The goal of this course is to make you familiar with history and development of Chinese, Korean and Japanese traditional art. At the end of the course you should be able to have a basic understanding about East Asia's traditional art forms and general knowledge about historical cultural relations in the region.
Ancient Japanese art (Jomon to Kofun periods). Early Buddhist arts in Asuka and Nara periods. Development of aristocratic aesthetics from Heian through Momoyama periods. Japanese art and crafts in Edo period. Contemporary Japanese painting and architecture. Shang Mythic Art Shi Jing poetry and folklore Tang Dynasty Daoist literature Visual Imagery and Symbolism Modern Art, Cultural Revolution, Contemporary Artistry For the Korean part we will be studying different art areas (painting, ceramics, literature, music, Buddhist art, architecture) chronologically and talk about symbolism in Korean art and the tradition of art and the change of it. We also will look shortly into modern art and discuss differences between the western and Korean schools.
(Syllabus from moodle)
What is this course about?
The goal of this course is to make you familiar with history and development of Chinese, Korean and Japanese traditional art. At the end of the course you should be able to have a basic understanding about East Asia's traditional art forms and general knowledge about historical cultural relations in the region.
What will I have to do during the course?
First of all, we expect you to come to each and every class, to actively participate during the lectures and to show interest in the subject. Second, you will have to read the readings or watch videos that we will assign for each class. Do not skip that, it is your homework! Finally, you will have to prepare one assignment and successfully pass mid-term and final exam. Read further to learn more about this.
How will be my final grade calculated?
Your final grade consists of three parts: final exam - 40%, mid-term exam - 30%, assignment - 30%. In each case you can get grades from 0 to 10. In order to pass the course, you have to accumulate at least 5. Of course, we wish that you strive for 10!
What is this "assignment" that was mentioned several times already?
Since it is a East Asian art class, your assignment is exactly about that. Each of you will have to write a photo essay about one selected object or location. Photo essay means that you have to combine text with illustrations. First you have to pick your main object - an important historical building, an art piece (painting, sculpture, etc.) or art-related location. Feel free to consult with the teachers if you are not sure if your selected object is suitable. After that, you have to gather information about your topic from academic books, articles, encyclopedias or other reliable sources. Reference your sources properly and do not copy-paste text! Read methodological guidelines on how to do it properly. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and result in lowest grades. While you gather the text part of your essay, you can also collect images related to your topic. You can use Google search, different image hosting sites, Google Street View screenshots (Google Maps allow you to walk around temples, historical sites and even inside museums in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and to a lesser degree in China). Feel free to use your own photos if you have any from your exchange studies or travel in China, Korea or Japan. The final result should be an academic text that presents your chosen topic, provides illustrations and reveals your ability to analyze, compare and criticize. Do not be afraid to show your opinion or be creative. Very descriptive essays will receive lower grade than essays that show student's ability to approach the topic from different angles.
How long the essay should be and how it should look like?
The essay should have at least 2500 words and at least 3 illustrations. The essay should start with a cover page where you write your name and the topic. Then follows the main text with references in text or footnotes. At the end you should present your bibliographical list, and very finally the images with sources. Each image should have a number (Image 1, Image 2, etc.) and be mentioned in the text whenever needed. For example, "The design of the gate (Image 3) reveals that this is a Buddhist temple." Use only the most relevant images; there is no need to put too many.