Popular Art Form Research Articles

Representations of the everyday life in Nairobi city in Kenyan film

ABSTRACT Representations of urban spaces and most importantly, of city culture, is often manifested in and visibilized through popular cultural productions. City culture is embodied in popular artforms such as film, photography, dance, music, and fashion among others, which present the city as an imagined space for performance and display. Whereas the city is integral in understanding manifestations of social change, film plays a role in foregrounding and reflecting its social transformations overtime. Anchored on the multi-disciplinary triad of the cultural production of place, space and meaning, this article explores representations of everyday life in Nairobi city as mediated through three films: Ndoto za Elibidi (2010), Nairobi Half-life (2012) and Rafiki (2018). The article argues that the production and consumption of urban cinematic geographies is, in different ways, tied to everyday experiences in the city. The article further shows how space in film is used as a narrative devise to depict emerging queer social imaginaries in the city spaces in Nairobi. Thus, the article contributes to emerging trends on how urban practices influence popular consciousness and adds to the growing lore of urban scholarship in Kenya.

Why Do We Fear The Robopocalypse? Human Insecurity in The Age of Technophobia

The paper aims to determine where exactly fear of intelligent machines is located in the narrative layers embedded in science fiction film stories based on the intelligence explosion hypothesis. The analysis departs from the assumption that the Robopocaliptic narrative, a science fiction narrative depicting the dystopian future of human–robot relationship, is constitutive of the irrational technophobic stance widespread in the public opinion of today’s postindustrial societies. As narration plays an essential part in our daily reflective and social practices, we are naturally inclined to look for narrative structure in popular culture, particularly in film, the most popular form of visual art, and the easiest one to consume. Nine science fiction films have been selected as relevant empirical evidence: The Invisible Boy (1957), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Westworld(1973), Futureworld (1976), Demon Seed (1977), Blade Runner (1982), The Terminator (1984), The Matrix (1999), Ex Machina (2015). The Robopocaliptic narrative interwoven with the themes of the analysed films uncovers four recurrent ideas or messages that create robotophobia: redundancy of the human race, moral indifference of robots, robots as emotional abusers, and the loss of control over one’s own mind and body. The author proposes that these four ideas or messages mirror four layers of fear, all pointing to a meta-fear: the fear of rejection to be recognised and treated as a morally worth human being. In conclusion, the author suggests that Axel Honneth’s concept of recognition opens a plausible avenue to clarify the roots of the fear of the Robopocalypse.

Meme-ing Malawi’s 2019 presidential election: Humour, hope and disillusionment

On 21 May 2019, Malawi went to the polls to elect leaders in what turned out to be highly contested presidential, parliamentary and local government elections. Compared to previous elections, the 2019 tripartite elections also featured highly on social media. Focusing on the presidential election, this article analyses how these elections were depicted in popular imagination particularly in internet memes. Our contention is that the internet memes, and by extension, other popular art forms of that period, constitute a humorous, but highly significant documentation, of the key events of that election. The memes reflect hopes, aspirations and disillusionment that characterized the 2019 polls. In terms of conceptual framework, we draw on the theory of visual rhetoric alongside scholarship on internet memes as both humour and political discourse.

A Song of Fallen Flowers: Miyazaki Tōten and the making of naniwabushi as a mode of popular dissent in transwar Japan, 1902–1909

AbstractThe popular genre of sung and spoken performance—naniwabushi—was the biggest ‘craze’ during the first decade of the twentieth century in Japan. This article uncovers how Miyazaki Tōten (1870–1922), a revolutionary and thinker who became a naniwabushi balladeer, was instrumental in the rise of naniwabushi as a popular art form during the Russo-Japanese transwar period (1902–1909) and used it to engage in a practice of nihilist democracy. In using a transwar frame to examine the content, audiences, and contemporary reports of his performances, this article concludes that Miyazaki Tōten created ‘new’ naniwabushi to deliberately link the techniques and rhetoric of the Freedom and People’s Rights Movement from the 1880s to the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). He used naniwabushi to articulate his concepts of autonomous freedom, nihilism, and anarchist communitarianism in a time usually characterized by the heavy suppression of dissent. It counters the impression of the wholesale embrace of nationalism and support for Japanese imperialism and shows how Japan’s urban poor engaged in political discourse through popular entertainment that was critical of Japanese imperialism.

Proteomic Analysis of Collagen: a Mass Spectrometry Approach to Material Identification of Shadow Puppet Cultural Relics.

Shadow puppets are a popular art form in various regions, including China, Indonesia, and Turkey, and are rich in cultural significance. However, there is a considerable lack of research on the materials, diseases and conservation techniques related to shadow puppet relics. Material identification is the basis for understanding the production process of ancient shadow puppet relics and evaluating their deterioration degree. The microscopic morphology and infrared spectroscopy results in our experiments showed that the traditional methods of ancient skin identification were not effective in the shadow puppet samples. In order to achieve accurate identification, we used biological mass-spectrometry in proteomics to examine two puppet relics and commercially available modern shadow puppets. The results showed that the above samples could be detected by mass spectrometry with abundant peptides, including peptides specific for bovine skin. These peptides cannot be found in other commonly used materials for making shadow puppets, including the skins of pig, sheep, deer and horse. It is worth mentioning that we have found the peptides specific to yellow cowhide in two ancient shadow puppet relics samples. Therefore, the proteomic evidence shows that the raw materials of the two shadow puppet relics samples are yellow cowhide. Four modern samples also confirmed the reliability of material identification using proteomics. The proteomic evidence shows that the biological mass spectrometry will contribute to the scientific research of shadow puppet relics and other skin and leather cultural relics.

Activations of the Threshold

The early practices and theorizations of interculturalism have been critiqued extensively for their Eurocentric bias, with intercultural practices shown as reproducing existing hierarchies. In the last decade there have been important theoretical efforts to revisit the questions raised by interculturalism beyond the contours of its definition and practice of the 1980s and 1990s. While they highlight the liminal/threshold quality of these practices, stressing a utopian dimension, the present paper explores the potentiality of interculturality/intraculturality as activation of an experience of what Bernhard Waldenfels has termed ‘radical alienness’. Rather than reifying the boundaries of the ‘other’ or imagining a utopia, the experience of radical alienness offers an experience that reveals ordering processes and their limits, and a possible experience beyond that order. I specifically investigate auteur film-maker G. Aravindan’s engagement with the modern circus in the historic context of the fading away of circus as a popular art form in India. Thampu (The Circus Tent, 1978) is a ‘docu-fiction’, using both performers of the Great Chithra Circus and actors. Using a non-linear and episodic structure that foregrounds duration, Thampu places the affective experience offered by an itinerant circus coming to a village in relation to the varied rhythms and experiences in the village. I investigate how in the film, rhythms are conceived as activating space-times that define experience, with special attention to performance and music as sites of activations. I argue that approaching experience through rhythm, the film attempts to stage the complex simultaneous connections and separations between varied experiences in the space-time of the village, bringing into orbit a threshold experience of the radical alien that allows one to experience a deep sense of alienation, pleasure and labour.

Investigate the Impact of the Current Watercolour Painting Market Situation on the Development of the Watercolour Painting Market in China. Market Environment as a Mediator

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the current watercolour painting market situation in China on the development of the watercolour painting market in China. In addition, this study investigates the role of the watercolour painting market environment in China as a moderating variable in the relationship between the current state of the watercolour painting market in China and its future development. Theoretical framework: Contemporary Chinese art and culture exist in a society that is open and pluralistic. Through the efforts of several generations, they have created not only a magnitude but also a vast market. In a technologically based society, technologically based painting is on the verge of extinction. The construction of cultural artistic conception and character is a novel topic in the art education and instruction of contemporary Chinese watercolour painting. Design/Methodology/Approach: A total of 495 respondents participated in the survey comprised of 110 watercolour artist collectors, 220 watercolour paintings and 165 lectors and business intermediaries 165. This study was a cross-sectional study where the data collection period is from August to October 2021. A survey with a closed-ended and self-administered format was conducted in order to collect data. The questionnaire is divided into two sections, Smart PLS was used to analyse the data and identify any significant relationships between the variables. There was a correlation between being a colour artist and collecting watercolour paintings. Findings: This study focuses on watercolour painters, watercolour collectors, and commercial intermediaries., according to the findings. This suggests that artists are more likely than non-artists to collect watercolour paintings. In addition, the study revealed that business intermediaries play a crucial role in facilitating the sale of these paintings. The study revealed that watercolour painting is a popular art form among both artists and collectors. Watercolour paintings have been a popular art form for centuries, and this study confirms that their popularity remains strong among both artists and collectors. The delicate beauty of watercolours, with their translucent washes of colour and soft edges, is particularly appealing to those who appreciate the subtleties of art. Research, practical & social implications: This study found that watercolour paintings are highly valued by business intermediaries, who recognize their potential as investments. In fact, many galleries and auction houses specialize in selling watercolours, and the market for these works continues to grow. Originality/Value: it is important to note that not all watercolour paintings are created equal - some are more highly prized than others based on factors such as the artist's reputation, the quality of the materials used, and the subject matter depicted. Overall, this study underscores the enduring appeal of watercolour paintings and their continued relevance in today's art world. This research provides valuable insights into the relationship between colour artists, collections of watercolour paintings, and art industry intermediaries.

Historical Factors Influencing Water Colour Painting Market Environment and Development in China Market Supervisor as a Moderator

Purpose: China has a long history of art, including watercolour painting, which has garnered international acclaim. China can gain recognition for its artistic accomplishments and contribute to the global art community by preserving and promoting the practise of watercolour painting both domestically and internationally. Theoretical framework: The tale of the development of Chinese watercolour painting is intricate and multidimensional, reflecting the impact of several historical events (Li, 2023; Yin,2022). These elements have all contributed to the creation of this stunning and lasting art form, from the rich philosophical and cultural traditions of China to the impact of aesthetic trends and technical advancements. Design/Methodology/Approach: A total of 495 respondents participated in the survey comprised of 110 watercolour artist collectors, 220 watercolour paintings and 165lectors and business intermediaries 165. This study was a cross-sectional study where the data collection period is from August to October 2021. Using Smart PLS, the collected data is analysed. Findings: The study revealed that watercolour painting is a popular art form among both artists and collectors. Watercolour paintings have been a popular art form for centuries, and this study confirms that their popularity remains strong among both artists and collectors. The delicate beauty of watercolours, with their translucent washes of colour and soft edges, is particularly appealing to those who appreciate the subtleties of art. Research, practical & social implications: This study found that watercolour paintings are highly valued by business intermediaries, who recognize their potential as investments. In fact, many galleries and auction houses specialize in selling watercolours, and the market for these works continues to grow. Originality/Value: It is important to note that not all watercolour paintings are created equal - some are more highly prized than others based on factors such as the artist's reputation, the quality of the materials used, and the subject matter depicted. Overall, this study underscores the enduring appeal of watercolour paintings and their continued relevance in today's art world.

Movies That Change Lives. Evaluating the Social Impact of Motion Pictures and the Practice of Evidence in Filmmaking

Cinema is one of the most popular art forms among people of all ages. Just like music, theater, architecture, literature or painting, cinema certainly has an impact on people. At the same time, it has the capability to not just draw attention to social problems, but also to change people’s attitudes and behaviors — thus changing the world as a whole. This article provides an overview of various approaches to researching social impact of motion pictures and raises a number of important issues related to the current state of the impact assessment industry in motion pictures.

TEACHING THE SHENYUN DANCE TECHNIQUE: A STUDY ON UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA STUDENTS

Chinese dance is a culturally rich and popular art form worldwide. However, its teaching needs to be improved in Malaysia, despite its multicultural population and significant Chinese community. In the last century, ShenYun technique emerged as one of the primary schools that have been used in teaching Chinese classical dance to ensure its form and type standardization. Nevertheless, there have yet to be any attempts to teach Chinese classical dance overseas using the original teaching materials of the ShenYun technique. This paper focuses on measuring the effectiveness of teaching ShenYun dance technique to international students. 22 students from Universiti Sains Malaysia and various cultural backgrounds were selected to learn the ShenYun dance technique for 12 sessions. The evaluation of the student's learning outcomes involved multiple methods. Post-class questionnaires were given to students after every class, and a final questionnaire was given at the end of the course. Local dance experts assessed the students' progress by observing a live performance, while Chinese dance experts evaluated a video recording of the final performance. The data obtained from students were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation to determine the participants' understanding level. At the same time, the data collected from experts was used to evaluate the learning outcomes. According to the study's findings, the 12 sessions of ShenYun dance technique is an effective instructional resource for international students.

Tattooing as a Popular Form of Body Art in Ascendancy among Urban Youths in Tanzania

This article explores the increasing popularity of tattoos as body art amidst the negative attitudes and social stigmas attached to them in the context of Tanzania. Specifically, it delves into aspects of the tattoo culture before examining the influence and motivations behind the decision to tattoo. Finally, it evaluates the attitudes of Tanzanians to individuals with tattoos. With recourse to the Group Norms Theory (GNT) serving as a framework for elucidating on the underlying factors prompting young individuals to embrace tattooing, this article qualitatively examines data to unravel the complexities of the phenomenon under study. The data came from in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations. The article demonstrates how tattoos bearers value them for the personal symbolism they engender and as a form of decorative self-expression. Other push factors towards tattooing include peer pressure, social media, celebrities, and commemoration. In the context of Tanzania, this article provides insights that could help debunk the misconceptions surrounding tattoos and demystify this intriguing body art, and, hopefully, pave the way to more nuanced and inclusive debate and understanding of this type of art.

Pelatihan Al-Banjari untuk Meningkatkan Semangat Kegiatan Rutinan Pembacaan Al-Barzanji Santri Pondok Pesantren Ar-Roudotussibyan Desa Cihanjawar

Al-Banjari music has become a highly popular art form among students at Pondok Kampung Gunung Bakti in Cihanjawar Village, Bojong District, Purwakarta Regency, especially at the Ar-Roudotussibyan Islamic Boarding School. Al-Banjari is often used as an accompaniment in activities such as reading al-barzanji, circumcision, wedding, or the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. However, the lack of understanding and skills in innovating rhythms and melodies make al-Banjari less effective and rarely used as an accompaniment. This problem is caused by the lack of special training accompanied by those who master the art of al-Banjari. The objective of this community service is to improve the understanding and creativity of students in using al-Banjari musical instrument and to increase their enthusiasm in routine activities such as reading al-barzanji at the Ar-Roudotussibyan Islamic Boarding School. The method used in this community service is special training and mentoring in playing the al-Banjari musical instrument. The training is conducted using appropriate teaching techniques to improve the understanding and skills of the students in playing the musical instrument. The al-Banjari training carried out in the community service activities at the Ar-Roudotussibyan Islamic Boarding School in 2023 succeeded in improving the understanding and skills of the students in using and playing the al-Banjari. In addition, the enthusiasm of the students in routine activities such as reading al-barzanji also increased after the training.

Village Songs and the Building of Community Culture: A Talk

Village Songs and the Building of Community Culture: A Talk

FEATURES OF MODERN DESIGN ACTIVITY

The article discusses the features of design activity since the beginning of the XXI century. Being the most popular form of art, it arose only in the first half of the 20th century.
 Today, the most popular area of design is considered to be the production of everyday household items, art projects of scientific and technical discoveries before the fashion market changes. The growing demands on comfort also forces the designer to constantly work on finding form solutions for things that will meet the changing reality.
 Modern design activity is not limited to artistic solutions of individual things. Today, the environment as a whole is under his supervision, whether it is the interior design of a residential or public building or the design of open spaces, landscapes, urban environment.
 The purpose of the article is to highlight the features of modern design activity, in its various fields, and to present technological performances to professional designers.
 The article is structured in relevant studies of scientific research, while examining previous designs (mainly by technical means), and includes modern information technology, where the concept of computer-aided design is particularly applied.

Analysis of the Role of Costume Design in Shaping the Characters of Film and Television

With the development of the times and social progress, people begin to focus on the pursuit of spirituality after their material life is satisfied. As a popular art form, film and television dramas are favored by the audience, especially the younger generation. Among them, it has become one of the important ways to spread cultural information because of its audio-visual combination and strong intuitiveness. As a result, more and more directors are focusing on the distinctive characters in film and television dramas. How to express the status, character traits and emotional changes of the characters in the drama through costume modeling has become a key research topic for many scholars. This paper analyzes the positive effects and problems of the interdependence between costume design and film and television performance, in the hope that more scholars and practitioners will explore this field in greater depth.

Falling Stories: Cinematic Naturalism and Disability in Frank Norris’ and Stephen Crane's City Sketches

Falling Stories: Cinematic Naturalism and Disability in Frank Norris’ and Stephen Crane's City Sketches

Rickshaw Paintings of Bangladesh: Representation of Reality, Evolution of Art and Preservation

Rickshaw painting is one of the popular art forms of Bangladesh. It is also a symbol of Bangladeshi culture. But with the passage of time the subject of rickshaw pictures has changed. For various reasons, various topics and events have taken place in the rickshaw painting. This research has tried to investigate the past and present of the rickshaw painting, content of the rickshaw painting and its variations and some factors that have affected the rickshaw painting most over the time. In order to know all these issues, 14 rickshaw painters living in different regions of the country were interviewed to collect primary data and the rickshaw paintings stored in the Bangladesh National Museum were reviewed and thematically analyzed. Also the help of various books, journals, magazines, newspapers and other published information has been taken to achieve research objectives. This research reveals that apart from the topics discussed at different times, rickshaw paintings are being made considering the political and social context more. The research results also show that various types of contemporary events, morals, sermons, scenes and some popular topics have appeared again and again in rickshaw paintings. Various problems of rickshaw filming have been identified in this study. One of the problems is the industrialization and commercialization of rickshaw paintings. As a result the whole rickshaw painting industry is under serious threat. The study unveils that many rickshaws are now using digital banners instead of traditional rickshaw painting. Rickshaw painting is soon going to be included in the world immeasurable cultural heritage list from our own heritage. Therefore more research is needed to protect and preserve this industry. The research makes a contribution in understanding the content, evolution and problems of folk art of Bangladesh.

Rickshaw Paintings of Bangladesh: Representation of Reality, Evolution of Art and Preservation

Rickshaw painting is one of the popular art forms of Bangladesh. It is also a symbol of Bangladeshi culture. But with the passage of time the subject of rickshaw pictures has changed. For various reasons, various topics and events have taken place in the rickshaw painting. This research has tried to investigate the past and present of the rickshaw painting, content of the rickshaw painting and its variations and some factors that have affected the rickshaw painting most over the time. In order to know all these issues, 14 rickshaw painters living in different regions of the country were interviewed to collect primary data and the rickshaw paintings stored in the Bangladesh National Museum were reviewed and thematically analyzed. Also the help of various books, journals, magazines, newspapers and other published information has been taken to achieve research objectives. This research reveals that apart from the topics discussed at different times, rickshaw paintings are being made considering the political and social context more. The research results also show that various types of contemporary events, morals, sermons, scenes and some popular topics have appeared again and again in rickshaw paintings. Various problems of rickshaw filming have been identified in this study. One of the problems is the industrialization and commercialization of rickshaw paintings. As a result the whole rickshaw painting industry is under serious threat. The study unveils that many rickshaws are now using digital banners instead of traditional rickshaw painting. Rickshaw painting is soon going to be included in the world immeasurable cultural heritage list from our own heritage. Therefore more research is needed to protect and preserve this industry. The research makes a contribution in understanding the content, evolution and problems of folk art of Bangladesh.

Artistic Text Style Transfer: An overview of state-of-the-art methods and datasets [SP Forum

Word art, which is text rendered with properly designed appealing artistic effects, has been a popular form of art throughout human history. Artistic text effects are of great aesthetic value and symbolic significance. Decorating with appropriate effects not only makes text more attractive but also significantly enhances the atmosphere of a scene. Thus, artistic text effects are widely used in publicity and advertising. Some text effects are simple, such as colors and shadows, while some can be complex, such as the burning flames in <xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Figure 1</xref> and exquisite decorations in <xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig2" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Figure 2</xref> . Manually creating vivid text effects requires lots of time and a series of complicated operations: observing the target glyphs, designing appropriate artistic effects, warping the texture to match the character shapes, and so on. It consumes hours of time even for well-trained designers. To produce word art more conveniently and efficiently, artistic text style transfer has been proposed recently to automatically render text with given artistic effects.

Amateur Biographies: Attempting to Fill Archival Gaps

The biography of nineteenth-century amateur performers defies typical biographical formulae due to the paucity of information available about these performers and their productions. The story of the Lawrence sisters added another layer of challenge: determining how to contextualize an ephemeral art form within the biographical history of two women when one of them left an autobiography that, interestingly, attempts to follow typical biographical structure and yet, upon deeper analysis, only introduces yet more unverifiable knowledge gaps. By acknowledging and analyzing those gaps and the challenges they present, an organic narrative can develop—a narrative which speaks to the complexities of this work and the challenges of telling the lives of those whom history might otherwise neglect. The biography becomes, thus, the story of women whose history is imperfectly recorded and a vehicle for a discussion of a popular art form which does not readily lend itself to being archived, while also providing a narrative of the historiographical and historical possibilities that the past presents through its gaps.