Chinese calligraphy is a unique visual art form that can be appreciated regardless of having previous knowledge of Chinese characters. While modern Chinese calligraphy consists of five styles, this book focuses on the semi-cursive script, a practical style that emphasizes the transition and structure between strokes. The Beginner's Guide to Chinese Calligraphy Semi-cursive Script teaches how to write the practical and artistic semi-cursive script. Based on the style of Zhao Mengfu, a master of semi-cursive script, you will learn the distinct features of the script and what exemplifies the semi-cursive style. This guide, with step by step illustrations, reduces the difficulty for beginners to learn Chinese calligraphy and is truly a must for Chinese calligraphy amateurs.

Master of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints "Some of the greatest prints in the history of art." -The Wall Street Journal, New York Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) was one of the last great artists in the ukiyo-e tradition. Literally meaning "pictures of the floating world", ukiyo-e refers to the famous Japanese woodblock print genre that originated in the 17th century and is practically synonymous with the Western worlds visual characterization of Japan. Though Hiroshige captured a variety of subjects, his greatest talent was in creating landscapes of his native Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and his most famous work was a series known as "100 Famous Views of Edo" (1856-1858). This book provides an introduction to his work and an overview of his career.

Until now, Orientalist art—exemplified by paintings of harems, slave markets, or bazaars—has predominantly been understood to reflect Western interpretations and to perpetuate reductive, often demeaning stereotypes of the exotic East. Orientalism's Interlocutors contests the idea that Orientalist art simply expresses the politics of Western domination and argues instead that it was often produced through cross-cultural interactions. Focusing on paintings and other representations of North African and Ottoman cultures, by both local artists and westerners, the contributors contend that the stylistic similarities between indigenous and Western Orientalist art mask profound interpretive differences, which, on examination, can reveal a visual language of resistance to colonization. The essays also demonstrate how marginalized voices and viewpoints—especially women's—within Western Orientalism decentered and destabilized colonial authority. Looking at the political significance of cross-cultural encounters refracted through the visual languages of Orientalism, the contributors engage with pressing recent debates about indigenous agency, postcolonial identity, and gendered subjectivities. The very range of artists, styles, and forms discussed in this collection broadens contemporary understandings of Orientalist art. Among the artists considered are the Algerian painters Azouaou Mammeri and Mohammed Racim; Turkish painter Osman Hamdi; British landscape painter Barbara Bodichon; and the French painter Henri Regnault. From the liminal "Third Space" created by mosques in postcolonial Britain to the ways nineteenth-century harem women negotiated their portraits by British artists, the essays in this collection force a rethinking of the Orientalist canon. This innovative volume will appeal to those interested in art history, theories of gender, and postcolonial studies. Contributors. Jill Beaulieu, Roger Benjamin, Zeynep Çelik, Deborah Cherry, Hollis Clayson, Mark Crinson, Mary Roberts

This is a survey of a fascinating Indian phenomenon - charts. These are posters which cover every imaginable subject and are found everywhere throughout India, acting as guides to public morality.

Contemporary art in India reflects her world-recognition as a major player in the new millennium. The journey from modern to contemporary art in India continues to be one from indigenous to global - intersecting with international art at increasingly frequent intervals as time progresses. By making "now" the curatorial priority, this book has a perspective that has been missing from most previous books and exhibitions of 20th-century art from India. To celebrate only the "glorious" past would be to miss the point of India's rising global presence, and how far she has come since her mid-century Independence. It is time to celebrate India's artistic independence. Recent works by 24 artists have been selected to represent art-making in India today. This catalog is published in conjunction with an extensive exhibition of paintings, photography, sculptures and installations, along with works in video and new media, that opens at the Chicago Cultural Center on 20th July 2007.

Distributed by the U. of Washington Press. Pottery, mats & basketry, embroidery, textiles, metal work, jewelry, wood & stone musical instruments, ivory, shell & horn, hill crafts, and festival crafts are treated in separate chapters. The text describes the crafts, the creators, and the cultural context. Illustrated with abundant color photos. 10.25x10.5" Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Briefly discusses the history of styles of painting, sculpture, and architecture in the countries of Southeast Asia