylized pictures may be a wish for luck in the hunt.
Buddhism: The key to Buddhist teaching is "tanha," the extinguishing of all desires and all things that feed the ego the ego and obstruct enlightenment. Within one hundred years of Buddha's death, Buddhism split into two groups: "hinayana" and "mahanyana." During and after the Golden Age of Buddha, Buddhist art and architecture flowered across India.
The Great Wave: Hokusai’s The Great Wave is arguably the best-known image of Japanese art in the Western world today. Full of mystery and contradiction, Hokusai's "The Great Wave" epitomizes Japan's art and culture. Its image appears on everything from coffee mugs to high fashion while political cartoonists and tattoo artists also subvert its image.
Islamic Art: Africa and Central Asia: Art scholar Waldemar Januszczak explores Islamic art and architecture across Central Asia and Africa. The prolific accomplishments of Ottoman Empire architect Minar Sinan are described; 30 of more than 100 mosques he built still stand in Istanbul.


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

The videos relate to the readings in the text because for chapters 18, 19, and 20, art from the regions in the videos are discussed. The videos show many kinds of examples of the art in specific areas and in different ways, such as sculptures or architecture.

4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?
I thought the films were interesting and definitely helped me understand the material covered in the book better. They add depth to the understanding of the readings because they give great examples and amazing detail.