PAN-ASIAN POTENTIALS AND PITFALLS: An Object-oriented exploration of the Thematic Imperative

at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

A Pan-Asian Museum…

…With a pan-Asian collection...

…that does pan-Asian exhibitions

Pan-Asian Stupa ExhibitDoes it reveal otherwise invisible aspects of stupas?

Best Chronological / Geographical Practice in Pala GalleryDoes this catalyze an “all is one” perception for the visitor?

Thematics

Geography Chronology

Keys to Art Historical Method

Key to pan-Asian Interpretations

ReligionSpecific to Traditional

Cultural ContextsLocal

TradeAnd Transmission

Translocal

Global Contemporary

ArtTranscends Traditional Culture

Translocal

Thematic ToolboxA Diametric Conspectus

MaterialsAnd Techniques

Local

All is One: from the Unity of the Collective

Consciousness…

…to the unity of religious traditions

Thematics Can Reveal Deep StructureCan Also Elide Key Differences

Thai BuddhaNelson-Atkins

Transmission of Similar FormsThe Message is the Movement of MorphologyPerspective from the Nelson-Atkins

Indian religious traditions spread throughout South and Southeast Asia. The styles of religious art change to reflect local art-making practices. This is illustrated

by comparing sculptures from Java, Thailand and Cambodia. A Standing Buddha, for instance, made in Thailand sometime during the 7th or 8th century C.E.,

displays evidence of influence by Indian art of the Gupta and post-Gupta periods while also adopting

some of the physical characteristics of Mon sculpture of the Dvaravati era

Dvaravati BuddhaMetropolitan Museum of Art

Transmission of Different Objects along Silk RoadThe Medium is the MessageUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum

The Art of Continuity: Revering our Elders examines the impact of the veneration of ancestors and lineages on the arts of Asia. In cultures informed by Confucian

values, worship of family ancestors has generated countless objects for use in prescribed rituals. In other

areas of Asia and the Pacific Islands, elders of prior generations are revered for their accumulated wisdom and ability to guide us through life’s transitions. The exhibition includes paintings and sculpture from East

Asia and the Pacific Islands, including China, Korea and Papua New Guinea. In addition to enjoying a variety of

traditions through this exhibition, visitors can share their own memories of their ancestors, highlighting

the richness of Southern California’s cultural diversity.

Religious Ideas as Thematic Tool

The Other Side: Chinese and Mexican Immigration to AmericaFebruary 7 through July 20, 2014 EXTENDED THROUGH AUGUST 17!                                      The exhibition presents a collection of visual narratives about the Chinese and Mexican immigrant experiences. Through the works of five contemporary artists, we explore the recurring issues of immigration, border relations and labor practices that have persisted throughout U.S. history and remain timely today. The selection of works demonstrates a range of different styles and references, spanning different historic periods, geographic locations, cultural influences and gender perspectives, bound together by the common threads of memory, history, identity and humanity. Artists featured include Zhi Lin, Hung Liu, Andrea Bowers, Tony de Los Reyes and Margarita Cabrera

Global Contemporary Art WorldMeans Contemporary Issues Bridge Cultures

CALLIGRAPHIC ABSTRACTIONMAY 9 – OCT 4 2015ASIAN ART MUSEUMTATEUCHI GALLERIES

Nearly a thousand years of the history of calligraphy—from the 11th century to the present day—can be

experienced in this exhibition. In East Asia, calligraphy has long been treasured as a form of art. Even without

knowing the meaning of the words, calligraphy continues to be admired for its beauty—the compositional structure and flow of lines.

With representative works ranging from Islamic to archaic Chinese style, to contemporary artist Xu Bing’s

invented writing system, and the Pacific Northwest artist Mark Tobey’s calligraphy-inspired work, the first

group introduces an overview, conveying that calligraphy can be appreciated as abstract art across

cultures.The striking juxtaposition of two primary categories of Japanese calligraphy—kana and kanji—is featured in

the second and third groups. The elegance of kana calligraphy often lies in its line, flow, and

rhythm; whereas kanji calligraphy, akin to its Chinese counterpart, emphasizes the overall composition in

addition to each individual line.

Abstraction in Global Contemporary ArtBridges Disparate Places, Times and Cultures

In 1931, Tobey began teaching at the experimental school Dartington Hall, in Devon,

England. Between terms, he traveled abroad, visiting Baha’i shrines in Haifa, a Japanese Zen

monastery in Kyoto, and his friend Teng Baiye in Shanghai.

Throughout his travels, he dedicated himself to studying Arabic calligraphy, Chinese

brushwork, and Zen painting, calligraphy, and poetry. Tobey

returned to Seattle in early 1939 and began working with the local office of the Works Progress Administration’s

Federal Art Project.

Global Contemporary ArtOrientalism or Cosmopolitanism?

The problematics of thematic interpretation manifest to us practically in three main forms

Museum

Gallery

Exhibit(ion)

Thematic interpretations with respect to the pan-Asian nature of the collection can reveal otherwise invisible patterns:

Japanca. 1300

Nepalca. 1800

Khara Khotoca. 1200

Tibetca. 1650

Thematic Interpretation in an Exhibition ContextEmploys Humanities Categories

Korean

Indonesian

Tibetan-American

Ancient Chinese

Qing China

Nepal

Mongolia

Pan-Asian Exhibitions that Rely on Thematic Interpretations Can Transcend the Flatland of Projected UnityAnd the Flatland of Linear Space-Time

Potential of Discerning Hidden Patterns and Processes

10/11/12 5

Nested Geometries in the Mandala:The Fractal Quincunx Revealed

small scale copies of itself, one inside the other,

at all scales

From Vegetables to

Math to California:

Images Composed of

Isomorphic Copies of

Themselves

Explicit Exploration of Fractal Geometries

at Dunhuang: Reflection with a

Purpose

Eastern Sector of

the Mandala

The Cosmic Buddha Akshobhya

The Buddha Shakyamuni

The Buddha Gets Grounded and Finds his Center

Western Sector of the

Mandala

Pure Land of Amitabha: Eu-topia that Teaches Ou-topia

Northern Sector of the Mandala

The Buddhist deity Green Tara

Enlightened Awareness Fuses Male and Female

Potencies

The Cosmic Buddha

Vairochana – In Three Forms

Center of the Mandala