Visual Analysis at the Asian Art Museum
Please prepare a visual analysis* of a Japanese Buddhist icon (painting or sculpture) at the Asian Art Museum
The keys to this assignment are 1) careful observation of an icon (statue or painting) you select and its installation in the museum gallery; 2) precise description and analytical writing. Your focus is the object itself—its material, pigment, color, line/form, expressive qualities, iconography, and so forth. You should note its historical and religious significance, based upon the museum label or other didactic material at the museum, but this is not an assignment devoted to interpretation.
Spend several minutes looking at the work, changing position to view it from different angles and distances. Write down your impressions and observations. a) an overall view of the image; b) view of a small area that catches your eye. You need not render all features and details.
Paper Format: Your typewritten 3 (or so) page paper (double-spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch margins) should begin by transcribing the museum label (with title/date/materials, dimension, etc.) Then address the topics outlined below in a succinct narrative (avoid a loose list of responses). You need not limit yourself to these topics or respond to them in the order given. Your narrative should allow the reader to imagine the work; describe and discuss iconography and qualities of painting or sculpting that contribute to its visual appearance. Pay close attention to the precision and flow of your writing. Proofread!
* On Visual Analysis:
Object Description and Analysis
Materials and Condition Is the image painted on silk or paper? Or, what material is the image carved/formed from or cast in? Did the painter use ink alone or mineral pigments, gold, etc.? Is the sculpture covered with pigment, gold, or other materials? How would you describe the image’s state of preservation? Well preserved or damaged/stained, etc? Where is the damage located? Do you see signs of repair/conservation?
Iconography Identify the deity (refer to the museum label). What iconographical features of the image suggest that this identification is correct?
Form and Expressive Qualities Describe the form of the (principal) deity: is it standing, sitting; does it have multiple arms or heads? Is the deity depicted frontally or in 3/4 view? Does it hold anything? Is it part of an iconic group? What other features of the deity stand out?
What is the deity’s viewpoint: does it look down at you or off into space? In the case of a painting, is there landscape or architecture around the main deity or un-described space?
Describe the quality of pictorial or sculptural form. How is the form of the deity rendered
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(is it volumetric or flat; does it have a particular set of proportions, is color used in a specific way; etc.) Does the image convey motion, anger, concentration, etc? Most importantly: what features of the icon or qualities of the manner in which it was painted or sculpted create the quality or aura that you perceive? Don’t let adjectives substitute for analytical observation; if the icon is “awesome,” what specific features, forms, and qualities make it so?
The Museum Space
It is axiomatic that the icon you select was not intended originally for the museum. Rather, it was created for enshrinement in a temple setting or within a private space. Instead of being viewed as a “work of art” in a museum, it was viewed as the focus of ritual and worship. In the museum, therefore, the icon is like a “fish out of water.”
As a conclusion to your paper, briefly describe the installation of the icon within the gallery. Where is it placed? What features of the gallery (wall color, lighting, labels, etc.) contribute to (or detract from) your encounter and study of the object? Do you think that particular aspects of the gallery design promote particular ways of looking or condition particular responses? How/why? What other works of art are located near the icon? How is your space as the museum viewer related to the space of the painting or statue? Has the museum tried to suggest the original “sacred” environment and function of the image?
The artwork: http://education.asianart.org/explore-resources/artwork/seated-buddha-amitabha-japanese-amida
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