Integrating Southeast Asian Visual Art Into

Your ClassroomPaul Pass

A Cultural Perspective on Southeast Asia

August 10, 2013

Who here is NOT interested

in Southeast Asia?

Preaching to the choir…your job =

getting others interested!

My presentation About me Asia Society Texas Center About Asia About Southeast Asia Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) &

tools for looking Southeast Asian visual arts Projects for classroom Notable collections in United States Recommended resources

Paul Pass Asia Society Texas Center (2011 – present) World Affairs Council of Houston (2010 –

2011) Congressional and Embassy internships

(2009) MA, Indiana University BA, Miami University Conducted over 55 presentations on Asia Asian art, culture, history, and politics

generalist Studied Asia and Europe for past ten years

About Asia Society Texas Center NYC HQ: 1956 by John D.

Rockefeller III

Texas Center: 1979 by Barbara Bush and Roy Huffington

Arts, culture, business, public policy, education programs

Prepare Asians and Americans for a shared future

One of 11 Asia Society offices around the world

How do I become more involved with Asia Society Texas Center?

Visit us Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 6

pmBecome a member

Memberships start at less than $4/month

Come to our programs Arts + culture, business + policy,

educationBring your students

Free individually-designed school tours

Weavers’ Stories from Island Southeast AsiaNovember 7, 2013 – February 9, 2014

What is Asia? Cultural concept Ancient Greek and Roman definition

based on rivers, seas, and mountains Boundaries

Traditional regions: East, Central, South, Southeast

Asia Society includes Iran, Oceania and Pacific

Other definitions: Middle East (Southwest or Western Asia) and Russia east of Urals

Why care about Asia? 60% of global population Over 2.8 billion people in the world

speak an Asian language Asian economies make up about 27%

of global GDP China, India, and Japan are world’s

second to fourth largest economies (PPP)

Since 1980s, US trades more across Pacific than Atlantic

Birthplace of Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Shinto, Sikhism, and many others

Southeast Asia Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Timor-Leste Vietnam

Why study about Southeast Asia? Communist countries opening to outside

world Confluence of almost all major religions Historical and contemporary crossroads

between China and India (former partial name = Indochina)

Indonesia as largest Muslim country in world Late 19th/20th centuries ties with US

through Spanish-American + Vietnam Wars Singapore as Asian Tiger Tiger Cubs: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines,

Thailand

Major Southeast Asian ReligionsListed with significant presences Buddhism

Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Christianity Brunei, Philippines, Timor-Leste, Vietnam

Hinduism Indonesia (Bali), Malaysia, Singapore

Islam Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,

Thailand, Timor-Leste

http://teacherweb.ftl.pinecrest.edu/snyderd/mwh/projects/ppc/images/serelig.gif

Selected characteristics of Southeast Asian art Emphasis on epic tales and mythical

creatures Influence of trade on visual art in SE

Asian history Links to Animism Playful Sinification of Vietnamese art Religious syncretism Traditional materials: palm leaf,

sandstone, some limestone, volcanic rock, wood

What a piece of art tells us Answers question: who am I?/who are we? Ancestry and ethnic background Artist’s influences Clash or merging between two or more

cultures Folklore, belief systems, religious influence Historical developments Interaction with physical environment

through materials utilized Political leanings over time Styles across time and space Traditional versus modern versus

contemporary

Art in your classroom:Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) Think deeply, foster cognitive growth,

apply knowledge Go beyond the first “four seconds” Observation: What do I see? Drawing conclusions: What does it mean? Inferences: Why do I say that? Arguing in evidence: Which clues support

my observations? Elaboration: What more can I find? Revision: How else could I see this work?

How does someone else see this work?

Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art Emerging, yet still behind East Asian

and South Asian artwork in market Marc Bollansee: “Last frontier in

contemporary art” Indonesia and Philippines as leaders Young artists embracing new

technology Local socio-political situations shown

in global context

Comparative cultures project Sculptures of the Buddha

Buddha #1 Buddha #2 Buddha #3

Country India Myanmar Tibet

When did Buddhism arrive?

5th century BCE 1st century BCE 7th century CE

Type of Buddhism

Mahayana Theravada Vajrayana/Esoteric

Distinguishing characteristics

Defined facial features, monastic robes

Elongated fingers, soft facial features

Cord across chest, vivid coloring

Influences Hindu aesthetics, possible Greco-Byzantine

Possible Pala Indian, Cambodian Angkor

Local Tibetan belief systems

Fiction writing project Develop critical thinking skills through

narrative based on piece of art

Prompt 1 (complex piece): Student places his/herself in piece and creates story using visual cues OR develops poem

Prompt 2 (complex piece): Student imagines what happened before OR after

Prompt 3 (two simple pieces): Student uses two pieces’ images as characters in story

Art and photography project

1. Choose traditional SE Asian devotional artwork

2. Choose contemporary SE Asian religious news image

3. Use VTS to compare and contrast the old and new

4. Use for other global regions as desired

Notable Southeast Asian art collections in United States Asian Art Museum (San Francisco) Cleveland Museum of Art Freer and Sackler Galleries (Washington,

DC) Honolulu Museum of Art Los Angeles County Museum of Art Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas

City) Norton Simon Museum (Pasadena, CA) Seattle Asian Art Museum

Recommended resources on SE Asia

Art Radar Journal Asian Art Museum education page Asian Education Foundation Contemporary Art in Asia: Traditions/Tensions Education about Asia magazine Freer and Sackler Galleries Guggenheim No Country exhibition Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Interweaving Cultures: Islam in Southeast Asia Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art:

An Anthology Orientations Magazine Southeast Asia: Crossroads of the World Southeast Asian Contemporary Art Now Teaching Asian Art: Content, Context, and

Pedagogy

ThanksVehishta Kaikobad

Linh Anh Moreau

Pamela Vining and TAGE team

Questions?