The dragon. Beijing. Fall 2001
Gouache on paper. 55 x 80 cm.
Gouache on paper. 55 x 80 cm.
CONTENT
In Chinese mythology the dragon is the creator. In Western Christian mythology the dragon is a force of destruction. Those interpretations could not be further apart.
The question that thus arises is how can Chinese and Westerners understand each others when the mythologies that they heard of or learned about since early age describe the same things in completely different terms?
I tried to represent the Chinese understanding through my Western eyes "reformed" through my decade and a half immersion in Chinese society. Not much of a destructive force at work here!
As I wrote in depth in my past theoretical posts, I firmly believe that one of the three central determining factors of post-modernism is the death of Western-centricism that accompanies the emergence of the Eastern cultures of 60% of the world population.
Artists can't miss the point, for, if they did they would forever turn in circles of insignificance.
Check this out in the two excellent articles hereunder.
Does The 21st Century Belong To China?
Phillip Dodd is leaving as director of London's Institute of Contemporary Art to focus on Asia. "In my usual pompous way, I have a kind of wager that the 21st century belongs to a constellation of China and India and my deepest feeling is that Britain shows no sign of understanding this. There is a lack of engagement with that part of the world which is just crazy. My real worry is that we spent the past 10 years being so in love with ourselves - that's what Cool Britannia was, like Narcissus - we thought we were the centre of the world. But the world has moved on and we are bewildered." Financial Times 07/27/04
Art in Arab Region
Good article by Samar Farah in ArtsJournal. Always this stupid Westerncentricism:
"""Gallery owners in Syria say that most Western visitors are shocked by the very idea of contemporary art in the Middle East - not to mention works that tackle sexual concepts and newer forms like video and installation art....
Those who do travel to Arab countries usually expect to find nothing more than traditional crafts. They are surprised to stumble, for example, on Samer Kozah's contemporary art gallery on Straight Street in Damascus."""
URL: How To Define Art From Arab Region
In Chinese mythology the dragon is the creator. In Western Christian mythology the dragon is a force of destruction. Those interpretations could not be further apart.
The question that thus arises is how can Chinese and Westerners understand each others when the mythologies that they heard of or learned about since early age describe the same things in completely different terms?
I tried to represent the Chinese understanding through my Western eyes "reformed" through my decade and a half immersion in Chinese society. Not much of a destructive force at work here!
As I wrote in depth in my past theoretical posts, I firmly believe that one of the three central determining factors of post-modernism is the death of Western-centricism that accompanies the emergence of the Eastern cultures of 60% of the world population.
Artists can't miss the point, for, if they did they would forever turn in circles of insignificance.
Check this out in the two excellent articles hereunder.
Does The 21st Century Belong To China?
Phillip Dodd is leaving as director of London's Institute of Contemporary Art to focus on Asia. "In my usual pompous way, I have a kind of wager that the 21st century belongs to a constellation of China and India and my deepest feeling is that Britain shows no sign of understanding this. There is a lack of engagement with that part of the world which is just crazy. My real worry is that we spent the past 10 years being so in love with ourselves - that's what Cool Britannia was, like Narcissus - we thought we were the centre of the world. But the world has moved on and we are bewildered." Financial Times 07/27/04
Art in Arab Region
Good article by Samar Farah in ArtsJournal. Always this stupid Westerncentricism:
"""Gallery owners in Syria say that most Western visitors are shocked by the very idea of contemporary art in the Middle East - not to mention works that tackle sexual concepts and newer forms like video and installation art....
Those who do travel to Arab countries usually expect to find nothing more than traditional crafts. They are surprised to stumble, for example, on Samer Kozah's contemporary art gallery on Straight Street in Damascus."""
URL: How To Define Art From Arab Region
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