Western Art Research Articles

Unraveling The Musical Tapestry Of Tazul Tajuddin’s Opera Puteri Saadong Through Freytag’s Pyramid

In the heart of Kanazawa, Japan, on May 3, 2016, the Kanazawa Opera House was the stage for an operatic spectacle that transcended cultural boundaries and took the audience on a profound emotional odyssey. Tazul Tajuddin’s “Opera Puteri Saadong” skillfully weaved together Malaysian and Western influences, creating a musical narrative that resonated with both heartache and desire. This article delves into the performance of the “Opera Puteri Saadong”, focusing specifically on its musical elements within the perspective of Freytag’s five-act structure. Through an exploration of the opera’s music, including its emotional depth, character development, dramatic tension, cultural influences, and vocal performance, this analysis seeks to uncover how the music enhances the storytelling and conveys the central themes of the narrative in each act. Outlining a moment of tragedy for the main character, Freytag’s pyramid was determined as the analytical approach to analyse the opera performance due to its emphasis on tragic narrative, which is applicable to the dramatic arc of the legendary story of Puteri Saadong. By examining a range of musical techniques and dramatic effects demonstrated throughout the opera, this paper also intends to provide insight into the significance of incorporating materials of Malaysian folk music and contemporary Western art music in bringing the tale of Puteri Saadong to life on the operatic stage. From the tender intimacy of a love scene to the epic grandeur of a battle sequence, this intercultural music enhances the overall impact of the opera, conveying its central themes of love, betrayal, resilience, and transformation with depth and resonance, engaging the audience with its unique blend of Malaysian and Western cultural impact.

Brushstrokes of Change: Hieronymus Bosch and Rachel Gadsden's Evolving Portrayals of Disability

There has been a notable lack of representation of disability in Western art history. Where disabilities are displayed, the artists’ intentions were often to convey moral corruption, religious infidelity, and the faults of society. Other times, the representations functioned scientifically as medical records. In fact, one of the most anatomically accurate representations of physical disability is credited to the early modern artist Hieronymous Bosch, who was known for his unfiltered commentary on the flaws of human society. Contrary to his typical surreal, vibrant, and sarcastic style, Cripples and Beggars (after 1570), a naturalistic and observational piece, offers a rare lens into how disability was portrayed during the early modern period.1 In contrast, Rachel Gadsden—a contemporary, disabled artist—foregrounds her identity as a disabled artist in her work Ubuntu (2012) and utilizes an expressive, abstract style to convey the fluidity of the disabled human form. Cripples and Beggars and Ubuntu, separated by centuries, provide a captivating shared subject for comparative analysis that transcends temporal boundaries. Cripples and Beggars provides an early explicit and moralizing depiction of physical disability as an isolating scourge while Rachel Gadsden focuses on abstract, yet recognizable human bodies in optimistic motion and community. Analysis of the varying style, medium, and intention reveals the evolved reception and, thus, depiction of disability. This transformation, from Hieronymous Bosch's Cripples and Beggars to Rachel Gadsden's Ubuntu, signifies a shift from viewing disability as a symbol of moral corruption and societal decay to an expression of identity, resilience, and community.

세계시민교육으로서의 대중음악교육을 위한 변혁적 접근

This study reconsiders and reflects on the issues surrounding contemporary education such as anti-bias education, transformative education from the perspective of global citizenship, and education in the context of Korean popular music learning. The scope of popular music education not only comprises physical sonic elements but also includes complex socio-cultural phenomenon such as modernity and colonialism. However, a tendency to adopt a western art music-centric curriculum based on enlightenment notions persists in Korean popular music education. These factors are becoming a serious obstacle to approach contemporary virtues of music education. This study examines the asymmetric curriculum of the class based on the question of “how popular music in Korea is being reflected and how the meaning of authenticity is being defined.” To this end, this study includes comparative explanations on the reconstructed popular music curricula from different countries and seeks to understand the ethno-semantic aspects of the Korean classroom context. The different meanings of reflection upon a critical perspective are emphasized to approach the core competencies of contemporary popular music education such as global citizenship, critical, anti-bias, and transformative competency.

Understanding Breast Cancer Images in Art History as a Form of Health Communication

Can art and visual images meant for public consumption (museums, galleries, social media platforms) serve as a critical form of health communication for breast cancer patients? For their clinicians? For the population at large? Art history research methods are applied to a range of breast cancer images in western art in order to understand what the images communicate to us about patient experience, agency, and inequity in health care at the time of their construction. The following is a selective look at western art as it reflects and informs our understanding of breast cancer over time.

Every Dataset is a Canon

AbstractFor architects, the construction of a dataset for use in AI, whether imported from somewhere else or newly created, is fundamentally an epistemological canon of references, likes and preoccupations often predicated on the selection of so‐called masterpieces of Western art. The canon represents ideals of beauty and knowledge, but it also reflects a bias in favour of art created by those who have occupied the most socially, politically and economically powerful positions in culture. Mario Carpo, architectural historian, critic and Reyner Banham Professor of Architectural History and Theory at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, leads us through a succinct series of eras and architectural styles to demonstrate this fact and their lack of diversity.

Historical examples and modern application of the "Chinese style" in the art of British interior design

"Chinese style" is a new form of combining Chinese and Western styles, formed on the basis of Western decorative art after a large number of Chinese exported works of art were imported to Europe in the XVII—XVIII centuries. The article takes the famous British country estate of the XVIII century as a starting point, and combines the relevant elements of interior decoration to analyze the influence of Chinese design on British decorative patterns and decorative techniques. "Chinese Style" is an innovative combination of Chinese and Western art based on Western decorative techniques.The article also analyzes the influence of the Chinoiserie style as a new art form combining traditional Chinese elements with Western forms on British decorative methods, with an emphasis on a specific study of this phenomenon.The purpose of the author of this study is to study and familiarize readers and the scientific community with the development and application of the "Chinese style" in British decorative methods of interior design. To achieve this goal, the author uses comparative historical, historical and cultural methods, iconographic method of description, as well as stylistic analysis, analyzes historical sources: historical documents, images, artifacts and literature. The research methodology includes a comprehensive approach to the study of the historical context and its impact on the formation of the British interiors. An empirical generalization of the material allows us to conclude about the significance of the above research and the influence of the "Chinese style" on modern decorative methods of interior design and design in Britain. The novelty of the research lies in the application of a combination of methods, analysis of historical forms to study this topic, which has been little studied in the segment of Russian historical science, which allowed us to obtain results that can arouse increased interest in the formation of the British interior among specialists. The author emphasizes the importance of the ability of design masters and architects to combine elements of Italian and British design to create a unique interior. The author's special contribution lies in the analysis of historical materials, practical examples of the successful application of the "Chinese style" in British interiors, which makes this article a valuable study for designers and lovers of interior art.

A Systematic Review of Lu Xun's Cover Design Research Over the Last Two Decades

Lu Xun, the founder of modern Chinese literature, designed many self-published books. He merged Western art techniques with Eastern aesthetic traditions, laying the foundation for the modernisation of Chinese book design. However, comprehensive studies on this topic are rare in current research. The aim of this study is to investigate the research trends on Lu Xun's book cover design. We systematically analysed the data from 2004 to 2023 using VOSviewer and Excel software based on the CNKI database. The results of the performance analysis show that there is an overall upward trend in the research on Lu Xun's book cover design. We identified six themes by analysing co-occurring keywords: Lu In recent years, research has shifted from discussing traditional culture to exploring the aesthetic qualities of Lu Xun's book covers. This study may serve as a valuable resource to inspire future researchers.

Analysis of Gender Paradigms in the West and the East: An Example of Visual Arts

The article focuses on the differences between Eastern and Western art, characteristics of the representation of women's images in Eastern and Western art, and aesthetic criteria regarding women's images in Eastern and Western art. The author emphasized the need to understand the image of women in Eastern and Western visual artworks in different cultural and historical contexts and concluded that studying the image of women in visual art can help one better understand regional gender paradigm differences. To understand the representation of women in Eastern and Western cultures, it is necessary to first understand the differences and similarities between these two cultures in order to gain a deeper understanding of how women are portrayed in these cultures. A few of the differences that can be found between East and West include the geographical structure, the ethno-cultural colors, the social outlooks, and the aesthetic ideals of the two regions. In addition to these factors, it is also important to consider how the visual arts of the two regions differ in their methods, materials, and religious, philosophical and philosophical perspectives. Throughout the article, the author discusses these aspects in great detail, showing specific approaches as to how the female image is represented in Eastern and Western visual art traditions. As such, the article provides valuable insight into the cultural divide between East and West and how their respective artistic styles have interacted with each other.

Explore the Influence of Impressionism on Post-Impressionism: Taking Van Gogh's Works as an Example

Impressionism is a pivotal movement in the history of Western art. It revolutionizes the traditional approach to Western painting. This artistic movement emphasized the spontaneous, direct, and visual representation of natural light and its effect on colors, shapes, and textures. Impressionism is a special kind of non-traditional art without a doubt. Vincent van Gogh is one of the most famous impressionist artists. He has many special characteristics: swirl-like brushstrokes, painting themes that are full of compassion and suffering consciousness, and bold and exaggerated colors. Van Gogh's works often express different emotions through strong contrast and bright colors. His works are very distinctive and full of beauty. He is also one of the most representative impressionist artists. This article will use the survey method and document retrieval method to discover the specialties of impressionism works through Van Gogh's paintings. After the discovery, this article has found three main specialties of impressionism: colors, unrealistic descriptions, and nature elements. In conclusion, this article has discovered why impressionist artworks are so special and so ‘impressive’ through the research.

Dialogue on Artistic Expression: A Study of Oriental Elements in 19th-Century Impressionism

As one of the most significant art movements in the 19th century, Impressionism broke down conventional boundaries, laying the foundation for today’s artistic styles to flourish. This paper aims to explore the integration of Oriental elements of Impressionism and to reveal the influence of cultural exchange on art movements. The introduction section provides a comprehensive overview of Impressionism, focusing on the research goals that revolve around Oriental aspects. The paper utilises an exhaustive approach, including a literature review, artwork analysis, and examination of historical records, ensuring a thorough exploration of Oriental influences. The structure of this paper acts as a guide for readers, highlighting unique contributions such as exploring little-known Eastern elements and interpreting artworks from new perspectives. By deeply studying the historical background of Impressionism, this paper discusses the interests in Eastern art and its influences on the Western art movement in the 19th century, examines the channels of cultural exchange, and analyses the reception of Oriental elements through case studies. At the same time, the influences of oriental traditions and elements such as brushwork, composition, and calligraphy on the natural depiction, colour application, daily life, symbolism, and character representation of Impressionist paintings are also discussed. In conclusion, this paper summarises the key findings and contributions and emphasises the importance of Oriental elements in Impressionist art.

Analysis of Matisse's Painting Style

Henry Matisse is an important representative of contemporary "Fauvism" and a revolutionary figure in Western art history. The artistic concept he advocated broke free from the constraints of traditional painting, broke free from traditional colors and forms, and achieved a revolutionary innovation. "The Harmony of Red" is an important work by Mattis, who abandoned traditional views and created a harmonious, relaxed, and peaceful atmosphere by linking colors with vine patterns. This transformation has had a profound impact on contemporary painting.

Snakes on a Page: Visual Receptions of the Eden Serpent through the History of Western Art and Their Survivals in Modern Children’s Bibles

Abstract Visual receptions of the Eden serpent throughout the history of Western art have reflected various interpretive attempts to understand the nature of this creature. In the investigation of these receptions, five iconographic categories emerge: the female-headed serpent, the demonic serpent, the dragon-like serpent, the etiological serpent, and the zoological serpent. Of these categories, all but the female-headed serpent survives in modern children’s Bible illustration. Due to the cultural prevalence of children’s Bibles and the tendency of images to inform later readings of texts, these visual receptions of the Eden serpent hold significant interpretive power for the child. Survivals of demonic, dragon-like, and etiological iconographic categories in modern children’s Bibles limit the interpretive possibilities of the child’s subsequent reading of the biblical text. The child is predisposed to regard the serpent as a demonic figure or a fantastical creature, or to regard Genesis 3 as a purely etiological tale, proscribing other interpretive possibilities. In contrast, the survival of the zoological serpent in modern children’s Bibles highlights the interpretive tensions within the Hebrew text of Genesis 3. Rather than proscribing certain interpretations of the Eden serpent, the survival of the zoological serpent in modern children’s Bibles invites the child to interact with the interpretive gaps and ambiguities in both text and image.

Black Feminist Museographical Poetics in “Voyage of the Sable Venus”

ABSTRACT This article builds on existing scholarship on literary encounters with the museum in its treatment of Robin Coste Lewis’s poem, “Voyage of the Sable Venus” (2015), as exemplifying the contemporary state of museal engagement in literary production. The poem delivers an account of the history of the Black female form in Western art—a presence Lewis argues, has gone overlooked, both intentionally and unintentionally, by Western museums. Sourced from an inestimable number of museum labels interpreting objects rendered in the Black female form, the poem not only brings the ubiquity of this form into view but presents a method of literary production that this article theorizes as “Black feminist museographical poetics.” In its heightened focus on museography, otherwise referred to as museum text, Lewis’s work adopts a poetics shaped by historical knowledge of the museum’s role in generating perceptions of Black femininity premised on erasure, dehumanization, and subjugation. Lewis’s poem reveals biases toward Black femininity encoded in the museography, through which museum visitors interpret cultural artifacts. This article argues that through her unconventional arrangement of museum labels, Lewis appeals to the nature of museal texts as inherently poetic sources of information, marked by accounts of racial and sexual difference.

THE PSEUDO HAPPINESS AS SONG STRATEGY’S SIMULACRA VERSUS PANOPTIC: BTS’S SONGS AND BTS MEMBERS

The reflections of joy in the lyrics are part of the singer's message tactic in his songs. Even so, with the overall packaging of the singer's appearance. The problem is when world-class singers sing self-motivating songs for their listeners, at the same time, life's troubles become familiar to the singer. Many articles also reported how severe depression, mental health, and suicide occurred in the lives of these artists. Demi Lovato, Shia, and Ariana Grande are some Western artists claiming to have experienced mental health problems. In the ranks of Korean artists, names such as Twice Jeongyeon, AOA Kwon Mina, HyunA, Red Velvet Wendy, and Super Junior Heechul are artists who have also experienced mental health problems and severe depression. The same thing happened to the BTS members. RM and Suga are two members who have admitted to experiencing depression and seeing life as an uphill struggle. This study aims to describe how BTS songs with the theme 'Love yourself' do not reflect the lives of BTS members under strict agency rules and fans' supervision. Ultimately, the theme of 'love yourself' is just a simulation strategy that generates 'false joy' for the members but has a substantial economic impact on the agency. This study uses the concepts of simulacra, panopticon, and duality reflection. At the same time, the research method is qualitative, with document study as a data collection technique. The unit of analysis is the text, namely the BTS song lyrics with the theme 'love yourself' and media reports about the members' lives. These two data are then compared and produce a simulacra picture because there is no reflection on what is being sung and what the members are experiencing. A life full of surveillance from fans and companies removes the privacy boundaries of the members who are – in the end – just a commodity for business turnover. It is where the irony occurs. The pseudo happiness experienced by these members generated many economic benefits for the agency. Increasing the number of listeners, purchasing merchandise, selling concert tickets, traffic on social media, and brand endorsements are essential aspects that can be monetized by the agency, which accompanies the fame of the songs sung by BTS. While living without romantic relationships, solitude, and loneliness, the prohibition of direct interaction via social media with fans are some things that fence off the members' lives and make them even more alienated from social life.

Conceptualizing ‘Chinese surrealism’ through translation: a case study of the China independent fine arts association’s cultural identity and its translation of surrealism in 1930s

ABSTRACT This paper examines the questions of cultural identity in the surrealist related translation practices led by the China Independent Fine Arts Association (CIFAA) around 1935. It was the first time in the history of modern Chinese art that a group of artists translated ‘surrealism’ together and that an art association independently translated a modern Western art genre into China. Accordingly, the CIFAA’s work evidences that translation has played a vital role in the modernization of Chinese art. In this translation movement, the young artists-as-translators expressed their pioneering art concepts through translation, expressing their desire to be both ‘reformers’ of Chinese art and ‘mediators’ of Chinese and Western modern art. As reformers, the artists attempted to innovate Chinese art by introducing surrealism, while as mediators they sought to reconcile the contradiction between their desire for innovation and the mainstream left-wing Chinese expectations of realistic art by adding ‘realism’ to the Chinese semantic meaning of ‘surrealism’. This paper thus argues that the CIFAA’s translation of surrealism reflects a complex relationship between translation and the artists’ cultural identity, which ultimately conceptualizing an unprecedented ‘Chinese surrealism’ that is very different from the original Western surrealism.

THE EAST PERCEIVED THROUGH WESTERN PERSPECTIVE: FAUSTO ZONARO AND ISTANBUL

For many centuries, Istanbul, as a city of culture, has been a source of inspiration for artists from many different countries. Italian artists were especially influenced by the Eastern world and reflected this influence in their work in almost every era. When we talk about "Western Orientalists on Ottoman lands", we doubtlessly first think of Italian Orientalists such as Gentile Bellini, Fausto Zonaro, Leonardo de Mango, Amadeo Preziosi, Salvatore Valeri, Luigi Acquarone, Raimondo D'Aronco, whose paths crossed through the Ottoman Empire, and who built bridges between these foreign cultures by depicting these exotic lands in their works. During the reign of Sultan Abdulhamit the Second, Fausto Zonaro (1854 – 1929) assumed the title of “Palace Artist” after the Italian artist Luigi Acquarone. Zonaro, as well as being recognized for his realistic depictions, became well known for introducing the newly emerging Western art movements in the Ottoman art circles during its initial stages and became influential by nurturing a new generation of young Ottoman artists by providing training. The way Zonaro perceived Istanbul and the local culture through an Italian perspective, and his difference from other Orientalist artists are crucial in making him a pioneering figure in the history of Turkish painting.

Black Women in the Rijksmuseum’s Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Collection

The few studies of the depiction of Black people in Western art have focused primarily on the rendering of Black men. This article discusses the depictions of Black women in the Rijksmuseum’s collection, specifically in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, from the moment that Europeans and Africans met until about 1660, when representations became increasingly stereotyped. Black women in this period are depicted in a number of genres. The illustrations in travel journals and separate drawn records are concerned primarily with the differences in status between local inhabitants: the more clothes they wore, the higher their status. Yet the texts accompanying these depictions link nakedness to barbarity and lewdness. That nudity was retained as the way to represent allegorical Africa, in the form of a nearly naked Black female surrounded by wild animals, as was also prescribed in the iconographic manual by Cesare Ripa. When she was positioned in the company of the other continents, she was assigned a subordinate role as being less civilized and ripe for the taking. The Black woman also has a minor part as the allegory of Night or Darkness. In Biblical scenes the Black female is an individual character in some cases while in others she is a bystander, like white onlookers. There are no examples known of Black women who commissioned portraits themselves. There are, however, tronies that were intended to represent African facial features and a black skin, sometimes including an ‘exotic’ costume. Two etchings of Black females in everyday clothing might depict members of the Black communities that had settled in Antwerp, like they did in Amsterdam. Such illustrations made from life are too few in number, however, to express with subtlety the image of the Black woman countering the predominant image of her as an ‘exotic’, sexual apparition. It is possible that this analysis can be adapted on the basis of research into depictions in other – non-Northern-European – collections.

The Immorality of Not Wearing Clothes

In Chinese historical customs, women cannot show their feet. However, in the history of Western art, the naked woman is a very prevalent art form. Many artists even consider such art to be more representative of art than any other art. Acceptance of exposure varies from country to country, region, or religion, and this is also true in contemporary society. Nowadays, people must be well dressed and associate the exposure level with the morality level. This essay explores the history of dressing revealingly, the acceptance of exposure by people in different countries and cultures, and the relationship and related experiments between the level of morality and the level of exposure. The experiment used demographics as a variable to study two relationships, and one examined the relationship between sexual attraction and exposure. The other examined the relationship between the level of morality and the level of exposure.

The spiritual essence of Chinese seascape art

The article "The Spiritual Essence of Chinese Seascape Art" explores the evolution and specifics of seascape in Chinese painting, in the context of the spiritual and cultural life of China. The genre of seascape in Chinese art began to form relatively late, at the end of the 20th century, and became significant for modern landscape painting. The article pays special attention to the rarity of the depiction of the sea and ocean in traditional Chinese painting, due to philosophical and aesthetic grounds. The changes in the perception of the sea element are analyzed, which reflect the fundamental transformations in the thinking of Chinese society. The research covers the historical period from the end of the XX century to the beginning of the XXI century, revealing the contribution of individual authors and the influence of Western art on the development of the genre. The presented analysis demonstrates how, through the study of marine painting, a unique combination of traditional Chinese and Western aesthetics is revealed, forming a new artistic language and approach to the perception of nature and the sea element. The article uses an integrated approach, including historical and comparative analysis, stylistic interpretation, to explore the evolution of the seascape in Chinese painting and its spiritual and philosophical and aesthetic content. The article explores the spiritual essence of Chinese seascape art, describing its development as a late phenomenon in comparison with Western art and as an important element in modern Chinese painting. Special attention is paid to rethinking traditional artistic methods and approaches to depicting the sea, considering it as evidence of fundamental changes in the spiritual life of Chinese society. The article discusses how the seascape reflects philosophical and aesthetic changes, especially in the last third of the 20th and early 21st centuries. The authors analyze the works of Chinese artists seeking to find unique artistic languages by integrating traditional and Western elements. The novelty of the research lies in a deep analysis of the impact of socio-cultural changes on the formation and development of the seascape in Chinese painting, which allows for a better understanding of the uniqueness and dynamics of this genre in the context of global artistic and cultural trends.

Epistemological shifts, power imbalances and conflicts at documenta fifteen: decolonial cultural policy conceptions beyond Eurocentric universalism

ABSTRACT Focusing on the epistemic dimension of exclusionary institutional structures in the German cultural sector in relation to cultural production, this article searches for decolonial cultural policy conceptions that are critical of knowledge-related power imbalances and their entanglements. By taking the international art exhibition documenta fifteen in Kassel in 2022 as a case study, the paper examines the community- and collectivity-based practices and methodologies introduced by the Indonesian artist collective ruangrupa. In particular, this empirically grounded inquiry focuses on ruangrupa’s lumbung values as a proposition of epistemic pluriversality. In this way, it also reveals various conflicts that occurred before and during the fifteenth edition of the exhibition, arisen from epistemological differences in perspectives, narratives, aesthetics and artistic methodologies between colonial and capitalism-critical cultural practices and Western art institutions. Following the tenets of the decolonial turn and decolonial thought, the paper explores alternatives to the dominant Eurocentric universalism of knowledge through the example of documenta fifteen, transcending the binary of either/or and advocating pluriversality as a universal option, rather than Eurocentric universalism as a singular totality, as proposed by Walter Mignolo. Following Catherine Walsh, the quest for the recognition and dissemination of pluriversal perspectives is intrinsically linked to the search for other ways of knowing, thinking, theorising and being that resist totalising power. In doing so, the authors ultimately seek to outline some attributes of decolonial conceptions of cultural policymaking, aiming at reducing epistemological inequalities in accessing cultural production for marginalised and racialised artists and cultural practitioners.