Cultural Event Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cultural Event Report - Essay Example I decided to attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art because an important event related to world culture was organized by the museum authorities, i.e., an exhibition on Chinese art named as Colors of the Universe: Chinese Hardstone Carvings. My friends and I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 08.09.2012. As pointed out, my focus was on the Colors of the Universe: Chinese Hardstone Carvings, especially the artworks in the Gallery 22. Visiting the museum, I was overwhelmed by the dedication shown by the museum authorities towards art and architecture. Elephant Carrying a Vase and Pomegranates The two artworks selected for description are Elephant Carrying a Vase and Pomegranates, displayed at Gallery 222. The artwork named as Elephant Carrying a Vase (see appendix-1) is symbolic of the decorative art in China during Qing dynasty. The medium used for this artwork is jade/nephrite. Besides, the artist provided ample importance to decorative work with ruby. But one can see that decor ative work with precious stones is not related to Chinese art. Instead, one can assume that the decoration is the visible example of the influence of Indian art on Chinese art during this time period (say, 18th -19th century). Ebrey (1993) states that, â€Å"Traditional scholarship and arts flourished under the patronage of the Qing emperors, and even in rural areas schools were common and basic literacy relatively high† (p.267). ... In short, the artwork is symbolic of the rich tradition of art in China, especially the tradition of stone carving in China. The artwork named as Pomegranates (see appendix-2) belongs to Qing Dynasty. In addition, this artwork is symbolic of the development of art in the 18th century China. The lower side of the artwork consists of a wooden like structure, which acts as a foundation to the artwork. The artist made use of dark and light colors to provide importance to the whole work. One can see that this artwork is symbolic of the Chinese belief in the relationship between seeds and fertility/longevity. To be specific, pomegranate is used as a medicine to enhance sexual performance, and the same is related to fertility. So, the artist amalgamated the importance of pomegranates in Chinese belief and fertility in his artwork. To be specific, most of the Chinese artworks during the Qing Dynasty are interconnected with the beliefs and rituals during that age. Besides, Chinese artworks ca nnot be considered as mere showcase pieces. Instead, artworks are presented to express one’s gratitude. In this artwork, agate is used as the medium. So, this artwork is symbolic of the Chinese tradition of providing importance to art in daily life. One can see three pomegranates, flower and leaves on the upper side of the artwork. Summary and reaction The exhibition (say, Colors of the Universe: Chinese Hardstone Carvings) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, consists of a number of artworks related to Chinese art. Most of the artworks belong to 18th-19th century art in China. I tried my level best to have deeper understanding of the inherent theme/symbolism of the artworks. At first, I tried to have a bird’s eye

Second Klan through the lens of gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Second Klan through the lens of gender - Essay Example She brands them â€Å"petite Middle class† in the midst of wealthy recipients. Maclean’s work provides an understanding of both social and cultural issues, and a broad view of the persons behind the evolution of the Ku Klux Klan movement. The author argues that the economy had an impact in the collapse of the Klan in the mid 1920s (Jenkins 218). This argument contrasts that of several historians who indicated that the collapse of the Klan attributed to the moral plus financial abuses of Klan leaders. Evidence of murder plus rape of Klan Members and leaders was an indication of the cause of the decline of the group. The author argues that the New Deal and its several programs attempt to lessen the diminutive bourgeoisies economic decline weakened the Klan and other groups. The argument does not regard the possibility of an economic fall in the period of depression. The post war era must not have an impact on the economic down fall of the Klan (Jenkins 219). Maclean’s argument on the significance of gendered analysis emanates from her observation of various changes in the roles of women plus men during the era of the Klan movement. There were traditional roles laid by the Ku Klux Klan movement that the women were to follow. In the Ku Klux Klan, there existed rules that guided the clan, including the role that women and men had to play in the participation of clan activities. The Klan expected women to play a prime role of raising respectful white children with Christian faith and educating the children that the white race was greater than other races (Jenkins 220). However, several women defied the traditions by taking part in struggles for rights to participate in voting and inclusion, in the movement. These gender role changes cause Maclean to declare gendered analysis of the movement a fundamental aspect for revealing various occurrences. Several women fought for their inclusion the affairs of the movement, and found necessary