Abstract: Art, Culture, and History

Abstract

This paper looks to study how the world’s different cultures relate to local history and influence artistic expression. Rather than try to classify art from the past and present into a definitive category, this paper is meant to explain the effect on art that each particular culture has had on the pieces produced. It focuses on the works of Kathlyn Liscomb and Wen Fong, who write about Asian art history but who have particularly different views on the subject. They both focus, however, on the fact that the past must be taken into consideration when studying Chinese art. This paper focuses on the viewpoints of Fong, who observes Chinese art as a widespread whole. While Liscomb writes about a specific Literati scroll entitled the “8 Views of Beijing” This scroll contains essays, poems, and paintings by 13 different artists during the Yongle era. Liscomb’s paper is definitive and concise, focusing on specific topics. His main idea is the politics that may have influenced the scroll. This paper evaluates Liscomb's firm belief in scrolls having a political function. Liscomb’s research also focuses on Emperor Zhu Di’s involvement and influence on the scroll. This paper also focuses on Wen Fong’s point of view about Chinese culture and its influence on art by focusing on the deconstruction of Humanities. Fong’s paper has a broader idea and encompasses many viewpoints, contradictory to Liscomb’s. Fong’s paper states that his belief while regarding artwork as worldwide, it must be noted that the Eastern and Western cultures should not be related when comparing the works of art. Fong makes it known that art should be seen for what it is, rather than have a time cap put on it and it should not be seen in just one context. This paper goes on to investigate into Fong’s discussion of calligraphy and spiritual response. Though both papers are written in very different ways, at the end of them they come together to confirm that localized viewpoints ultimately benefit Chinese artwork. The paper uses scholarly academic writing to confirm beliefs and support theories and ideas.