Whatever one may think of ancient art, contemporary art has benefited both the artists and the art viewers. Meiji, The Art of Modern China, and Korean Art are rich sources of art development, from the ancient days to modern-day art. All the books extensively cover artworks from Japan, China, and Korea, respectively. The purpose of this paper is to argue for the necessity of producing a single textbook devoted to the subject of art in modern and contemporary East Asia that addresses all three regions (Japan, China, and Korea) owing to how art from the 3 countries influenced each other. To support the argument, the paper will use examples of artwork previously discussed in class.
The development of earthenware vessels among the three countries is one outstanding similarity (Since Meiji). The use of natural features to decorate their earthen wear. For example, Mount Fuji art which has been shared between Japanese and Chinese was created in the 1800s. This was during the Edo period in Japan, the Choson period in Korea, and the Qing dynasty in China. This was a time when the countries were experiencing colonization. The three countries all used nature to produce great art through the use of mountains, trees, leaves, and flowers. The cloisonné enamel technique is also evident among the three countries.
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The Chinese culture also has had a great influence on Japanese and Korean art. For example, during the Edo period, society was divided according to the level of prestige in Japan. In these times the system was determined by the Confucianism ideas that were spread from China to Japan ( wang). The confusion philosophy believed that people could not survive without agriculture. Moreover, the calligraphic expressions are depicted by the paintings of the three countries through japan and Korea designed their phonetic syllables the visual language continued to portray the Chinese ancestral forms. Calligraphy therefore in the three countries is intertwined with their histories either due to knowledge or from a common aesthetic expression. The three countries' art is presented in writing that is visual or image based. The skill of painting is a result of brushing the calligraphic lines. The three countries also share a code of appreciation especially from a history of Neolithic earthenware, to celadon and also to glazed enamelware.
Japanese art has also influenced Korean art. This is depicted in the case where the Japanese painting ‘nihonga’ that emerged in the nineteenth century was embraced by the Koreans. The painting was said to challenge the popularity that Western paintings had in the art industry. The promotion of ‘nihonga’ like works spread even into Korea. This art was embraced in Korea outside the official channels because it gave a clear indication of the struggles between 1920 to 1930. These struggles resulted from the introduction of new words such as visual arts and modern arts. Japan had experienced the same during the Meiji respiration when there was major confusion due to the introduction of terms like fine arts.
Buddhism is also a major influence that cut across japan, china, and Korea. In Japanese art, Buddhism influenced the creation of traditional Shinto arts. Buddhism art was highly fashionable, especially in the early Heian Period. Buddhism also influenced the architectural culture and arts. Korea was the source of Buddhism in the 6 th century( Society for Art Education of Korea ) . The Buddhist religion influence art and the building of sculptures. Korea and Japan share most of the cultural practices and heritage. Korea is also accountable for the transmission of Chinese culture. Japanese colonialism however has a major impact on Korea. The interrelation of Korea Japan and China makes it fit to have a single book that explores the development of art in the three countries.
To conclude, the three countries in East Asia which are Japan, China, and Korea share a lot in their art development. The three countries share similar and close art developments and unique periods. Therefore, I agree that there should exist a book that combines the three countries and explores their contemporary art issues.
References
"Since Meiji." 2011. doi:10.21313/Hawaii/9780824834418.001.0001.
Wang, Yiyan. "Art Exhibition, art reforms, and the debates." Modern Art for a Modern China , 2020, 87-120. doi:10.4324/9780429316005-5.
Society for Art Education of Korea 64 (2017). doi:10.25297/aer.2017.64.
