For several years now, the West has been drawing inspiration
from Oriental art. Numerous artists, coming from countries, have been dazzled
by the artistic landscapes of Japan, India and China. What these artists have
found there is essential, especially in the application of ink painting.
Below, Chicago-based artist David Berkowitz will share some
key points regarding how ink painting has influenced Western art.
Western and Eastern Art: Differences
The use of lines, perspective, anatomy, and theme, among
others, manifest prominent differences between Eastern and Western painting.
Chinese ink painting focuses on the image on the canvas and
not on faithfully reproducing the superficial appearance of what was
represented. However, oriental artists pursued their own understanding,
downplaying the importance of faithfully reproducing reality. So when you
appreciate an ink painting from China, you may have a sense of déjà vu, but you
will not be able to pinpoint which object the painting actually refers to.
On the other hand, Western oil painting has been reproducing
objects in an "objective" way. Artists have been using scientific
methods that include perspective, anatomy, light, and color.
The artist David Berkowitz Chicago discovered how
unalterably different East and West are. He managed to relate to his brush and artwork,
but even so, his painting failed to express the relationship to writing.
David Berkowitz also explains that "Oriental art does
not separate painting from pure calligraphy, which is difficult for us to
conceive."
Influence of Oriental Art in the West
The influence of eastern art on western art can be felt in
many ways. Sometimes it is obvious, as in the link between calligraphy and
image in David Berkowitz Chicago's art collection; in the changing perspectives in his
landscapes; and in his arabesques and patterns.
However, most of the time, the dialogue with the East was as
silent and discreet as the oriental art that inspired it. Without some clue, it
would be difficult to identify the role of oriental art in the works of
different artists.
Reasons for Oriental influence in Western Art
Interest in oriental art occurs mainly because it touches on
issues related to the interior and not to the exterior. Its objective is not to
analyze from the outside, but to understand from the inside. Oriental art is
slow, non-linear, focused on composition and thought, and inspired artists who
moved in different political, formal, and expressive directions.
Thus, oriental art has been a source of images, shapes and
patterns. It also allowed artists to breathe new life into postwar artistic
thinking. Many of them immersed in
American modernism, attracted by its holistic way of seeing the world.
