IndexIntroductionImmerse yourself in Asian art, culture and characteristicsCalligraphy and landscape in Asian artBoat on the red cliff, Sheng Maoye, 1638Porcelain in Asian artBlue and white covered vase, China, Qing dynasty in the 18th centuryHarn's role in promoting education and diversityIntroductionGainesville is the largest city in the county of Alachua and is the “cultural, educational, and commercial center” in the middle of Florida (City of Gainesville, Florida 2019). This city is primarily known for its natural landscapes, and the most popular areas visited are the state-known springs, lakes, and trails. In 2017, there were 132,249 residents in Gainesville and approximately 66% were white, 22% black or African American, 11% Hispanic or Latino, and 7% Asian. This statistic shows that, overall, Gainesville is not as diverse as it could be as the majority of the population in 2017 was white. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Although the city is not very diverse, the University of Florida attempts to create as much diversity as possible within the university part of the city. The campus is 2,000 acres and is home to over 50,000 students who come from and around the state and from around the world to experience what this school has to offer (US News and World Report LP 2019). The school is rich in diversity as “the composition of the student body is above the national average.” About half of students are White, a quarter are Hispanic or Latino, and about 8% are Asian (College Factual n.d.). To further promote diversity, the school has a wide variety of cultural clubs, including fraternities and sororities. The most dramatic step the University took to stimulate diversity in the community was in 1990, when the Harn Museum of Art was built on campus. This museum features artwork from a wide range of cultures and its vision is to exhibit artworks that “reflect the cultures of the world…” and we welcome people from diverse cultures and backgrounds (Harn Museum of Art 2017). The Harn Museum of Art provides an opportunity for people in the Gainesville community and students at the University to educate themselves about other cultures in a welcoming and understanding environment. This museum is suitable for all ages, which is beneficial as young children can learn about different cultures for the first time and older individuals can learn something new or spend time appreciating different works of art. The Asian artwork section in the museum is a great example of culturally important artwork as the artwork in this section accurately represents Asian culture. This culture may be unfamiliar to many people in Gainesville as it represents one of the smallest percentages in the city and university population. Immerse yourself in Asian art, culture and characteristics Asian art is very diverse as it includes artworks from different religions such as Hinduism and Hinduism. Buddhism. This artwork commonly features calligraphy and some materials are very important in different parts of Asia. For example, China places great importance on jade and porcelain, while Japan focuses on lacquer. This course mentions Asian art but focuses specifically on Buddhism and how this was the most common faith and artwork associated with this religion. This course presents Asian art, the best known is the Standing Buddha, a symbolic representation of the Buddha showing him in his positionmost common yogic. The Asian section of Harn's artwork also features a different seated Bodhisattva than the one presented in the course. A Bodhisattva, "is a merciful Buddhist saint and savior" and the one in this artwork is made of wood and lacquer was used to attach it to the head (Harn Museum of Art n.d.). Common characteristics of the Buddha are long earlobes, monks' robes, crossed legs, and a raised right hand with the palm facing outward (Khan Academy 2019). These are all consistent with this artwork, Gift Wood Seated Bodhisattva, as well as with the Buddha in the course material. In the Asian art section, this artwork is accompanied by another artwork that features a sacred text printed on sutra paper. These two works of art both have the same name as the sacred text is supposed to enter the Bodhisattva. Woodblock printing was very important in China and was a print that involved engraving text onto a block of wood. The engraved block is then used as a stamp to transfer the text onto paper or roll (Brekka 2018). The text displayed in this artwork features common Chinese calligraphy and comes from the Lotus Sutra which is "one of the most sacred treatises of Buddhism". Both of these works of art are equally important although many people do not realize the importance of woodblock printing as many people are not familiar with the historical importance of woodblock printing. The Harn Museum places great importance on education about the different cultures that can be shown here since people are more likely to be familiar with the Buddha instead of the woodblock print, but this exhibition explains the value and significance of both. Overall, these two artworks show common characteristics of Asian art and are essential in Asian culture. Calligraphy and Landscape in Asian Art Calligraphy was very important in Chinese art as it was a way for people to have spiritual communication and allowed them to create art that had its own unique style (Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. 2019). In fact, it was so important that inkstone, brush, ink, and paper were called “the four treasures of study” in China (Center for Global Education 2019). Calligraphy requires a great deal of skill and patience as painters had to master the “rhythmic movement of the brushstroke” (Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. 2019). Calligraphy was very popular and prompted China to invent paper from materials such as bamboo because silk became too expensive to use (Center for Global Education 2019). Hunting with Falcons is an Asian ink and color on silk artwork featuring calligraphy as well as a landscape. The artist of this painting, Kim Hong-do, was known for his landscape paintings, calligraphy, and poetry. The calligraphy on this artwork shows some of the common characteristics as it is ink on silk paper and you can see that the author had to be very precise and careful in forming his letters. However, this calligraphy most likely has no spiritual connection as the landscape presents a humanistic scene. This specific artwork shows a landscape that is more common with a Korean style as it shows a real life scene with men attempting to hunt geese. This is different from the Chinese landscape which normally presents a dream landscape that has no connection with real life (Harn Museum of Art n.d.). Both types of landscapes normally include elements of nature as these paintings were commonly known for showing scenes that helped people free themselves from the complications of urban life (Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. 2019). Hunting with falcons presentsthe natural element as it shows horses and geese in grassy and forest areas (Harn Museum of Art n.d.). This artwork also shows how people would be able to get food without having to rely on going to the store, which is a common problem for people living in an urban area. Boating on the Red Cliff, Sheng Maoye, 1638 Boating on the Red Cliff is another artwork from the Asian collection that features calligraphy. This artwork is a fan painting that uses ink on gold surface paper to paint people swimming in the Yangzi River. By implementing elements of nature such as a river, this artwork successfully displays the common characteristics of landscape paintings. Like the artwork explained above, Hunting with Falcons, this landscape features a real-life scene that is consistent with Korean-style landscape paintings. Unlike Hunting with Falcons, this artwork has a spiritual connection as water has been a “focus of spiritual symbolism and religious ritual” throughout history (Healing Earth 2019). At first glance, you may not notice the calligraphy on this piece as it is almost hidden in the top right corner. This artwork is very important to Asian culture, "showing the relationship between literature and visual arts" and conveying the "emotional spirit of the text through artistic expressions" (Harn Museum of Art n.d.). Overall, displaying artwork that includes calligraphy in the Harn museum is helpful as many people may not understand the intricacies of the writing as nothing in American writing can compare. This artwork has the potential to educate a large number of people on an essential topic to learn about in Asian culture. At first glance, you might think that there are random letters on a single sheet of paper when in reality it is something much more. Porcelain in Asian Art Porcelain became very important in Asian art around 600 AD, but was not as famous as the invention of other materials such as paper. This material was made by firing white pottery at high temperatures, and you could test whether something was porcelain by ensuring it made a ringing sound when struck against something else (Khan Academy 2017). This course mentions porcelain and focuses on the specific color used for this type of art. Blue paint was normally shown on a white surface because blue paint was the only color that could withstand the high temperatures needed to make porcelain (Brekka 2018). These ceramics were sold or used as tableware for higher-level individuals. Porcelain was especially important in China which is why these items are now referred to as “Chinese service” (Khan Academy 2017). Blue and White Covered Vase, China, Qing Dynasty 18th centuryThe Blue and White Covered Vase is a porcelain dish that has many of the same characteristics. You can see the original white surface that would be heated to create the porcelain and the only color used is blue. In this artwork there is a floral design which is very common in most porcelain artworks. Realistically, this artwork could have been used as dinnerware for someone as it appears to have been made to hold something like sugar. Blue glazed cong-shaped vase is another artwork located in the Asian section that shows some common characteristics of Chinese porcelain art. This artwork is different from the Blue and White Covered Jar in that it only shows the color blue and cannot be used as tableware. This porcelain work is different in that it has a rectangular body and.