Table of ContentsIntroductionDelving into Asian art, culture and characteristicsCalligraphy and landscape in Asian artNavigation of the Red Cliff, Sheng Maoye, 1638Porcelain in Asian artBlue and white covered pot white, China, Qing dynasty in the 18th centuryThe Harn's role in promoting education and diversityIntroductionGainesville is the largest city in Alachua County and is the "cultural, educational, and commercial center" in mid-Florida ( City of Gainesville, Florida 2019). This city is primarily known for its natural scenery, with the most popular areas visited being the springs, lakes, and state-known trails. In 2017, there were 132,249 residents in Gainesville and approximately 66% were white, 22% black or African American, 11% Hispanic or Latino, and 7% Asian. This statistic shows that as a whole, Gainesville is not as diverse as it could be since the majority of the population in 2017 was white. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Although the city is not very diverse, the University of Florida tries to create as much diversity as possible within the university part of town. The campus spans 2,000 acres and is home to more than 50,000 students who come from in-state and overseas as well as around the world to experience what this school has to offer (US News and World Report LP 2019). The school is rich in diversity. because “the body composition of students is higher than the national average”. About half of the students are white, a quarter are Hispanic or Latino, and about 8 percent are Asian (College Factual nd). To further promote diversity, the school has a wide variety of cultural clubs, including sororities and fraternities. The most dramatic step the University took to boost diversity in the community occurred in 1990, when the Harn Museum of Art was built on campus. This museum features artwork from a wide number of cultures and its vision is to exhibit artwork that "reflects the cultures of the world..." and we also welcome people from different cultures and backgrounds (Harn Museum of Art 2017). The Harn Museum of Art provides an opportunity for members of the Gainesville community as well as University students to learn about other cultures in a welcoming and understanding environment. This museum is suitable for all ages, which is beneficial because young children can experience different cultures for the first time and older people can learn something new or spend time appreciating the different works of art. The Asian artwork section of the museum is a great example of culturally significant artwork, as the artwork in this section accurately represents Asian culture. This culture may not be familiar to many individuals in Gainesville as it represents one of the smallest percentages of the city and university's population. Delving into Asian art, culture and characteristics Asian art is very diverse as it includes artwork from different religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. This artwork usually features calligraphy and some materials are very important in different parts of Asia. For example, China places great importance on jade and porcelain, while Japan focuses on lacquerware. This course mentions Asian art but particularly focuses on Buddhism and how it was the most widespread faith and works of artassociated with this religion. This course presents Asian art, the best known being the Standing Buddha, a symbolic representation of the Buddha which shows him in his most common yogic position. The Asian section of Harn artwork also features a different seated bodhisattva than the one featured in the course. A bodhisattva "is a merciful Buddhist saint and savior" and the one in this artwork is made from wood and lacquer was used to attach it to the head (Harn Museum of Art nd). Common features of the Buddha are long earlobes, monk's robes, crossed legs, and raised right hand with the palm facing out (Khan Academy 2019). All of this is consistent with this work of art, Gift Wood Seated Bodhisattva, as well as the Buddha in the course material. In the Asian art section, this artwork is accompanied by another artwork that features sacred text woodblock printed on sutra paper. These two works of art both have the same name because the sacred text is believed to be inside the Bodhisattva. Woodblock printing was very important in China and it was a type of printing that involved carving text onto a block of wood. The engraved block then serves as a stamp to transfer the text to paper or parchment (Brekka 2018). The text displayed in this artwork features common Chinese calligraphy and comes from the Lotus Sutra which is "one of the most sacred texts in Buddhism." These two works of art are equally important, although many people do not realize the importance of the woodcut. printing because many people do not know the historical importance of woodblock printing. The Harn Museum places great emphasis on education about the different cultures that can be presented here, as people are more likely to know about Buddha than woodblock printing, but this exhibition explains the value and significance of both. Overall, these two works of art exhibit common characteristics of Asian art and are essential in Asian culture. Calligraphy and Landscape in Asian Art Calligraphy was very important in Chinese art because it was a way for people to have spiritual communication and allowed them to create art that had its own unique style (Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. 2019). In fact, it was so important that the inkstone, brush, ink, and paper were called “the four treasures of learning” in China (Center for Global Education 2019). Calligraphy requires great skill and patience, as painters had to master the “rhythmic movement of the brushstroke” (Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. 2019). Calligraphy was very popular, leading China to invent paper by making it from materials such as bamboo, as silk became too expensive to use (Center for Global Education 2019). Hunting Falcons is an Asian ink and color artwork on silk that features calligraphy as well as a landscape. The artist of this painting, Kim Hong-do, was known for his landscape paintings, calligraphy and poetry. The calligraphy of this work has some of the common characteristics since it is ink on tissue paper and you can see that the author must have been very precise and careful when forming his letters. However, this calligraphy probably has no spiritual connection as the landscape presents a humanistic scene. This specific piece of art displays a landscape that is more common with a Korean style as it shows an actual scene featuring men attempting to hunt geese. This is different from the Chinese landscape which normally presents a dream landscape that has no connection with real life (Harn Museum ofArt nd). Both types of landscapes normally include elements of nature, as these paintings were commonly known for showing scenes that helped people escape the complications of urban life (Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. 2019). Hunting with Falcons features the nature element as it shows horses and geese in grassy and forested areas (Harn Museum of Art n.d.). This artwork also shows how people could get food without having to go to the store, which is a common problem for people living in an urban area. artwork from the Asian collection that features calligraphy. This artwork is a fan painting that uses ink on gold-surfaced paper to paint people swimming in the Yangzi River. By implementing elements of nature such as a river, this work successfully shows the common characteristics of landscape paintings. Like the work explained above, The Hunting of Falcons, this landscape presents a real scene that matches Korean-style landscape paintings. Unlike Hunting with the Falcons, this artwork has a spiritual connection as water has been a “centerpiece of spiritual symbolism and religious ritual” throughout history (Healing Earth 2019). At first glance, you may not notice the calligraphy on this piece as it is almost hidden in the upper right corner. This work of art is very important to Asian culture because it "shows the relationship between literature and the visual arts" and it conveys "the emotional spirit of the text through artistic expressions" (Harn Museum of Art nd). Overall, the art exhibit includes calligraphy. at the Harn Museum is beneficial because many people may not understand the complexity of the writing since nothing in American writing can be compared. This work of art has the potential to educate a large number of people on a topic that is essential to know in Asian culture. At first glance, you might think there are random letters on a single sheet of paper when in reality, there is much more. Porcelain in Asian Art Porcelain became very important in Asian art around 600 CE, but was not as famous as the invention of porcelain. other materials such as paper. This material was made by firing white ceramic at a high temperature, and you can tell if something is porcelain by making sure it makes a sound when bumped against something else (Khan Academy 2017). This course mentions porcelain and focuses on the specific color used for this type of art. Blue paint was normally presented on a white surface, as blue paint was the only color capable of withstanding the high temperatures needed to make porcelain (Brekka 2018). These ceramics were either sold or used as tableware for higher-level individuals. Porcelain was particularly important in China and therefore these objects are now called “Chinese sets” (Khan Academy 2017). Blue and white covered pot, China, Qing dynasty in the 18th century. The blue and white covered pot is a porcelain dish. which has many common characteristics. You can see the original white surface that would be heated to create the porcelain and the only color used is blue. A floral pattern is featured in this artwork, which is very common in most porcelain artwork. In reality, this piece of art could have been used as someone's tableware, as it appears to have been designed to hold something like sugar. The blue enameled Cong-shaped vase is another work of art located.