Define Non-Western Aesthetics

Non-Western Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of Philosophy that deals with the study of beauty and taste. It can take various aspects such as comic, sublime or tragic. It is a unitary and self sufficient kind of human experience. Non- western aesthetics is the study of beauty and taste of art objects originating from the societies and cultures outside the western world. The western world comprises of cultures from Europe and countries like Canada whose artwork roots from, European aesthetics. Arts from countries like Japan, India, Iraqi, China, Indonesia and African countries are referred to as non-western aesthetics (Oakes, 2007).
An example of non western aesthetics dating from 1980 to present that I will discuss here is Chinese aesthetics. Chinese art entered a new error of revived holistic development in 1980. This was the period during which China opened its gates to the global community. Western formats and styles have contributed to a significant body of work through use of oil painting, video arts and installations in the United States of America and Europe in the recent times. People expect that cultural homogeneity would come as a result of the globe reducing in size, but, on the contrary, intense reconsideration of China's native artistic cultures has emerged from continued interaction with the outside world. Remarkable varied work in China’s cultural medium of ink on paper called ‘guohua’ has been created in the last couple number of years.
In the past, ink painting was the only serious painting in China. In 20th century, Chinese art world was encroached with western formats, styles and media. These took a central position. Alternatives of traditional painting are well known to the artists who work in ink at present. Literati-expressionism, neo-traditionalism, and post-traditionalism are the three major trends in the use of ‘guohua’. Issues which remain critical to the Chinese art world in totality are exemplified by these three. The way in which they negotiate the rising complex relationships between cultural and global art world is what is of great importance to the Chinese artists at this moment in history (Mavrikos, 2003).
Traditional painting tools and formats can be used by artists today for purposes which could not be imagined in the past one century. It has been noted that western frames have replaced traditional scrolls and album format. Abstract oil painting, work like that of Zao Wouki may inspire current ink painters. New innovations emerging from improvement of unachieved goals of different modern and post modern schools of Western art have moved Chinese painting in new directions. These are clear portions of hybridization of the existing global art. A section of painters are strongly opposed to this mainstream. The main reason being, wanting to achieve the highest aspirations of China's original painting in the present world. These artists and their audience belief that an art based on China's native cultures is important today, and will remain so in the future.
Literati-Expressionism
This is a recent and perfectly painted work. It was created by older artists born just before the end of the 19th century. These remained active in 1980s.They acquired good classical knowledge. They were taught how to use traditional Chinese brush but had exposure to both Chinese and Western art at school and urban surrounding at an early age. Subtle landscapes with a strongly modern flavor are results of the natural development of their artistic careers. These have evolved from the classical tradition of literati brushwork to exceptional personal imagery.
The artists of this generation share remarkable technical facility because most of them were trained in an area known as Shanghai-Suzhou. They are considered the last practitioners of literati painting by some scholars. Loftiness is a quality in literati painting which refers to a perfectly balanced emotional distance i.e. achieving an art through implication and not explication, suggestion and not domination.
Conscious cultivation of character and knowledge results into intuitive revelation of the artist himself. A fundamental portion of the scholar-official's cultivation that survives in the literati aesthetic is the ability to sail easily through mundane administration and showing the audience the cool meaning of one’s personality. The responsibility to bring to the work a uniform self-awareness and to try an involvement with the intellect and personality behind the artwork together with its image is left to the viewer. The originality of the artist will be made clear by carefully examination of each landscape in the first collection. Various openings for conversations between the artist and the viewer are created by varied styles ranging from the substantiality of Li Keran, to the orderliness of C.C. Wang, and lastly to the flamboyance of Chang Dai-chien (Oakes, 2007).
Neo-Traditionalism
This comprises work of a younger generation of artists who are now in their 40s and 50s. These artists share the same qualities of refinement with those of literati-expressionism. However, artists in this generation are more commendable for having grown up later when the literati tradition and aesthetic was unavailable in the society. Their best work is varied than the older generation and lifts the audience outside their normal psychological state for an adventure in the artist’s imaginary landscape. Artists of this group all share a mystery of cultural techniques which almost vanished during the three previous three decades and are thus unique in their time.
These artists are well versed with styles and techniques of Chinese painting of all times as a result of modern publishing, academic instruction and museum displays. The strength of their personal performance is based on improvement of the best ever existing work in China’s art history. Knowledge is the basis of the quality of their rationale in their spirit of revivalism. Passions to rediscover, comprehend, revive, and then make the essence of China's cultural tradition visible constantly renews this knowledge.
Post-Traditionalism
This is a trend which comprises artists from two different backgrounds who pain using ink. This generation of artist is unique in that it detaches itself from the classical Chinese painting. Training of oil painters was done in a group which would later come to paint using guohua. Guohua was used as preservative.
Socialist realist figure painters were another group which was trained. They went to school a time when cultural painting techniques and principles were not allowed but they have now turned down both the subject matter and styles of that time. In opposition to socialist realism, most of them call themselves "The New Literati Painters." Although their painting is very traditional, it betrays the sense of ironic pathos. Their work represents a disjunction with the tradition of classical Chinese painting and not continuity. These artists have contributed to a pluralism that might vary in nature from that of the 1930s, but is livelier in its diversity and ambition through the use of unprecedented techniques to create novel images. Public nature is a common characteristic shared by a great deal of current Western art and socialist realist painting. Discussion and appreciation of famous masterpieces, small scrolls and albums produced in China’s history was done a private setting (Mavrikos, 2003).
Those painters who use guohua with various artistic inclinations have agreed to the 20th century egalitarian proposal of making art to be viewed basically by the people who go to the museum, rather than by elite only. Many aspects of international art have been internalized through this process. Enrichment of traditional techniques is done through the choice of brushwork, compositions, use of ink and color, media, formats and physical structures. In a 20th century always dominated by official artwork, China’s institutional mainstream has been oil painting. Chinese artists of all kinds have been left equal before the world in the past two decades due to the systematic withdrawal of official patronage. Traditional ink media has significantly been chosen by many in China. Their aim has been to reestablish guohua painting as the main current in China's artistic development. This is likely to be significant in the coming century (Oakes, 2007).
Michael Lau-Hong Kong Artist
Michael Lau is well known for his illustrations and design of toy figures. The urban vinyl style found in the moving toy design is widely credited to him. His work has had a significant impact globally on toy manufacturers, street culture, artists and musicians. Lau has won four awards from the Hong Kong-based Philippe Charriol foundation and many others.
Before searching for employment in the advertising industry, he worked as a window display designer where he displayed his art in small galleries. Adults predominantly collect his work which is highly collectible. Design...