Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2017 Culture and my art Xin Chen Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the Art and Design Commons, and the Fine Arts Commons Recommended Citation Chen, Xin, "Culture and my art" (2017). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 16711. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/16711 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Culture and my art by Xin Chen A thesis submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF FINE ARTS Major: Integrated Visual Arts Program of Study Committee: Christopher Martin, Major Professor Joseph Muench Anson Call The student author, whose presentation of the scholarship herein was approved by the program of study committee, is solely responsible for the content of this thesis. The Graduate College will ensure this thesis is globally accessible and will not permit alterations after a degree is conferred. Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2017 Copyright ©, Xin Chen, 2017. All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION I dedicate my thesis work to my wonderful wife Xiying Liu for her great deal of encouragement and unwavering support; to my daughter Catherine Chen for being there for me throughout the entire MFA program; and to my wife’s family and my family members for understanding and giving me rock steady support. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................. viii ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ART JOURNEY ......................................................... 1 Early Period ................................................................................................................. 1 Studying Art in China .................................................................................................. 5 Studying Art in the United States ................................................................................ 8 CHAPTER 2. CULTURAL STUDIES .......................................................................... 11 Reasons to Study Cultural Topics in Art ................................................................... 11 Chinese and Western Cultures ................................................................................... 12 Culture .................................................................................................................. 12 Chinese culture ..................................................................................................... 13 Western Culture .................................................................................................... 14 Cultural Differences ............................................................................................. 15 Cultures Influencing My Art ..................................................................................... 17 CHAPTER 3. MY EXHIBITION ................................................................................... 22 It is Me ....................................................................................................................... 22 Cultural Conflict Chair .............................................................................................. 23 Culture Shock Chair .................................................................................................. 25 Recalling the Bell ...................................................................................................... 26 Chinese Zigzag Chair ................................................................................................ 27 Thunder Bird Table ................................................................................................... 28 Squares or Circles? .................................................................................................... 30 Happiness Whistle ..................................................................................................... 31 Baby Rocking Chair .................................................................................................. 33 Women on the Way ................................................................................................... 34 Are You Safe? ........................................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER 4. CONCLUSION ....................................................................................... 37 iv REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 39 APPENDIX IMAGE DOCUMENTATION ................................................................... 43 v LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Adobe House Similar to My Grandparent’s House ........................................... 2 Figure 2. Book-The Art Road ........................................................................................... 4 Figure 3. Rembrandt, Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar ............................. 5 Figure 4. The Night Watch, 1642, Oil on canvas, Amsterdam Museum on permanent loan to the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam .......................................................... 5 Figure 5. Portrait of M. P. Mussorgsky,1881, The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia 6 Figure 6. Barge Haulers on the Volga, Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia ........ 6 Figure 7. Chinese people's way, from Liu, Yang. 2015, East meets West, Taschen ...... 17 Figure 8. Western people's way, from Liu, Yang. 2015, East meets West, Taschen ..... 17 Figure 9. Wu Xing Theory, from Wikipedia .................................................................. 18 Figure 10. It is Me, Installation, 2017 ............................................................................. 22 Figure 11. Toy Gun Made of Steel Wire ........................................................................ 23 Figure 12. Introspection about Cultural Conflict, Chair, 2017 ....................................... 24 Figure 13. Culture Shock Chair, 2017 ............................................................................ 25 Figure 14. Recalling the Bell No.1, Chair, 2016 ............................................................ 26 Figure 15. Chime Bell, Chinese Instrument .................................................................... 26 Figure 16. Recalling the Bell No.2, Chair, 2016 ............................................................ 27 Figure 17. Sichutou Guanmaoyi, Ming Dynastic, China ................................................ 27 Figure 18. Chinese Zigzag Chair, 2015 .......................................................................... 27 Figure 19. Zig Zag Chair, Gerrit Rietveld, 1950-1959, Netherlands .............................. 28 Figure 20. Thunderbird Table, 2017 ............................................................................... 28 Figure 21. Representation of Thunderbird, 2017 ............................................................ 29 Figure 22. Squares or Circles? Chair, 2016 .................................................................... 30 vi Figure 23. Representation of Huqin, 2016 ...................................................................... 31 Figure 24. Happiness Whistle, 2016 ............................................................................... 31 Figure 25. Baby Rocking Chair, 2016 ............................................................................ 33 Figure 26. Women on the Way, 2016 ............................................................................. 34 Figure 27. Are You Safe? Light, 2017 ............................................................................ 35 Figure 28. Exhibition View No.1 .................................................................................... 43 Figure 29. Exhibition View No.2 .................................................................................... 43 Figure 30. Exhibition View No.3 .................................................................................... 44 Figure 31. Artist Statement ............................................................................................. 44 Figure 32. Representation of Huqin and Process of Disassembling or Assembling the Chai , Squares or Circles?, Walnut, Cherry, Fiber, Brass Hardware, 45"x17"x21, 2016 ....................................................................................... 45 Figure 33. Thunderbird Table and Process of Disassembling or Assembling the Table, Walnut, Cherry, Fiber Rope, 71"x31"x31", 2016 ...................................... 45 Figure 34. When Cultural Tradition Hit Digital, Mixing Media Installation, Walnut, Cherry, Poplar, Fiber Rope, Digital Media (C4D), 44"x20"x5", 2017 ...... 46 Figure 35, Cultural Conflict Chair, Mahogany, Plastic, Fiber Rope, 31"x17"x29", 2017 ...........................................................................................................