Tag: art form

How Japanese Fishers Used Sumi Ink to Document Their Trophy Catches During the 19th Century

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In Japan, there is a traditional art medium referred to as “Gyotaku” (pronounced “gyoo-tah-koo”), which means “fish impression” in Japanese. The art form began in the 1800’s when fishers wanted to record their prized catches before the development of photography. These fishers would coat their most prized catches in sumi ink, press the inked fish onto washi paper, and this create a highly detailed and ornate print which demonstrates the fish’s size and features at a 1:1 scale. The ink relies upon pure collagen, manufactured by simmering raw animal tissue for hours at a temperature range of 60 – 65 degrees Celsius, until such time that the protein of the tissue dissolves into a clear liquid adhesive. Once this occurs, the organic solution is mixed with ultra finely compacted soot pigment, creating a rich and viscous ink to produce prints from

The First Female Sculptor Within Italy During the Renaissance

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Properzia de Rossi, who was born in Bologna, Italy in 1490, aspired to become a sculptor and was the first female marble sculptor within Italy during the Renaissance of the 16th century. Although de Rossi left no diaries, fragments of her early work are still available during the modern day. Despite marble sculpting being viewed as a masculine art form during the Renaissance in that it required muscle to perform and an intelligent mind to create, both of which women were not thought to possess during this period. Because of this, de Rossi found her medium in other art forms, most notably her “Madonna of Mercy” within the Grassi Family Crest work which was a silver crest with 11 nectarine buttons which were carved intricately with small images of religious piety. By 1525, aged 35, de Rossi entered a contest for the main cathedral basilica of Bologna, San Petronio, of which she won. The piece was named “Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife” which depicts a fallen women who’s breasts are exposed, rising off of her bed to try and claim her husband as he leaves. It was believed during the period that it was unthinkable for a woman to study the male nude form through nudity. Because de Rossi’s sculptures were so accurate, it was assumed she knew too much of the male form and therefore she was dammed for her talent. In 1530, de Rossi died penniless and alone, a retched end for a great artist who was pushed out of society due to the sheer beauty and creativity of her work. Had de Rossi not been a victim of her time, she would have been celebrated with the most revered male Renaissance artists

The Reason Islamic Carpet Design is Geometric

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Carpet weaving is thought to have originated in Central Asia more than 2000 years ago, but it was the Islamic culture which shifted it into an art form. Many Islamic traditions have long frowned upon the depiction of sentient beings depicted in western art and because of this, carpet makers created landscapes of bright colors and complex patterns, with the mark of different tribes and ethnic groups recognized by the various dyes and pattern styles utilized. Patterns are so prevalent in Islamic culture because it is a form of expression which is permitted, unlike many others which go against the direct teachings of the Quran. It’s common for patterns to contain an eye somewhere along the line as a protective measure, or a small script to give thanks and praise to Allah, and sometimes even small depictions of hidden meanings like the head of a bird without the rest of its body. Typically, duplicates of the same Islamic carpet are not created, as the artist who created the original design did so because they felt a particular emotion during the creative process and because the same mood is or was not felt during the next carpet, the design is different to reflect the new mood experienced. The golden age of the Islamic carpet occurred during the 17th century when landscape art worked its way into these carpets causing them to become portable gardens of paradise. The images portrayed were not intended to hold a mirror up to nature, but to reflect what human beings value most of nature