Art Objects Research Articles

Images Old and New: Buddhist Painting Preservation and the Transmission of Tradition in Premodern Japan

For the past two decades, scholarship has made great strides uncovering the multifaceted ways in which Buddhist objects provide insights into the beliefs, practices, and worldviews of the people who used and viewed them. Having moved past iconographic analysis as the sole lens with which to evaluate Buddhist art, scholars have demonstrated, for instance, how the religion’s visual and material culture served as conduits between the physical world and the intangible, and operated as nodes linking networks of people and places. This article adds another perspective to the study of Buddhist art objects by considering how their physical condition prompted new forms of engagement in religious practice in premodern Japan. In particular, it investigates differences between three ways to preserve images—to copy, to repair, and to re-create—and demonstrates that while both copying and repair kept objects in a good and presentable state, repair could additionally serve as a means for the production and diffusion of Buddhist cultural knowledge. Re-creation combines the practice of copy and repair and reveals how an object’s material properties, an aspect of any conservation effort, could also transmit information about associated miracles or numinous qualities.

Modernity and traditionalism in the sepulchral art of the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv. Tendencies, examples and artists

The article bears a character of initial research on the Art Deco style and modernism in the sepulchral art of the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv. A group of art objects chosen on the basis of stylistic criteria and high artistic and scientific values is presented.. Traditional research methods of art history such as formal, iconographic and iconological analyses were used due to the fact that research on the architectural and sculptural form of the sepulchres and tombs in the Lychakiv Cemetery are still in its initial stage. The research showed the variety of architectural trends in the sepulchral art of the first thirty years of the 20th century, starting from neoclassical tendencies, through Art Deco and so-called eastern Lesser Poland style, up to avant-gard modernism. It resulted in a distinction of a group of tombs in the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv representative for popular architectural trends of that time. The article points to the features and ideological base of those tendencies and presents the environment of Lviv artists – architects, sculptors, decorators and stonemasons, including a circle linked to Tadeusz Iwanowicz stone workshop, to which belonged, among others, Bronisław Wiktor and Wincenty Witold Rawski. The research led to a conclusion that the sepulchral art created in the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv in the first thirty years of the 20th century was a subject to intensive changes starting from neo-classicism, through Art Deco and eastern Lesser Poland style up to avant-garde modernism. All of this was caused not only by the dynamics of architecture development of this time, but also by fashion for specific forms. The development of sepulchral art was fostered by a high artistic awareness of its creators: stone workshop owners, architects, decorators and sculptors.

Chinese Art and British Art Journalism 1870–1920

This article considers British engagement with Chinese art, particularly ceramics, through a survey of the art press between 1870 and 1920. Chinese art objects were prominently discussed across this period and propelled British art discourse in new directions. Analysis of the representation of Chinese art across these publications allows for investigation into the interlocking mechanisms of new art professions, new sites of publication and new sites of exhibition, including museums, private galleries and department stores. The rapid proliferation of available objects and the comparative sparseness of knowledge about them created a stimulating vacuum of expertise that drew in a range of cultural actors. This reveals the enmeshed relationships between the emerging professions of art writers, dealers, curators and scholars, as well as the evolving identities of the art lover, art collector and philanthropist. The close study of Chinese art in British publications gives us an opportunity to trace the hidden-in-plain-sight mechanisms of art history: the actors and networks of individuals, institutions, objects, images and texts that reveal British art history in the making and the formative role played in this process by Chinese art.

TEACHING STUDENTS COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN OF DECORATIVE AND APPLIED ART OBJECTS

TEACHING STUDENTS COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN OF DECORATIVE AND APPLIED ART OBJECTS

Touching the City: Tactility and Affect of Public Art

Touching objects of public art is one of the most frequently recorded and at the same time superficially described practices of interaction with the urban environment. I propose to look at this practice through the lens of the “affective atmospheres” approach, which allows us to problematize tactile contact as a means and result of affective attunement with space. Analyzing the affective-discursive canon, emerging around the interaction with a new art object (the sculpture “Big Clay No. 4” in Moscow), I demonstrate how, on the one hand, the transition from digital to visual and tactile interaction with the materiality of space creates collective affect online; on the other hand, how this affect is transmitted to social media, making the public art object the center of a phygital hybrid space.

Impact of Islamic Art on the Architectural Design of Mosques in Amman

Objectives: This article aims to highlight and study traditional and contemporary Islamic Art in Jordanian mosques. Methods:. Comparative analysis of Islamic Art concerning the mosque architecture in Amman, analysis of theoretical works on this topic, and historical approach. The study will also include a study of mosques in Amman. Results: When designing new mosques, architects need to study not only traditions, design experience, the space-planning solution of the mosque, and the functional organization of space but also the meaning of ornaments. The ornaments on the facade and interior, as well as various art objects in the interior, are the most expressive differences that indicate that the building belongs to the culture of Islam and forms a religion. Conclusions: Islamic art and architecture in Jordan have deep roots in the history of the religion. Many buildings and structures were built during the reign of the Umayyads, Abbasids, and other dynasties, who left their mark on architecture and design. Islamic sculptures and decorations also reflect Jordan's culture and heritage richness.

Ekphrastic Poetry on the Venus de Milo

Within literary studies, the interaction of ekphrastic poetry and painting constitutes a frequently examined topic, but the intermedial relationships between poetry and sculpture have been more rarely explored. Contributing to the scholarship on literary ekphrasis and on the interrelations between poetry and sculpture, the paper focuses on strategies of description and narrativization, paying homage and developing a rivalry, and the account of the viewer’s activity and their aesthetic evaluation. The essay examines these issues via the case study of the ekphrastic lyrical tradition of the Venus de Milo. Firstly, it lays out a sketch of nineteenth-century art historical and lyrical approaches to the Venus de Milo. Secondly and predominantly, it analyses some examples of twentieth-century ekphrasis (such as the Hungarian Gyula Juhász’s “Milói Vénus,” the Romanian Alfred Moşoiu’s “Venus din Milo,” the British Alfred Noyes’s “The Venus of Milo,” and the Hungarian György Rónay’s “A milói Vénusz”), which all respond to the statue of Venus de Milo, and either continue or break the art historical and lyrical traditions developed during the 1800s. Therefore, on the one hand, the study demonstrates how ekphrastic literary traditions, while participating in the canonization of visual works of art, show the traces of the changing approaches and appreciations of their artistic object (in this case study, the Venus de Milo) over a long period of time, and, on the other hand, it sheds light on how the ekphrastic literary tradition itself is shaped.

Exploiting activation radiation from neutron tomography reveals the hidden elemental composition of 3D art objects for free

Neutron tomography is gaining popularity particularly in cultural heritage research, for non-destructively analysing the inner structure of bulk metal artefacts, such as bronzes, but the induced temporary decay radiation is often considered as a drawback. However, this delayed gamma-emission can be put to good use: by performing gamma spectroscopy after neutron tomography, the interior elemental composition of artefacts can be obtained “for free”. Inspired by this, we propose a ray-tracing approach to non-invasively quantify both interior geometry and elemental composition using only a single neutron tomography experiment. This strategy aligns well with both the aim for efficient use of neutron beam time and the expectation from curators and conservators for minimal neutron irradiation. Here, we outline the core principle of this method, demonstrate the extent of its quantification capability on bulk objects of known composition by fusing neutron tomography and delayed-gamma spectroscopy data sets. We also showcase its practical application on an ancient solid-cast Indonesian bronze statuette, by which we gain insights into how the pristine inner bronze segregated into a different composition than the surrounding shell. Similarly, the method allows us to quantify the composition of a hidden offering in the statuette that consecrates the bronze for worship purposes.

Silver Gorgoneion from the Cult Place at Eklizi-Burun (Mountain Crimea)

Abstract During a survey on the territory of the Eklizi-Burun cult complex, a repeatedly densely folded fragment of a silver sheet was discovered. When unfolded during the restoration process, it turned out to be part of an art object depicting the mask of Medusa Gorgon. The size and shape of the item suggest its purpose as part of Roman military equipment (presumably part of the umbo or a knee guard). The stylistic features of the image give grounds to attribute it to the late Roman period.

Classification of Art Objects in the Context of Interior Space Design

The aim of the article is to establish the main categories for classifying art objects with the definition and study of their characteristics regarding the visual and functional impact on the design of interior space, taking into account both traditional and modern trends. Research methods include comparative analysis, field survey, description, systematization and generalization, as well as the results of many years of creative project practice. The scientific novelty lies in the proposed classification of art objects to create a coherent system in terms of its use in the design of interior space. The results of the research are based on the analysis of examples of modern art and project practice. Conclusions. In the process of research, a classification of art objects was created according to six basic categories, which allow tracking the peculiarities of the functioning of a certain art object in the interior. The first of the categories considered the distinction by types of art, according to which it was determined that in relation to traditional types of art, the art object functions, complementing the general artistic concept of the interior, establishing a figurative connection with its space; instead, correlated with modern forms of art, the art object acquires features and a way of functioning of non-traditional arts with modern means of expression, technologies and materials. The second category of division is by function: the predominance of the utilitarian function in an art object allows its introduction as a constructive element of the interior or equipment; while the predominance of the aesthetic function can state the decorative use of the art object. The third category of dividing art objects is by size: large-sized art objects are designed for perception in a sufficiently large space from a long distance; small-sized art objects are designed for perception from a close distance in smaller rooms. The fourth category is based on the form of expression: the realistic form is based on images that correspond to nature and gives the interior space a traditional character; instead, the abstract form with the use of non-realistic means of expression endows the interior space with features of modernity and uncertain content. The fifth category of division is by style: accordingly, the modern style of art objects involves involvement in various currents and directions of modern art, and the means of expression change the traditional appearance of space and its filling; instead, traditional stylistics uses classical forms and means of expression characteristic of known historical trends. The sixth category of division is based on materials: art objects with the use of traditional materials reveal the specificity and structure corresponding to nature, and in the visual perception of the interior space, they give it comprehensibility, basicity and reliability; instead, modern materials allow you to create new forms in the interior space with the help of art objects.

Visual Art for People with Blind Disabilities: Return to Syncretism

The study is devoted to inclusion in art and design. Its aim is to identify certain forms and means that can significantly bring the experience of communicating with visual art to people with blind disabilities, as well as to find out the opportunities of creating unique inclusively oriented art. Research methods: general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, comparative, formal and phenomenological methods. Scientific novelty. As a result of comparative analysis of existing inclusive projects, as well as those forms of modern art that have actualised the experience of tactile perception at the time, approaches are identified that can correct the perception of art objects for people with visual impairments and use these tools to create a unique artistic product. Conclusions. The research identified three approaches to creating inclusive art projects for people with blind disabilities. The first one is a kind of “translation” of architectural forms into a language that is comprehensible for tactile reading of the model. The component of this language is size, which should be optimal for both touch perception and comprehension of the art work as a whole; therefore, the scale and preserved proportions of the elements, the texture of materials and forms, details that give uniqueness to a certain art work, are important. The second approach is a creation of adapted art objects that have a regulated relief texture applied using digital technologies. With the appropriate instruction or guidance, certain objects, line patterns and even colours can be identified. The alternation of textures of different densities and smooth surfaces allows to convey a message about colours, however, only a limited palette. In both cases, information is duplicated in Braille and equipped with a QR code with audio information. Nonetheless, both approaches are exactly adaptive products, which are certainly very valuable in terms of creating an understanding of visual art. Instead, the importance of another approach is highlighted. It is called a syncretic one in this research. To a greater extent, it corresponds to the essence of artistic experience, the deficiency of which, according to our belief, is also experienced by people with blind disabilities. Such an art work or trend claims to be not a model or a “translation” of some definite art object into the language of tactile sensations, but a unique work of art and design, universal for any person and, at the same time, marking the work with the presence of people with disabilities and being available for their perception.

Design of China's Modern Parks in Post-industrial Territories: Project Approaches in the Processing of Industrial Heritage

The transformation of industrial heritage is an essential issue in the urban development process in China. Currently, most of China’s industrial heritage has undergone numerous changes. Such territories, where industrial buildings are stored, have undergone adaptive changes for recreational use. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to establish project approaches to the processing of industrial heritage and the formation of modern Chinese parks in post-industrial territories. Research methods. Achieving the goal of this work involves studying the object and identifying various types of connections that exist in it, which determines the use of a systemic approach. In the process of conducting the research, both the comparative-historical method and the morphological and compositional methods were used. Their inclusion in the research procedure made it possible to consider the park environment as a complex compositional structure characterised by the interrelationship between functional and morphological solutions and the artistic characteristics of park environment design. Scientific novelty. For the first time, the work systematises material on the usage of industrial heritage objects in the design of modern parks created on post-industrial territories. Project approaches to its development have been established. Conclusions. The contem porary approach in the processes of renewal of industrial heritage is characterised by the transition from only adaptive reuse to the creation of urban cultural landscapes. This is due to combining the original industrial texture with the new design, which forms a landscape with unique characteristics. Scale is the most characteristic feature of industrial heritage. This scale marks industrial buildings and individual equipment that characterises a particular territory. The following project approaches have been established in the processing of buildings: exposing the frameworks of industrial buildings while preserving their authentic appearance, when the brutal textures of building materials of industrial buildings act as carriers of memory; another approach – frame structures in the environment of the park landscape are solved as expressive accents thanks to bright painting, lighting, wrapping with a glass shell. Also, an expressive object of industrial heritage is the equipment that ensured the production process in each production. Depending on the type of this equipment, several approaches are distinguished in its processing: large-sized objects retain their original appearance, are brightly painted, and play the role of visual anchors in the park environment, marking the identity of the area; as for small individual elements of production equipment, they become art objects, organising specific areas of the park.

Murdered and missing: description, art, and human rights

AbstractThe aim of the article is to explore how describing works of art and artistic practices enables a deeper understanding of the political dimensions and effects of art. Drawing on visual and documentary analysis, the article explores two artworks: Azúcar Rabiosa (‘Rabid Sugar’) (2018) by Cerrucha which addresses the justice system’s inaction regarding femicides and transfemicides in Mexico and Remain (2018) by Hoda Afshar, which documents the experiences of a group of stateless men who were left to languish when the Australian government closed its offshore immigration detention centre. Two key arguments emerge. First, making visible through description different aspects of artistic objects and practices helps account for what these artworks do politically. Second, taking description seriously enables us to understand how these artworks make claims to human rights.

Interferenzen und Überschreitungen von Literatur und Welterbediskurs am Beispiel von Judith Schalanskys Verzeichnis einiger Verluste (2018)

The present article looks at how the contemporary discourses concerning cultural and natural heritage are literarily reworked in Judith Schalansky’s book An Inventory of Losses (Verzeichnis einiger Verluste, 2018). Schalansky’s hybrid book which consists of twelve micro-narratives around natural and art objects that have been destroyed or lost over the course of time partakes in the cultural discourse on preservation, memory and intergenerational dialogue, contributing its own views on the practices of valuation of old artefacts and knowledge. The present paper focuses on the common aspects – first of all the intertwining of nature and culture – and the key differences – such as the critique on the essentialist concept of sustainability – between Schalansky’s book and the preservation discourse as it is articulated in collective texts such as the World Heritage Convention.

Масляная живопись на бумажной основе: проблемы исследования повреждений бумаги, консервации и реставрации

The study aims to assess the condition of the paper support of oil paintings under the influence of natural aging factors in order to determine methods of conservation and restoration of oil paintings on paper. The article presents examples of the impact of oil paint binder on the paper support of art objects from the collections of St. Petersburg museums. The study shows possible variations of damage to the paintings’ support. Factors influencing the degree of oil binder absorption into the paper support are presented based on published research on this topic. The scientific novelty of the study lies in an attempt to systematize the influence of various factors on destructive changes in the paper support of oil paintings to identify the possibilities of conservation and restoration of these objects. Comprehensive research on oil painting on paper as a holistic object of restoration and conservation is absent in Russian and modern historiography, although separate methods of restoring graphic works and oil paintings exist. Based on a wide range of sources, the impact of oil paint binder on the paper support has been comprehensively examined. The study analyzed the experience of restoration presented in sources, systematized the obtained data, and identified the main factors of destruction. Particular attention was paid to the mutual influence of oil-absorbing properties of paint pigments depending on the method of preparing the support for painting. As a result of the work, the patterns of influence of oil paint binder on the paper support of paintings were identified based on published sources and tests on model samples.

Forms of perpetuating the historical memory of the Heroes of the Soviet Union in urban toponymy (using the example of commissar Moskovsky Street in Tambov)

Importance. The activities of the Tambov city authorities, public organizations and institutions, their motives in the work on the preservation of military historical memory in the urban enviro nment during the second half of the 20th – beginning of the 21th century on the example of perpetuating the memory of the first Hero of the Soviet Union from Tambov region – A.N. Moskovsky, are considered. The importance of the research lies in the fact that the use of trends in modern historical science, namely, an interdisciplinary approach to research, political history and historical urbanism, allows us to obtain qualitatively new knowledge about the activities of the Russian cities authorities (based on Tambov materials) to preserve military historical memory in urban toponymy and objects of monumental art during the second half of the 20th century – the beginning of the 21th century.Materials and Methods. The methodological basis of the research is based on the principles of consistency, historicism, and objectivity. Comparative historical, problem and chronological methods are used. The research is based on such general scientific methods as analysis, synthesis, generalization, and systematization. The main sources of the research are archival materials stored in the State Archive of Tambov Region, the State Archive of Socio-political History of Tambov Region, published and posted on the Internet, as well as materials in the funds of the Museum and Exhibition Center of Tambov Region.Results and Discussion. The features of the ideological work of local authorities on the development of military historical memory are analyzed. The patterns and continuity of approaches in the military historical work of the city authorities at different chronological stages are revealed. The mechanisms of preserving the memory of a particular hero, senior political instructor, commissar A.N. Moskovsky, are investigated. The forms of historical and patriotic information about the objects of urban toponymy and monumental art created during the development of the urban environment, concerning the perpetuation of the memory of A.N. Moskovsky, are highlighted.Conclusion. As a result of studying the problem, conclusions are drawn about the multi-faceted approach in the work of city authorities, institutions and public organizations for the preservation of military historical memory in the region.

Night Landscapes of Autopsia

This study explores the underground artistic project Autopsia from Vojvodina, examining its visual, textual and musical works within the context of ex-Yugoslav avant-garde, neo-avant-garde and postmodern art. The focus will be on Autopsia’s latest project Steel Books, which are unique art objects that incorporate diverse cultural questions. Steel Books recontextualize ancient motifs of night and death, resonating with similar themes found in Baroque art and literature. Autopsia combines the Baroque method of discordia concors with postmodern eclecticism, but rather than celebrating the neoliberal ‘free market” of cultural artefacts, it offers a critical perspective.

Transformation of Methods of Art Objects Using in Interior Design

The aim of the article is to identify and systematise the methods of using art objects in interior design, to analyse their transformation (from traditional to modern methods) with a focus on various aspects of the relationship between the spatial environment and fine art objects. Results. The research has shown that the transformation of the methods of using art objects (from traditional to modern innovative ones) provides endless opportunities for new methods and technologies of interior design with the use of art objects, which creates a harmonious object-spatial environment taking into account modern design trends. The analysis of art objects and the object-spatial environment revealed their interconnection in the following aspects: functional purpose, location conditions, types of fine art, spatial perception, reflection of the interior theme, integration with technology, and compliance with the principles and goals of sustainable development. The scientific novelty lies in the study, systematisation and analysis of the transformation of methods (from traditional to modern) of using art objects in interior design. Conclusions. The use of art objects in the interior is a complex multifunctional process that reflects a modern approach to the use of art works in the object-spatial environment to achieve a high artistic level in interior design. It has been found that art objects in the interior perform various functions, have certain visual forms of embodiment and create a harmonious aesthetic and meaningful space for living and working. In view of the development of the scientific and technological revolution, we see the prospects for further research in the analysis, systematisation and identification of modern methods transformation, including the identification of new aspects of the relationship between art objects and the subject-spatial environment based on the transformation of methods of using art works.

Theoretical Dimension of Modern Designers’ Conceptual Forms of Creativity

The aim of the article is to identify key characteristics of artistic and design practices interaction; to define directions of conceptual design development based on the results of analysing scientific and theoretical foundations of conceptualism as a special form of the artists’ creativity in the 20th century. Results. It is demonstrated that the focus of modern designers on conceptual forms of creativity is explained by the fact that they contribute to forming unique authors’ projects of aesthetic and value content, innovative searches in the context of cultural and civilisational shifts. A conceptual costume of the beginning of the 21st century is a kind of mediator between art practices of conceptual art and design practices in the sphere of project culture, synthesising social and psychological aspects of fashion, social and symbolic functions of clothing. A conceptual design narrativises philosophical, artistic and technological aspects of design, enriching design products with an expressive metaphoricity. It is revealed that in modern art history a clear definition of the term system of the conceptual direction in design has not been formed till now. The research of this complex phenomenon, synthesised by fashion and artistic clothing design, requires a complex interdisciplinary approach. The conceptual costume is studied as an art-design object from the standpoint of global and local tendencies in the society development, which declare certain worldview values in the form of a visual metaphor. Scientific novelty. For the first time, the theoretical understanding of the conceptual costume grounds on the interaction of design with culture and art as a special space of its direct functioning, which makes it possible to form project conceptualism as a special methodology. Conclusions. The authors’ concepts in the costume are extrapolated in different ways: as visual quotations or metaphors; as a transformation of the art object idea into the form of the costume. Actually, they need in-depth and detailed studying.

Conceptualism of Sculpture Films of the 1970s–1980s in the Experimental Field of “Expanded Cinema”

The aim of the article is to analyse conceptual foundations of sculpture films in the 1970s–1980s in the context of experiments with “cinema expansion”. Results. Sculpture films of the 1970s–1980s show signs of a tendency toward conceptualism inherent in postmodern art. In innovative experiments on the audiovisual art and sculpture synthesis, not only the updated artistic toolkit became basic, but the process of meaning creation with a mandatory appeal to the audience’s perception as well. All this was organically integrated into the general search of avant-garde directors, aimed at developing the technological and artistic possibilities of cinematography, which received a generalised name “expanded cinema” (G. Youngblood). W. Turnbull, A. Forbes, D. Ashton, R. Horn, V. Pye, G. Matta-Clark, L. Lijn, B. Flanagan, R. Smithson, G. Stevens, P. Dockley, D. Hall, D. Dye, E. McCall, L. Lye, J. Hilliard, T. Hill, and many others, can be considered the figures in this direction. Scientific novelty. For the first time, the conceptual foundations of sculpture films of the 1970s–1980s are systematically analysed in the context of avant-garde searches by masters in creating interdisciplinary arts, and in extended cinema as well. Conclusions. The analysis of projects significant for sculpture cinema in the 1970s–1980s reveals a few conceptual creative approaches: video documentation of the process of creating a sculpture, and presenting an audiovisual work as an independent art object; filming the transformation and destruction of sculpture works for the purpose of provocative statements on current topics; use of cinematographic equipment as a material for creating sculptures; expanded interpretation of the concept of “sculpture” as a form, the construction of which is not limited to solid materials or inanimate objects; fixation on film of kinetic sculptures, the contemplation of which is inseparable from the surrounding environment. A general conclusion is made that experiments with sculpture films contributed to the video art formation, and influenced the further development of media art.