Blog 10: Video Reviews

Buddhism

1. I chose this video after reading Chapter 19 and the summary on the video page. Although I have always heard about Buddhism I am unfamiliar with the type of art that goes with Buddhism other than the few sculptures I read about in the text.

2. Buddhism began in India with an extraordinary man named Siddhartha Gautama who was born in 563 BCE. Gautama was very well off born into a rich family, but when he entered the real world he saw people sick and dying. He began to meditate to find a different way for the world. When he awakened, he saw the world in a different way and Buddhism was born. Bodh Gaya is the birth place of Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains. The Shakarama is the place where Buddha walked and contemplate the ways of life. The temples are granite and carved with the teachings of the Buddha. Buddha believed people should "be lamps unto themselves" and find their own way. He was known to speak out against authority in hope of change. The key to Buddha's teaching is the Tahnha, the extinguishing of all desire fore pleasure, position, and possessions. These preoccupations feed the ego and get in the way of being part of the world. Many followers of Buddha were inspired by this new way to look at the world and were surrounded with support, it was the golden age for Buddhism and it began to sweep through India until Buddha died. After his death Buddhists spilt into two groups: The Monks, Hinayana(Little Boat) and the rest Mahayana(Big Boat.) Sanchi became the center for Buddhist art and architecture. One of the finest of monumental architectures are the stupas. Stupas were created with stories told on stones. The gateways to the Great Stupa in Sanchi are all covered in symbols that represent aspects of the Buddha's life such as the Bodhi Tree and a riderless horse.

3. This video coincides with chapter 19 in the section about Buddhism and its art. The text and video both explain the beginning story of Buddha and the famous stupas in Sanchi. The video is able to add to the architecture of the stupa by showing more details around the gateways and the details within the carvings. It also gives an opportunity to follow the paths around the stupa through the camera. 

4. This video was a good summary of the history of Buddhism. It added on to the reading in the text but I still am unsure of how I would explain Buddhist art other then the carvings on the temples and stupas and then the statues of the Buddha. 

African Art: Legacy of Oppression

1. I chose this video because when I was looking through the videos, the picture on this video reminded me of the work in Chapter 18 of the terra cotta head and I thought it would be interesting to see more pieces similar to this one and more examples of African art. 

2. The world's largest collection of Central African Art is in Belgium at the Tervuren Museum. The huge range of styles that are seen in African art stem from the mix of 250 different cultures in the same region. African art such as the masks, have an immediate impact on the viewer as they can be startling and bold. In the beginning of the video we are shown many different African masks and statues, all of which show strong emotion and represent abstract ideas which in turn are represented with abstract forms as the figures do not look like real people. The African art tells really strong stories or are meant to provoke specific emotions such as the masks to scare young men to respect their elders. But, also there are detailed sculptures to represent their time in slavery. Belgium soldiers would bring back African pieces for their museum, but they also put live African people on display to show an uncivilized villages and civilized villages where hundreds of people came to see them. African art tells the stories of the horrors they endured from the Europeans. 

3. This video relates to Chapter 18 in the Arts of Africa section where several African art pieces are pictured. The video really explains the exaggerations you see in the faces and bodies in African art and also explains the stories and meanings behind some of the pieces which is meaningful to know there is more to discover when you look at pieces similar to these.

4. This video was brief but gave a good insight into the art of Congo and African art. It was interesting to hear the story of how the pieces were brought to the museum in Belgium and even how the African people themselves were put on display at the museum. While the video explains that their art depicts the pain they had endured, it is really easy to see when you go back and look at the art after hearing some of the stories that formed their history and how they represented feelings and actions.