Formalisms Look on the Landscapes of the Deity

When looking at these pieces there is only calmness in the brush strokes. The images are quiet and solely for nature to be at its true form. A word that fits well with this concept is Formalism. The goal behind formalism is to pay attention to how the painting looks when first glancing at it and its shapes or colors. A good way to think about it is to look at it by paying attention to the five elements of nature. Each of these pieces take place outside where mother nature is the artist. Birds and plants live in harmony, and the wind subtly controls the water. Although, humans are not totally out of the picture. They are living their lives, going on a journey, or just sitting in their boat, living in the peacefulness. When looking at the background of each piece the detail that is in the foreground is taken away, It reminds one of fog or even clouds. Each piece has different brush strokes and amounts of color that makes them so interesting to look at.

Formalism arose in the late 19th century as a response to the post-impressionism movement, it showed the importance of looking at art soling through color, lines, or texture, overlooking the story or meaning behind it. The theories of Aristotle, Plato, and Immanuel Kant played a role in the abstract ideas behind Formalism. This theory of understanding allowed art to be seen as an independent form of human creation, which took the pressure off artists to come up with an explanation for their works. Although the word Formalism only became known in the 1800s, there are many instances before then that types of formalism was used, for instance the pieces shown here.

Image 1

This large painting has primarily no color except a few small bushes and flowers, that are green and pink, bringing some more life into the painting, and being one of the first things to look at. Each bird is different and has their own specific details that catch the eye. I looks like they are either playing or hunting for a fish in the water. There are six birds, all clearly in a panel, specifically the white bird, making the panel its own. The foreground is detailed with plants, rocks and birds playing with each other, while the background is more unclear. The farther back the more foggy it gets, and the mountains are just outlines, allowing more attention to go the the wildlife. When looking closely at the water, Tōyō made sure to still add just a bit of detail, showing just a bit of movement, which could be the flow of the river, movement from wildlife underneath, or a subtle wind.

Image 2

The artwork shows a Chinese scholar-official riding a donkey with an assistant walking behind him seeming to be holding a stick over his shoulder. A bare willow tree frames their passage on the right side of the piece, leafless. The tree looks old from its awkward angle and random slightly ugly branches, some seeming to have been broken off. Geese are flying on the left that draw the pair’s attention with their calls, most likely heading south for winter because these components imply that it is late fall. Below the flock of birds are a couple houses nestled in the tall grass, overlooking  nothingness, which could be depicted as a cliff or water. In the center there is nothing, putting emphasis on the men and the large gap between them and the houses.

Image 3

This artwork depicts Kannon, a Buddhist deity of mercy and compassion who has many forms, standing in the light of the moon, looking at its reflection in the water. While the moon behind her is taking up much of the background, looking at it in the water, it is a lot smaller, which could just be a choice of the artist. In her hands she holds a willow branch and water vase that symbolizes healing and purification. Zōkyū put a lot of detail into Kannon and her clothing. They flow beautifully and almost magically, while there is not much happening behind her but some tall trees or bamboo. This is to highlight her significance and beauty, and how impactful she is to the Japanese culture.

Image 4

This pieces main focus is the tree standing alone on the small cliff jutting out over the water. Below is a man playing a flute on a boat with a fishing rod next to him. Looking closely you can see the details that went into the painting. On the rocks in the water, barnacles or fungi has made its home there. The piece does not have any color other than green for the trees and and red for the boat, which is similar to the first piece, with only specific components being colored. In the background, much less is going on with very little detail. The moon is shining brightly peaking through some clouds. It is foggy making the trees and mountain less clear, but still gives them definition. Although there is not much going on except for the tree and man, those two parts are strongly detailed that it is extremely eye catching.

Image 5

Much like the others the difference in background and foreground is very different in how much is going on. Although the painting has faded when looking closely the details are still there. The faded paint works well for this piece because the landscape is already clouded or foggy, especially for the trees in the back sitting in a deep fog overlooking the water. Closer to the foreground sits a lone boat with two figures at work. It seems to be a bit windy from the texture and movement on the water, the blades of grass peeking out of the water at an angle, and the mast of the boat getting blown on hard. The trees in the very front is holding strong onto the rock overlooking the water. The large rock juts up in random places and seems very messy, but it also makes it seem like it is a place not many people go to. It is a lone tree looking over the people and water while living quietly.

Layout

When thinking of a layout I thought of one room at the ICA in boston, which is the photo at the bottom. This room is usually used to show a video, but I like the size of the room, and how it feels a bit isolated from the other rooms. I want the screen to be able be in its folded form just a bit to show how it works and looks, and then the rest of the wall will have the Chinese men painting. I want those two to be on that wall together because they were my first two that I decided to use, so I wanted to be clear that those two are important. The rest of the paintings will be on a the side wall because they are all vertical and don’t take up too much space. the two on the end are the last two I chose so i think of them as a pair. Kannon is in the middle of all five paintings because of her significance in the Japanese culture and history. The objects she is holding, a willow branch and water vase that signifies healing and purification, give the project or larger sense of peace and healing that I was to portray well.

Annotated Bibliography

Wright, Gregory. “Kannon.” Mythopedia, November 29, 2022. https://mythopedia.com/topics/kannon.

This article is a well written and thorough look on Kannons history and origin. Kannon is revered in temples and honored on pilgrimages as one of Buddhism’s most beloved deities, As a Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, She is highly respected across Asia, especially in Japan, where she is seen as a symbol of protection and kindness. Known for her many forms, such as depictions with eleven heads and a thousand arms, She helps those in need, showing compassion by healing and protecting people from danger. Her origins are in the Indian goddess Avalokitesvara, who became the feminine character Guanyin in East Asian customs. The author, Gregory Wright does a good job citing secondary sources at the bottom, and quotes a passage from Lotus Sutra. The reason I chose this source was to provide more information on Kannon and be able to describe her better when talking about the painting, which I was definitely able to do.

Birds and Flowers in a Landscape of the Four Seasons | Cleveland Museum of Art. (n.d.-b). https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1960.173

Sesshū Tōyō is a renowned artist known for his Japanese paintings. Inspired by themes from the Chinese Ming era, his bird-and-flower screens became popular in Japan, inspiring Zen aesthetics and ink artists. In order to portray serene, natural landscapes without hawks typically found in samurai painting, many artists imitated his seasonal landscapes with birds and plant life. These paintings usually show peaceful landscapes with large bodies of water and far-off mountains. They have a softer tone since they don’t feature hawks or other birds of prey that are frequently featured in samurai art. Later Japanese painters were influenced by Sesshū’s approach, which encouraged them to explore this calm, natural subject. This description describes Sesshū Tōyō well and his history. Unlike other descriptions from The Cleveland Museum of Art there is less analysis on the painting and more on the artist instead. It does not provide any citations for where the information was taken from, only citing the CMA itself. I chose this source because of how much information I got out of it. When looking up Birds and Flowers in a Landscape of the Four Seasons many different pieces come up, and Sesshū has many different versions with this title.

Sources

Formalism Art – Understanding Formalistic Theory in Art

JSTOR Birds and Flowers in a Landscape of the Four Seasons

JSTOR Chinese Literatus in an Autumn Landscape

JSTOR Willow-and-Moon Kannon

JSTOR Landscape

JSTOR Playing Flute in Moonlight

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1985.110

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2015.467

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1960.173