Benjamin Lee asked:


Asian-themed performances like NTDTV’s Chinese New Year Spectacular offer an entirely new experience for many Westerners, partly because they are so different from the more typical, narrative-driven, performing art forms. They ask something different from the audience – a slight shift in expectations, a shift in sensibility.

The appreciation for what is implied rather than what is in plain sight sets Asian art apart from Western art. Traditional Chinese dance, for example, is less precise and strict in form than its Western counterpart, ballet. It is because it attempts to evoke a different sort of feeling. Like a glass of claret with its subtle undertones, this kind of dance leaves room for the imagination while leaving a lasting impression.

The following story may help shed some light on the mystery:

Once there was an art dealer who had a painting that depicted a young farm boy leading a horse across a bridge. The boy was facing the horse, his body leaning back, and he looked like he was exerting great effort. One day a buyer came in and had to have this painting. However, he didn’t have enough money on him to buy this rather expensive artwork right away. So he asked the dealer to hold the painting for him while he went home to get the funds. As the seller took the painting down, he noticed it was missing the rope the boy should have been using to lead the horse. Without much thought, he picked up an ink brush and added a rope to fix this apparent flaw in the painting. When the buyer came back and saw the new rope, he was terribly upset. He told the dealer: “I was only willing to spend so much on this painting because of the rope that wasn’t seen but could still be felt!”

The more something is described in a concrete way, the smaller the range it covers. For example, the phrase “hot water” describes not only water but its temperature, so although “hot water” is more specific than “water,” it precludes “warm water,” “cold water,” and other kinds of water and is therefore more limited. Perhaps this is why so much of Chinese art seems to speak in generalities. Ink landscape paintings with their broad brush strokes and wide swaths intentionally left blank are particularly hard for the Western eye to grasp. These paintings can often seem vague and unclear, but to the discerning viewer, each brush stroke speaks volumes.

The same holds for the Chinese language — known for being extraordinarily concise and yet also rich and descriptive precisely because it is so succinct. Indeed, many Chinese words and proverbs contain concepts that could take paragraphs to explain in another language.

The NTDTV holiday shows seem to have struck a balance between the more refined traditional dance forms and the simple pleasures of rousing music, impressive large scale dances with dozens of dancers moving in synch, and, of course, gorgeous costumes and backdrops. The shows offer enough new flavors to be intriguing without being overly foreign. The more subtle elements may be lost on many in the audience, but their presence nonetheless enriches the entire performance for everyone. Ultimately, stories of grace and virtue told through song and dance will speak to us all forever.



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Edwin Mah asked:


Finding suitable decorative art work for your wall can be a challenging task. There are just so many different styles of art you can choose from. Should you pick prints of scenery, portraits, or botanical art? How about vintage posters? Or maybe you should just try abstract art – even then, there are so many different styles of abstract art. Which should you choose? With such a wide variety of art to choose from, turning your house into a dream home can be a very time consuming process.

 

Have you ever considered having Asian styled art in your home, specifically Chinese floral prints? Chinese floral prints don’t stand out so much and also lend an elegant and oriental charm to your home. An abstract picture of a lotus floating on a pond or perhaps a beautiful painting of a bamboo forest certainly is an interesting and pleasant addition to your decorative collection.

 

Most Chinese floral prints are pastel colored, so they won’t make a bold and unsightly statement in your house. Pictures of Asian flowers also promote a sense of calm and relaxation when looked upon, and will be nice to look at as you relax on your sofa after a long day’s work. Be brave to experiment. Your home doesn’t have to be Asian themed before you can display Asian art. Chinese floral prints will match very well in decorative styles ranging from modern minimalist to the traditional classic. A little creativity and imagination can go a long way in blending Chinese floral prints into almost any kind of environment.

 

Asian flowers carry different symbolic meanings. For example, peach flowers blossoming in spring represent beauty in women. Lotus and orchid represent elegance and high virtues. Lilac represents modesty, which is one of the highest virtues valued by the Chinese. Having a little knowledge of the paintings will definitely give you something to talk about with your visitors. Impress your guests as you share your knowledge of the art work.

 

Accompany your Chinese floral prints with similarly themed decorative elements. Pick a few Asian antiques from your favorite art and craft shop and place them close to the art piece. This helps to create interest and balance, as well as help tell a story. Choice items you can use are small statues, candles, flowers, or wood carvings. Don’t forget to bring attention to the art prints with the use of creative lighting.



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Suzanne asked:


What is art? There exists not one but hundreds of definitions of art offered by renowned artists, scholars, and philosophers throughout the ages. Considered literally, art refers to any specialized skill, or human activities encompassing a wide range of fields like literature, music, painting, or sculpting. It’s the end but not the means that constitutes the success of art. A lot many artists believe in the cult of art for art’s sake. However, this function of art has been subjected to severe criticism by some of the noted scholars of the late 19th century who believed in the instructional quality of art. To them, art existed not just for aesthetic pleasure but was also associated with the purpose of converting the mind into a particular trend of thought.

Theories abound as to the true purpose of art. Whether didactic or aesthetic, there is no denying that art casts its influence on the observer’s mind. Times have changed and with it, artistry has undergone multiple changes too. If Romanticism and Classicism influenced art works of yester years, it is Realism, Impressionism, Fauvism, Dadaism, and Surrealism that have laid their impact on contemporary art. No wonder, contemporary art is distinctly different from the art works of earlier generations.

The fields encompassing contemporary art remains the same even today but its essence has been infused with modernity. As in earlier times, contemporary art too covers the fields of music, painting, sculpting, literature, to name a few. New styles along with an eagerness for experimentation have found greater expression in contemporary art works. However in case of paintings, there often crops up a dilemma as to symbols represented on the canvas. Contemporary paintings often appear complex to the common eye, a fact often relished by some of the distinguished artists.

Nevertheless, the revival of some of the Asian art forms of China and Vietnam has breathed a fresh lease of life into the contemporary art scenario. Contemporary art exhibitions featuring some of the masterpieces of Oriental art are being widely appreciated by art connoisseurs across the world. The impact of Socialist Realism and the New Culture Movement is pretty evident in the oil paintings by Chinese artists. Not just China, but Vietnam too, has soaked up the western influence of Impressionism into its cultural fabric. A lot many of Vietnamese paintings depict the daily, simple world of the villages as observed through the human eye. The Vietnamese painter, Nguyen Thanh Binh, is renowned for using human element in all his canvases. Nonetheless, the influence of the Romantics does not lag behind. Paintings portraying the beauty of autumn, the green fields, the lotus pool abound.

Notwithstanding the influence of Oriental art on its western counterpart, there can be no denying the impact of the latter on the former. In fact, both these diverse art forms have imbibed features of each other. The French Impressionist and Viennese art nouveau have been chiefly influenced by Japanese prints. The history of Japan post 19th century, has cast an impression not only on visual arts but on European ceramics as well.

This intermingling of existing art traditions has thus given way to further innovations in the contemporary art scenario. Herein crops up avenues for the birth of new art genres with fresh appeal. This would certainly not deter people from admiring the older art forms. As a matter of fact, contemporary art has been and will be constantly inspired by their masters.



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art morse asked:


The Beauty of Asian Antiques

As even a casual observer will tell you, there is a great deal of variety when you consider the art that comes out of Asia. The history of countries like Japan and China go back literally thousands of years, and by taking a look at what these lands have to offer in the way of gorgeous antiques is just one more way to appreciate true artistic ability, craftsmanship and history.

Chinese art, for example, is divided into periods relating to the dynasty that ruled the country. Chinese art can range from simple yet exquisitely glazed ceramic bowls to the popular and incredibly beautiful jade figurines. The Shang dynasty, for intance, was known for its blue casting, while China as a whole maintained a long tradition of beautiful porcelain. The arrival of Buddhism to China around 100 AD led to a great deal of religiously themed art as well.

Japanese art, on the other hand, has a reputation for being simpler than Chinese art, although this has not always been the case. The Japanese aesthetic is one that has changed over the years and today, many people associate it with grace, elegance, and a very spare, spartan beauty. One of the areas that Japanese art is best known for, though, is in textiles, particularly with regards to their kimonos. These robes are often one of a kind and when made by a real master, often have their own names and infrequently worn and more often displayed.

When you are looking for Chinese or Japanese statues to grace your home, you’ll find that there are many choose from, and that you’ll have a choice of many different materials. Both countries have elevated ceramic and porcelain into a fine art form, and you can still find carved figurine statues of jade, wood and stone. You can find plenty of statues of the Buddha, of the Eight Immortals, and of the Japanese folk hero Momotaro, or you can find statues of more homely things, like cats, dogs or children.

Upon examination, Chinese art and Japanese art both abounds with dragons. In Asia, these powerful, serpentine beasts were more associated with good than they are with evil, and more connected with water than with fire. Large bodies of water were thought to have dragons slumbering under them, and buildings are often not built more than a certain height to make sure that dragons that live in the mountains can see the ocean. You’ll find both Chinese and Japanese art loves to depict these creatures, who were often symbols of imperial rule.

Take some time to take a look at the elegance and beauty that can grace your home through the display of Asian antiques, and you’ll find that you have excellent reasons to make sure that you see what these pieces of art can bring to your environment!



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Wain Roy asked:


Vietnamese fine art in modern times presents a scene that is replete with many fine artists and countless admirers and enthusiasts. Vietnamese fine art has been shying away from the eyes of the world for many years. It is only recently that it has been emancipated from its erstwhile provincial existence. Vietnamese fine art is finally coming out of the closet to present itself in its full glory before a wider audience.

The growth of interest and the rise in popular enthusiasm about Vietnamese fine art have been truly phenomenal in the past few years. The last decade, especially, has witnessed a dramatic growth in the number of people world-wide taking an enormous deal of interest in Vietnamese fine art. It is safe to assume now that Vietnamese fine art has finally come of age and is ready to go truly international.

The contemporary art scene of Vietnam is buzzing with activity, and is vibrant like never before. This is to be attributed not only to strong commercial considerations, but also to the commitment of artists and dealers to create and promote quality work. One cannot help but wonder in awe when one looks upon the radical metamorphosis of Vietnamese art over the last few years. Less than a decade ago, contemporary Vietnamese fine art and artists had negligible presence in their own country and virtually none on the international art scene. Yet, in 1993, eminent art critic and accomplished painter Ca Le Thang wrote in the popular art journal My Thuat, “In 1992 a total of 130 groups and one man exhibitions were opened in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring works by local (Vietnamese) artists… and even (artists) from overseas. Over 5,500 works created by more than 200 artists were exhibited in 25 different locations; attendance numbers rose to over 400,000.”

Vietnamese fine art, since then, has only grown from strength to strength with every passing year. A closer look at this phenomenon reveals that it is not just the profile and status of the nation’s art and artists that have grown in strength. The change is also evident in the quality of the art and in the scope of its representation through local, regional and international galleries and museums.

Compared to other Asian countries, and according to several art commentators, Vietnam was the earliest to merge into the mainstream of modern art, as defined by the West, in both form and content. Such a fact can be easily seen with the coming into existence of Ecole Des Beaux Arts (Indochina’s School of Fine Art) in the early 1930s, with the presence of professors from France.

Western style in technique and the use of color was what the first student generation trained in this school obtained. The techniques however were employed by the graduate artists to depict the aesthetic essence of Viet-narn, especially the freedom and generosity of an Asian soul. Such a fundamental beginning had laid the foundation for the younger generations to follow and again led to their success.

Local galleries and museums have a major role to play in the growing popularity of Vietnamese fine art. They are the main driving factor behind the increasing popular enthusiasm and the commercial success of fine art in Vietnam. Such galleries are virtually countless in cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hue. Some are nothing more than mere shops selling paintings.

In the major cities, about 50 of these galleries can be deemed professional. They deal in a wide variety of local art, ranging from highly popular landscape and figurative work to abstract and experimental work in lacquer and other mediums. The range of variety to be noticed in Vietnamese fine art by gazing upon these paintings is truly amazing.



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Simon Churchgate asked:


Vietnamese modern art is a rising force in the world of fine arts. And Vietnamese art galleries have played, and are still playing, a major role in this new surge of international enthusiasm around Vietnamese art. Let’s take a closer look at the immense contribution of Vietnamese art galleries to the widespread popularity of Vietnamese modern art.

The genesis of the current popularity of Vietnamese art can be traced back to the beginning of the last decade of the last century. It is during this time that Vietnamese art in general and contemporary Vietnamese art in particular have started to emerge from a state of virtually no recognition and anonymity to have its say on the world’s art scene. For long, scholars and researchers from the Occident were prone to dismiss Vietnamese culture as a wan replica of Chinese or a mishmash of French-Chinese-Indian cultures. That Vietnam owes much to those great civilizations is undeniable, but it in no way means that Vietnamese culture is a mere product of mimicry. It is safe to say that what has enabled Vietnam to survive as a nation through an aggregate thousand-odd years of foreign domination is that she has known how to digest foreign influences and incorporate their quintessence into her own culture.

It is not surprising then that Vietnamese modern art today exhibits a happy knack of mixing Western techniques with a rich traditional sensibility. Thematically, Vietnamese modern art has stayed close to the nation’s tradition and cultural heritage, drawing inspiration from local festivals, age-old traditions, peasant life and other local variety. In these days, when people are speaking of an identity crisis in Asian art, Vietnamese art has become a center of attraction. Indeed, Vietnamese art works in the last decade have been increasingly sought after by foreign collectors and art lovers. Exhibitions of contemporary Vietnamese art are being organized in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, USA, Argentina and more.

A Vietnamese art gallery is probably the best place to get acquainted with this new école. In most parts of the art world, the life of an artist tends to revolve around art galleries. Vietnamese art galleries are no exception. Recognition comes easy for an artist if he or she succeeds in displaying a work in a reputed gallery. This simple philosophy has led to the fervent populating of many Vietnamese art galleries with the best samples from one’s repertoire.

The owner of a reputed Vietnamese art gallery often plays a significant role in launching and promoting artists. He may weave engrossing, mostly fictional but sometimes true stories around them. Seasoned art lovers, however, will usually look past the hype, negotiate hard and sometimes get very good prices by going directly to the artists.

One can easily conclude that art is big business in Vietnam. Fine Arts have found an all new commercial lease of life. Vietnamese art gallery owners today talk of selling individual works for tens of thousands of dollars, and some are financing frequent trips to the United States, Europe, and Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. Paintings that sold for less than $50 even ten years ago, are now fetching more than $50,000.

Aroma DD Art Gallery, Suffusive Art Gallery, Apricot Gallery, Doai Gallery, Dong Phong Gallery, Green Palm Gallery, Hanoi Studio, Mai Gallery – there’s no dearth of galleries in Vietnam today. If you want to have a first hand experience of Vietnamese modern art, there is just one place to head for – Vietnamese art galleries.



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Ben Jonson asked:


When it comes to art galleries you will find lots varieties as there are different kinds of art existing. Commonly, an art gallery comprises of precise focus and further managed by a custodian who expertise in such kind of art. General concerns of art galleries comes from particular area, art in a particular medium or singular style, or also art from specific focus such as political art. Characteristically, any art in an art gallery is for sale, even though the gallery might hold on to an extraordinary permanent set, or sponsor an exclusive display of art.

Most of the art galleries are public, in the sense that any person could walk inside the art gallery and but the desired art. In general, public galleries host often openings and willingly promote their company. Many artists get their kick start at common public art galleries only, which could sell work on fee or buy work from an artist and resell it later. On the other hand, some of the art galleries, yet, are private, in the sense that you need to be a member if you wish to enter. Private art galleries demonstrate high-end art, and support bountiful openings.

Some of the art galleries have custodians which usually concentrate on art from a particular region or exact period. Examples of regions might comprise of European art, Australian aboriginal art, and other Chinese art, Asian art on the whole or African art. At times the regional spotlight would be very restricted; an art gallery may only show Peruvian textiles, for instance. During other times, the focus is in fact more on general, and is intended to comprise a huge range of creative styles from a wide-ranging area of the globe. In some cases, an art gallery only carries art from an exact period in history. This is particularly common with modern art galleries, which display first and foremost modern art.

Generally, art galleries would be devoted to a meticulous medium like furniture, oil painting, jewels, picture making, monument, textiles, or other pottery. The medium might be exact to an area or time period, or it might be a more universal collection of works in, which medium. Frequently the art on show is from a huge variety of performers, permitting collectors of, which medium to discover newcomers to the area and buy a variety of art.

Another usual kind of art gallery is a kind of gallery that has an exact educational focus. That focus may be political, chronological, or could be medium based. For instance, an art gallery might prefer to only show contemporary comic art. Another art gallery may offer work done in twentieth century by Jewish artists, or show political pictures from African refugees. These galleries are characteristically open to members of the public, to support cultural education and other enrichment.



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