Taoist Art

Goals:
View examples of Chinese and Daoist Art
Appreciate what some Daoists suggest is the

harmonious relationship between humans and nature Create illustrations of Taoist concepts or quotations

Explanation:
Taoists speak of a harmony among all aspects of

nature, and say "Heaven and earth and I live together." The harmony in nature is illustrated in the balance between such things as water and mountains. Waterfalls and mountain peaks make up much of Chinese landscape painting, and people seeking to understand the secrets of the power of nature, the Dao, often contemplate those paintings when they cannot go the countryside and view an actual mountain or waterfall. In many, if not most, landscape paintings, humans have a place. They are participants in the natural scene, but they do not dominate it.

Mountains

Mountains are considered to be sacred to Taoists because of their connection to nature. The Chinese word for landscape literally means "mountains and water," Geography thought to be physical manifestations of yin/yang (rising/falling)

Mountain of the Immortals

Chen Ruyan's work is a classic depiction of an immortals' paradise. The visual journey through the painting begins with the Taoist temple nestled in the mountains at the right of the scroll. Further on, an immortal sits in a clearing next to a zither and magical fungi and watches a young attendant dance with cranes, symbols of longevity. In another clearing to the left, two more immortals walk among auspicious animals and plants, while a third immortal rides above them on a crane.

The Fanghu Isle of the Immortals

Fanghu (literally, "square jar") is

one of three mythical island homes of immortals traditionally thought to lie in the sea off the east coast of China.
This picture:

mythical Fanghu rising from the ocean. The island is inhabited by immortals, whose redand-green palaces with gold roofs resemble Taoist temples nestled in the folds of the rock. The rest of the mountain is an ideal landscape adorned with magical plants and trees, misty vapors, and mysterious caverns from which waterfalls descend.

Chinese Hanging Scroll

The scroll painting -

Arranged typically from top to bottom and with more length than width, they mimic the way in which the Chinese language is readdirecting the eye from the top right to the bottom left. the object of the scroll painting is located at the bottom as this is the area where the trained Chinese eye would observe last.

Chinese Hanging Scroll

What do you see? What geographical features do you see here? What colors does the artist use? Point out parts of the painting that appears near and far. What techniques does the artist use to show parts of the image that are near or far? What do you think motivated the artist to do this work?

What do you think is the artists

intention? What might this tell us about people?

2 Minds in Harmony

What do you see? What colors does the artist use? What are the subjects in the painting doing? How would you describe the artists technique? (careful, detailed, brash, etc.) What do you think motivated the artist to do this work? What do you think is the artists intention? What might this painting tell us abut people What sort of message does this work convey about humans and nature? How is this attitude similar to and/ or different from the Confucian attitude?

Common Taoist Symbols in art:

Dragons (yang) or Lotus human

Tiger (yin) beings true nature (grow out of mud) Yin Yang symbol Seasons showing shift in yin/yang Art should be Mountains spiritual simple, spontaneous retreat and (visualize before immortality beginning lightly Water rivers & ink then darkly ink) Waterfalls (as metaphors)

Your Task:
Using the images you In the event that your

have seen and your knowledge of Daoist beliefs, create an illustration using one of the quotations from yesterday (handout 4).
Use at least 2 things

artistic talent is . In need of explanation please include a short (4-5 sentence) explanation of what your scroll was attempting.

you have learned about Daoist art (subject, composition, characteristics)