Our next stop was the Met. Our focus was the Asian Art collection and for a bonus we also saw the Modern Art section.
They had a lot of artifacts and I hoped greatly that they had texts that would accompany it- providing background and explanation. However the texts were mostly limited to name and date with a few exceptions.
We started our vicarious trip to Southwestern Asia in India and its influence. Janice noted how there were variations of Buddha as we travelled throughout Asia (Cambodia, Thailand, China, Japan, Korea etc.). Buddha and his teachings were very influential.
The section of Asian Art that interested me the most was the artist literati. Based on the examples I saw, I inferred that this distinction could be paralleled to today's dynamic authollustrator- a hybrid of an author and an illustrator.
I liked the line drawings (with its variations of density, expressiveness, functionality, simplicity [yet complex/intricate- the ying and yang] texture, and 3-dimentionality etc.). I liked how both writing and image complimented each other.
In the Chinese example I saw I liked the poems. I also found amusing the 'colophon' of the artists. In the colophon, they either explained their work, bragged about their greatness etc. In some of them it was like a poem or a philosophical pondering.
In spite of this duality, the artist literati in Chinese society was looked down upon. They were considered below professional artists and scholars. Artists needed to focus on their art (the more art one saw helped one to develop the 'eye'). Scholars who didn't have a secure job/place in society had to lower their standards and accept this job working for the merchant class who had the money to support them.
We also visited a Chinese garden and an interior of a typical Chinese house of the 14th century. The garden with its oddly shaped rocks, pond, goldfish, and trees clarified to me the concept of Ying and Yang (light/dark, empty/full, fluid/solid etc.). The geometrical shapes helped to create illusions of space/layers- inspire the eye/mind to wander/explore.
When we were in Japan, the ukiyo-e woodblock prints (pictures of the floating world- of the burgoisie class) captivated me. I learned something new about them. Some of them were used as calendars. The length of the kimonos would subtly indicate the phases of the moon or the days of the month.
The arts of Southeastern Asia (Philippines etc.) were still being discovered and studied today (that's why the Met didn't have a lot of them).
After this we saw the Modern Art exhibit- totally different from the Asian collection. There were still some that I didn't grasp- like Pollock and Kelly. Gardner explained it- the 'Modern' artists were exploring the process-making of art, and the actual paint/color. These artists weren't as concern with renaissance perspective or the effects of light.
I did enjoy the classic modern art masters- Picasso, Dali, Matisse etc. I found another artist to add to my favorite list- Paul Klee. I saw many of his landscape and abstract expressionistic paintings. His use of color is magical- a weird juxtaposition of pastels and greys. His geometrical scenery is perfect for his stringy creatures.
Before leaving the Met, I stopped by the gift shop. I was going to buy another magnet but I decided "to save money" instead. As I was heading toward the exit I stumbled into the Japanese Books section. This is where I ended up going $20 over my $100 budget. I only had $20 sequestered for souvenirs. I saw these two books that I don't normally see in Borders or the library: Fishing for the Moon and other Zen stories Pop-up book (illustrated and translated by Lulu Hansen), and The Thirty-six Immortal Women Poets: a poetry album with illustrations by Chobunsai Eishi.
I splurged and used my credit card to buy these two books for $51. I felt guilty because in two weeks I'll be using this credit card again to buy books for school. But they were really cool and inspiring books. And it's an extension of my learning (it's for the glory of academics).