Art In The Age Of Colonialism

If you could have a room of your own, how would you set about decorating it? Chinoiserie? Japonaiserie?

Decorating my room in Japonaiserie could be interesting and something fresh. Japonaiserie art is very unique. The figures are always in a motion. There is a contrast and depth in every movement of the figures. The composition is bold and there is an assertive outline. The details on the pattern are carefully thought of. The designs are asymmetrical and irregular.

This Monet exhibition captured a lot of attention. There is a brilliant color display and the woman is seen as wrapped up in a kimono and surrounded by fans. She is also wearing a blonde wig to emphasize her Western identity. The color vibrancy and the details can helps to freshen up a room. 5556361d0423bdfe088b4568 whistler1

This is an example of a room where there will be tea displayed in delicate chinaware decorated with lotus flowers and pretty geisha pictures at the back.

What was your favorite object from today’s visit to the Asian Civilizations Museum?

What was your favorite object from today’s visit to the Asian Civilizations Museum?

There is a lot of artifacts collection in the Art Science Museum. Ranging from textiles, ceramics and artwork. My favorite is the textiles at Gallery 4. The details are done precisely and much is considered in the process of making. The textile have a deep meaning and it is used as a translation to convey a story. Motifs are also used in the textiles and its expanded to convey a story. It doesn’t just serve the purpose of decoration but also for ritual observance.

However I do find the museum a little too dark. Even though each artwork or artifacts are placed in a glass compartment and a spot light is shined on it I didn’t really enjoyed the journey as you have to go really close to get a better view of small details in the artwork.

Asian Civilisation Museum

What was your favorite object from today’s visit to the Asian Civilizations Museum?

Team 1: Label (Hevea Brasiliensis)

One of the earliest and most important successes was the introduction, experimentation and promotion of Para Rubber, Hevea brasiliensis. This became a major crop that brought great prosperity to the South East Asian region in the early 20th century.

Name: Hevea brasiliensis

Common Name: Para Rubber Tree, Sharinga Tree, Rubber Tree

Height: 30-40 m

Hevea brasiliensis is a deciduous tree, typically grows up to 30-40 m tall. The trunk is cylindrical in shape, but is swollen towards the base, and the color of the bark is pale to dark brown with a smooth surface. The inner bark is pale brown with an abundant of white or cream colored latex. The leaves are in spirals form and have three leaflets. The flowers are small with no petals, it is bright or creamy yellow in color and extremely pungent.They are either male or female but both are found in the same inflorescence. The fruit is an exploding 3-lobed capsule.

In the wild, this trees may grow up to over 40 m and live for 100 years, but in plantations they rarely exceed 25 m because growth is reduced by tapping for rubber. Plantation trees are usually replanted after 25-35 years when yields fall to an uneconomic level.

Team 1: Label (Rubber Tree- Ficus Elastica )

Scientific Name: Ficus Elastica

Common Name: Indian Rubber Tree

Height: 30 to 45 feet

Crown Shape: Oval

ficus elastica ficus elastica rubber

An evergreen, medium or large tree of the moist tropical forests, it is hardy and fast growing, up to 30 m in height. It develops numerous descending aerial roots to form a banyan. The Indian Rubber is a type of fig tree. It can be distinguished from other fig trees by its young leaves which are enclosed in a red sheath.

The Indian Rubber was once an economic plant in the region. Its latex was tapped and processed into Gutta Rambong, a type of rubber of inferior quality. After the introduction of the Para Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), the planting of Indian Rubber and tapping of its latex was slowly phased out. This was because the Para Rubber produced rubber of better quality and could be tapped about six years after being planted, while the Indian Rubber could only be tapped about 15 years after it was planted. Ficus elastica yields a milky white latex , a chemical compound separate from its sap and carried and stored in different cells . This latex was formerly used to make rubber but it should not be confused with the Para rubber tree, the main commercial source of latex for rubber making. Just as with Hevea brasiliensis, the latex of Ficus elastica is an irritant to the eyes and skin and is toxic if taken internally.

‘What are your images of Africa after today’s class?

Africa hosts a large diversity of ethnicities, cultures and languages. Slavery had been long practiced in Africa. In the late 19th century, the European imperial powers engaged in a major territorial scramble and occupied most of the continent, creating many colonial territories, African ivories comes from elephant tusks. Each ivories has its own distinctive characteristics. Examples in West Africa for the European markets are saltcellar, Spoon and oliphants. There are original african influences in their like form of animal like snake and dogs as a crossroads between spirits and humans. There are also western influence in the ivories like christianity figures, narratives relief, spirals, form of objects, western figures.Ivories is highly valuable. It is made for higher rank people and the design is detailed and intricate. The material is very precious. The ivory is also durable because of the harsh weather conditions. But elephant is harmed during the process.The European imperialist push into Africa was motivated by three main factors, economic, political, and social. It developed in the nineteenth century following the collapse of the profitability of the slave trade, its abolition and suppression, as well as the expansion of the European capitalist Industrial Revolution.The primary motivation for European intrusion was economic.

What is Art?

Art is a form of expression. It might not be easy to express it in a verbal form. It could be expressed in a visual form. Art involves imagination and some skills in expressing or delivering the intended message. There is no right or wrong in art. It could be understood in a different way depending on how the viewer sees it. An artwork could communicate with the viewers , it gives a rare sense of emotions and communications.

Team 1 : Coastal Evergreen ( Penaga Laut )

A coastal evergreen that is slow-growing, the Penaga Laut has a large, spreading dense crown. Calophyllum means “beautiful leaf” in Greek – the tree’s beautiful leathery leaves, with numerous slender veins, are its most recognisable feature. Its rugged, greyish brown bark is fissured and cracked. The Penaga Laut is a tree of many uses. The oil from the seeds is used to heal a multitude of skin ailments. Its leaves and roots can also be used for a variety of medicinal purposes. This tree is not just a tree. It plays host to several ferns, climbers, and wildlife.

This Penaga Laut is more than 100 years old. The Botany Center was designed and built around it, with the walkway next to the tree made narrower to accommodate the tree (an excellent example of efforts made to conserve mature trees in Singapore).