{[Islamic Art –] Visual Arts}[15th April 1991]

[Redbook9:124][19910415:0840z]{[Islamic Art –] Visual Arts}[15th April 1991]

19910415.0840

[continued]

‘… Even if there are ambiguous examples, most observers can recognize a flavour, a mood in Islamic visual arts that is distinguishable from what is known in East Asia (China, Korea, and Japan) or in the Christian West. This mood or flavour has been called decorative,* for it seems at first glance to emphasise an immense complexity of surface effects without apparent meanings attached to the visible motifs. But it has other characteristics as well; it is often colourful, both in architecture and in objects; it avoids representations of living things;** it gives much prominence to the work of artisans*** and counts among its masterpieces not merely works of architecture or of painting but also the creations of weavers, potters and metal workers.**** The problem is whether these uniquenesses of Islamic art, when compared to other artistic traditions, are the result of the nature of Islam or of some other factor of series of factors.’

#

*{cf G~R~?}

**{?}

***{U}

****{U~}

# – ibid [Encyclopaedia Britannica 22:] 74

[continued]

[PostedBlogger17for20092024]