Field Trip

We went on a fun field trip! Here are some reflections.

Asian Civilisation Museum:

Calligraphic batik

Sumatra, Jambi, 20th century

 “This batik features Arabic inscriptions repeatedly stamped onto the textile. The overall design of a central motif surrounded by four satellite motifs is derived from Buddhist mandalas. “

Hmong Baby carrier

Northern Thailand, earth 20th century

“This baby carrier shows the influence of China on hilltribe culture. It features auspicious motifs borrowed directly from Chinese designs.”

As a textile artist who are researching of the meaning of textile motifs. These two prints fascinates me. One part of my research is about the analysis of Hmong culture and from the descriptions of ACM, they didn’t mention the most important part, Hmong is an minority ethnic group traveled from China to southeast Asia. They have their own language and religious beliefs, tho similarities are found compare to the majority Han ethnic, but meanings of motifs on these textile can not be explained completely with general Chinese auspicious culture. The butterfly on the print does not serve a simple meaning of auspiciousness, the religion of Hmong culture believe their ancestor is a butterfly goddess who gave birth to everything, the Han culture believes that butterfly symbols the love between man and woman. Big difference!

The Calligraphic batik reminds me of the cosmos which is a show of mandala. The structure reminds me of solar calendar. I am aware that the reason for this print to look so symmetrical is because it is made with batik technique and it has the influence of Mandala, but I wonder of the numbers appeared on this print also has a layer of meaning? Everything seems to be even numbers.

Malay Heritage Centre

I enjoyed Malay heritage centre but sadly I did not take a picture. The most interesting part of the exhibition is the vintage Malay movies, I sat there and watched the playback of the compilation film again and again. The performance of Malaysian actors in the past were full of drama.

Indian Heritage Centre

Step Well

Edward Burtynsky

2010

This photograph attracted me because I felt certain peace and holiness from looking at the landscape. The bottom of the step well usually stores water, I can imagine walking slowly on the stairs towards the water must be a very spiritual experience, like the circle of life, water gave birth to everything, a journey to rebirth.

Five elements and Mandala visualised on Cambodian and Japanese temples

The mandala and Cambodian temple:

The Angkor Wat temple is the world largest religious monument with the  visualisation of  Hinduism’s belief of the cosmos. The whole layout of Angkor Wat resembles the sacred mandala, with its perfectly symmetrical shape and the numbers of lotus towers. Legend has it, the Angkor Wat was build by gods and giants.

     

The sacred meanings coded within the structure reveals the formations of the cosmos. People in the past lived a lifestyle by observing nature, by observing the sky and the changes of sun, the solar calendar, Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice are the crystallisation of the observations. The mandala also coveys the division of season which is also protracted on the Angkor Wat. More interestingly, it has been suggested that the choice and arrangement of the carved scenes on Angkor Wat’s walls were intended to tie in with the seasons.

Source:

https://indianisationinthekhmerempire.weebly.com/angkor-wat-and-artifacts.html

The Five elements and Japanese temple:

The five elements framework can be commonly found in Japanese Buddhist temples in different forms.

  1. Gorinto

Gorinto means five-wheeled pagoda, each wheel represents an element. Gorintos can be seen at temple Chunson-ji and Katsura Imperial Villa.

          

2. Five-Tier Pagoda at Kofukuji Temple in Nara

Besides Gorinto, the five elements framework can also be found on temple design, the Five-Tier Pagoda at Kofukuji Temple in Nara is a good example.

     

Each layer of the temple represents an element, unlike the related stone gorinto, the elements are not inscribed on each level. The temple is made in different materials on each level to address different elements.

Source:

https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/5-elements-pagoda-gravestone.html

In search of gojunoto, the five element Japanese pagoda

 

Designers

Paul Rand:

I am selecting this American Broadcasting Corporation logo designed by Paul Rand in 1962. I find the design concept and aesthetic appeal of this logo way ahead of its time. As we know, Paul has varieties forms of design through his whole career. The ABC logo came under the influence of modernism which still has a contemporary aesthetic appeal until today. Though I am not a designer, but my belief on logo design is “less is more”, the contrast between black and white and designed letters made it easy to memorize.

Source: https://envato.com/blog/paul-rand-designing-famous-logos/

Milton Glaser

“I Love NY More Than Ever” is such a pop culture icon, the image became so popular and now its been used as a model for many touristic cities and countries. The image fits in varieties of products, T-shirts, postcards, mugs,etc.The I Love NY logo design is one of the first instances of using a heart in place of the word love, and ever since, that design element has been imitated across industries and designs. The I Love NY logo is also a slogan and official state song of New York State. It promotes not just the city, but the state as a whole. And this trademark is owned by the New York State Department of Economic Development.

Source:https://www.moma.org/collection/works/197055

Otl Aicher

Otl Aicher created this monochrome for an old German town which redefined its identity. The abstracted and minimalized prints with harmony and geometry presented a simple daily town life into another dimension.

Source: https://www.dezeen.com/2017/09/23/otl-aicher-isny-exhibition-graphic-identity-posters-iconography-germany/

Symbols

Symbols:

Lotus:

The Flower: grow in the sludge but the lotus flower still looks clean and pure.

Religious Relation: The Hinduism gods often has a special connections with the sacred lotus. Vishnu, Saraswati and Lakshmi are often portrayed on a lotus. “There is a story that the lotus arose from the navel of God Vishnu, and at the center of the flower sat Brahma. Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Protector) and Siva (the Merger) are associated with this plant. There are also accounts of the world born through a “Golden Lotus” and Padmakalpa, the Lotus Age in the Padmapurana”.

Visual Metaphor: The lotus is the symbol of the devine, the immortal humanity, the inner potential, beauty, etc. The lotus position in yoga is a position which reaches the highest consciousness.

Source: https://www.lotussculpture.com/my_articles_lotus.html

Triratna:

The Symbol: a Buddhist symbol include a lotus flower, a vajra, an Ananda-chakra and a trident.

Meaning: Triratna is a representation of Buddha’s footprint. It also represents the three jewels of Buddhism, the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha.

Source: https://symbolikon.com/downloads/triratna-buddhism/

Chhatra:

Chhatra (Umbrella) The Tibetan Buddhist symbol of wisdom and spiritual power is the Chattra or umbrella. It also symbolizes honor and respect for the Buddha. It represents the cool shade that can be found in the teachings of Buddha which can act as a shield against suffering and defilement.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatra_(umbrella)

Deer:

In Hindu mythology, the Aitareya Upanishad tells us that the goddess Saraswati takes the form of a red deer called Rohit. Saraswati is the goddess of learning, so learned men use deer skin as clothing and mats to sit upon. A golden deer plays an important role in the epic Ramayana.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_in_mythology

Snake:

Snakes, nagas, have high status in Hindu mythology. The snake primarily represents rebirth, death and mortality, due to its casting of its skin and being symbolically “reborn”. Over a large part of India there are carved representations of cobras or nagas or stones as substitutes.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_worship

Hinduism Concepts

Saivism

Saivism beliefs and worships Shiva as the Supreme. In the Hinduism culture, Saivism is one of the major traditions. Shiva is believed to be the creator and the destroyer of the worlds, with the immanent nature of love and the primal soul. Shiva’s followers  also worships Shiva and Shakti’s sons, Magadeva Lord Ganesha and Mahadeva Karttikeya. Saivism believes  in the ideology of three worlds, the gross, subtle and causal planes of existence, by practicing yoga, charya, virtuous living, and temple worshipping, one can achieve the higher consciousness. There are four stages in Saivism, which are Charya Pada, Kriya Pada, Yoga Pada and Jnana Pada.

 

Source: https://www.himalayanacademy.com/media/books/12-beliefs-of-saivism_ei/web/ch06a.html

 

 

Vaishanvism

Along with Saivism, Vaishanvism is also one of the major traditions in Hinduism. Vaishanvism consider Vishnu as the Supreme Lord. Vishnu created brahman which is the absolute reality and incarnated avatars such as Rama, Krishna, etc. Vaishnavas pray to Vishnu for a good life and liberation from samsara. They hope to spend their eternity ater the physical death in Vishnu’s presence.

 

Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vaishnavism

 

 

Shaktisim

Shaktisim believes in the metaphysical reality, the goddess Shakti is the Supreme, she is also the wife of Shiva. Shaktisim foucus on the Divine Female and sees the Devi as the source of all. Devi-Bhagavata Purana states : “I am Manifest Divinity, Unmanifest Divinity, and Transcendent Divinity. I am Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, as well as Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati. I am the Sun and I am the Stars, and I am also the Moon. I am all animals and birds, and I am the outcaste as well, and the thief. I am the low person of dreadful deeds, and the great person of excellent deeds. I am Female, I am Male in the form of Shiva”.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaktism

 

 

Smartism

Smartism allows its worshiper to worship more than one god. Smartas can follow one or even five of the main gods of Hinduism, Vishnu, Shiva,Ganesha, Surya and Shakti. They are all considered equal. Smartism was funded by Adi Shankaracharya, it abandoned som old traditions of religious rituals such as animal sacrifice and believes in Brahman as the supreme reality.

 

Source: http://lakshminarayanlenasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/What_is_Smartism_RKVS-1.pdf

 

Tantrism

Tantrism focus on the feminine aspect of bipolar realities and suggests to use sadhana to unite these realities and achieve the ultimate freedom Moksa. The term Tantra means “text, theory, system, method, instrument, technique or practice”. Its philosophy is a mixture of Shakhya and Vedanta thought.

 

Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism/Tantrism