This week, we looked at Symbols of Imperial China. We mostly looked at colours and different symbols and their meaning behind them.
The Emperor is typically symbolised with a '5 toed' dragon and the Empress, a phoenix.
http://giphy.com/gifs/fall-out-boy-mBZFAfcUp7QXe
What I found interesting is how different colours mean different things in our culture compared to Chinese culture. For example, here red is a colour of danger, whereas it is a symbol of luck and good fortune in China. Colours are 'auspicious' and 'inauspicious'. Here are some colours and their meaning behind them in China:
- Black- water, heavenly emperor.
- Red- fire, good luck.
- Blue/Green - wood, spring
- White - metal, purity
- Yellow - earth, neutrality, the centre of all things, the emperor
Happiness in Western culture does not have a specific symbol (which... is quite depressing now I think of it) whereas in China, they use the Buddah.
Objects also have special significance in Chinese culture, not just colours. Here's a list of a few that hold special meanings;
Objects also have special significance in Chinese culture, not just colours. Here's a list of a few that hold special meanings;
- Pearl - good luck
- Musical stone - perfection
- Lozenge - success
- Coin - wealth (you don't say)
- Mirror - fidelity
- Artemisia leaf - luck
- Scrolls and two books - wisdom
- Wheel of law- path to perfection
- Victory - happiness
- Parasol - protection
- Cotus - purity
- Vase - contain treasures
- Twin fish - freedom
- Endless knot - wisdom and compassion
- Butterflies - joy and fragrance
- Eternal disk - wealth
- Ruyi - ceremonial sceptre. Power and good fortune.
- Conch - teachings
- Conch shell - happiness
https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/magic-conch-shell
Different symbolic motifs;
- 'Washing the elephant' - 'breaking through illusion' and the path to wisdom
- Two boys - material and spiritual success
- Dragon - forces of nature, bringer of rain, protection, Emperor
- Dragon and the Phoenix - man and woman, yin and yan
- Ch'i-ling - 2 creatures mixed together, usually hoofed
- Hongfu (red bats) - good fortune
- Fish - unity and fidelity. Usually presented as a wedding gift
- Lion - protection. Associated with the Chinese army.
- Tiger - yin (dark force) but tamed (yan)
Buddism paintings contrast to actual Chinese paintings as they are less detailed and bright so people can focus on enlightenment. A landscape painting is often symbolised as good luck. Painters depicted their feelings through their work even though they are often oppressed, such as a painting of a starving horse suggesting they are too, starving.
In Di's session, we looked at visual style in different countries in cinema. I focused on City of God.
I studied this last year so I was already at an advantage. City of God challenges the 'picture postcard' ideal of Brazil and shows the violent reality of the Brazilian facelas (shanties). This clip shows this, with the symbolism of the chicken being chased - they are trapped in the favelas just like the chicken.
The film also has different colour filters in each decade: it starts off open framed with a gold tint to suggest there could be hope. But becomes more closed framed and blue as time goes on to suggest hopelessness.
In Di's session, we looked at visual style in different countries in cinema. I focused on City of God.
I studied this last year so I was already at an advantage. City of God challenges the 'picture postcard' ideal of Brazil and shows the violent reality of the Brazilian facelas (shanties). This clip shows this, with the symbolism of the chicken being chased - they are trapped in the favelas just like the chicken.
The film also has different colour filters in each decade: it starts off open framed with a gold tint to suggest there could be hope. But becomes more closed framed and blue as time goes on to suggest hopelessness.
http://www.picturesdepot.com/tags/1/city+of+god.html
https://caragaleblog.wordpress.com/2014/02/01/resolutions-2014-city-of-god/
No comments:
Post a Comment