Introduction
Art defines a society and various aspect of an art form can help understand the region or people connected to the art. The paper evaluates popular art pieces found in the Asian Art Museum. The art forms are symbolic and carry significance in the region. The piece will be evaluated about visual and contextual analysis to understand the art forms adequately. The selected sculptures is Camel Identification
The first piece is Camel found in Asian Art Museum, the sculpture is lead glazed earthenware made approximately 670 to 750. The sculpture is part of the average Brundage collection. The artist of this piece is unknown however, it was a popular funeral ceramic among the rich and damaged duplicates have been discovered in tombs in northern parts of china. The artwork is synonymous with the Tang dynasty so its country of origin is china but the province is not defined. The piece is however excavated from the Shaanxi or Henan province.
In the first sculpture, Camel, the artist captures one of the significant animals that were responsible for wealth in the region. The camel was used to transport trade commodities and was an integral part to the growth of the empire. The camel was used to transport heavy cargo, which consisted of silk. The artist does not tell a story from the art but uses it as a symbol. This form of art was common for funerals. The Camel is a symbol of wealth and prosperity due to its use and economic value. The function of the art is lost on the sculpture as there is some relation to prosperity and wealth as the sculpture is a glamorous piece for viewers today. It was meant for a private audience as it was buried with the owner. This is also lost on the sculpture as one may confuse it glamor for viewing by a public audience.
Visual analysis
Composition
Careful evaluation of the sculpture shows the why camel is a spectacular artwork. Despite its age, the art piece is in good condition and one is able to evaluate the artist’s work. The sculpture of the animal has good symmetry, which is made easy by use of a symmetrical animal for the sculpture. The features of the sculpture are evenly distributed. The focus of the art is the region between the two humps. This has been achieved by increased texture and color on this region. The artist diverts the audience’s attention to this region to achieve the symbolism of the art. The camel carries its load between the two humps thus the need to focus on this region of the sculpture. The artist also uses color to shift focus to the head and the legs of the sculpture. The artist also achieves rhythm through repetition in the artwork. Repetition is achieved in the color scheme on the sculpture. The size of the sculpture is realistic. The features on the Camel are realistic and its size is a key factor drawing audience to the piece. The scale of the artwork shows the artists attention to detail and reality.
The organizational lines on the art have played a part in capturing the height of the camel. The vertical line on the legs and the running lines on the body have allowed the artist to capture the height of the animal. The shape of the art is realistic and the three dimensional sculpture stands on a solid base. The artist has captured the artwork realistically and its pose shows stamina. The pose also implies movement of the camel forward as the artist has placed right leg forward. The sculpture’s head is held high.it shows aggression and stamina as the animal moves forward.
Sculpture tactile quality
The tactile quality of the art gives it a rough feel and the paintwork blends with the material used to make the art. The tactile qualities of the work make the material used more pronounced giving the art a rough texture. The surface of the art appears rough due to the painting style used. The paint used also makes the sculpture appear shinny. The light falling on the sculpture shines off attracting the attention of the audience. The marks on the legs show some evidence of the tools used by the artist. The sculpture is made from different parts jointed together to form the complete structure. The evidence of reinforcement is not seen on the art but it is reinforced to ensure that it stands. The reinforcement is due to the damage due to age and retrieval.
Sculptural relief
This is a three dimensional work of art where the sculpture has depth. The audience can interact with the art form from all directions. The sculpture has a realistic height, length and width. It is comparable to a real life camel. This attracts the audience to view the art and interact with it. The art form also has a rich history, which makes Camel an interesting piece to view in the museum.
Three-dimensional structure
The sculpture is placed around other smaller sculptures making it the focal point in this part of the museum. The sculpture grabs the attention of audience in the museum to the other sculptures. The sculpture is also active as it draws audience towards the culture in china. Through interaction with other art forms in the space in the museum, the audience is able to learn about Asian culture. The three dimensional sculpture is meant to be viewed from all directions. The side captured by the picture is arguable the best side to viewed the art as the art as light falling on it and the visible forms are perfect. Due to its size, the artwork is visible from far in the museum, the colors and the size of the Camel draw the attention of the audience bringing them closer to the sculpture. The sculpture is best enjoyed from near where the lighting and the size is right.
Contextual Analysis
Cultural history
The cultural captures the economic activity in the region. The camel was used for transportation thus a source of livelihood. The nature of the landscape and the camel’s ability to carry heavy loads made it an important animal to the community. Its original viewers were the people in the people burying a wealth person. The art was buried in tombs of wealth people as a sign of wealth.
Conclusion
Camel, sculpture of the Bactrian camel is an intriguing sculpture found in the Asian Art Museum. The art from the 7th century informs the audience of the economic activities of people in the Tang dynasty. Evaluation of the sculpture shows the significance of the camel to its people and social status associated with the sculpture. The sculpture has been reinforced to cover the broken areas. The sculpture is also a masterpiece in the area that it occupies in the museum.
Bibliography
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, René Yvon Lefebvre d'Argencé, Fred A. Cline, and Alexander Coburn Soper. 1974. Chinese, Korean, and Japanese sculpture: the Avery Brundage Collection, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Tokyo: Kodansha International.
Rotondo-McCord, L., Exhibition Five Thousand Years of Chinese Ceramics from the Robin und R. Randolph Richmond, Jr. Collection, New Orleans Museum of Art, & Exhibition Five Thousand Years of Chinese Ceramics from the Robin und R. Randolph Richmond, Jr. Collection. (2005). Five thousand years of Chinese ceramics from the Robin und R. Randolph Richmond, Jr. Collection: [in conjunction with the Exhibition Five Thousand Years of Chinese Ceramics from the Robin und R. Randolph Richmond, Jr. collection, organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art and presented February 12 through April 17, 2005]. New Orleans, La. [u.a.: New Orleans Museum of Art.
Berger, Patricia Ann, and Jennifer Randolph Casler. 1994. Tomb treasures from China: the buried art of ancient Xi'an. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
