Module 10 :-)

MODULE TEN:

Buddhism

African Art: Legacy of Oppression

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above. * I selected the  Buddhism video because I enjoy learning about this particular religion and their is always more to learn especially from different prospectives. I chose to watch the African Art: Legacy of Oppression video because I wanted to learn more about Africa and more about the history behind their artwork and how it related to their struggles and what they went through. I also was happy to watch this video because out of all of the art classes I have taken in my college career, we never discuss Africa in detail, just a small paragraph or short sections. I enjoy learning about all cultural artwork, not just limited to Greek and Roman artwork.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned. I learned a lot in the Buddhism video. My favorite concept about Buddhism is Nirvana, the eternal bliss one will achieve once he is enlightened. The entrance way into temples where Buddhist people prayed is called the Torana which is made of granite and has some of the teachings of Buddha on it. Tanho' was the teachings that as each person studies and worships the concepts in Buddhism, then he should break free of ignorant thoughts and live in his own way. The outside of the temples were made of high quality ivory with lions, pop belly dwarfs and people.

In the African oppression video, it shows the different artwork collected at a museum in Belgium. The narrator takes us through a short video showing how African artwork related the events that went on during the time period they were made in. One particular piece of artwork shown in the video that interested me was the masks. For example there were masks to signify manhood and masks to represent handicapped people. But there were also masks made to scare off enemies, like those made by Boan people to scare off European people they considered to be a threat to them. 

3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text? *These videos compliment the text by putting the readings into live footage and helps the reader make connections to how the artwork is in real life. In the book, figure 19.4 (9th ed) shows the details of the east gate at Great Stupa, Sanchi made of sandstone. I seen a similar gate in the Buddhism video and it was explained more about how the entry ways of the temples were like entry ways into enlightenment. In the book I also noticed the masks they spoke about in the video such as the mask worn by the man from page 416 (9th ed). A lot of the masks resembled white European government officers during the early 20th century when colonial rule was imposed over the continent.

4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts? I enjoyed the films, they both taught me a lot more about the Buddhist and African cultures. They were both packed with information I would have otherwise never found out such as architectural styles within Buddhism. The videos add depth to understanding the readings and art concepts because they reinforce the concepts through visuals and listening to the narrator tell the story.