Cultural Objects and Their Culture

Cultural Objects and Their Culture The culture I identify with most is Italian culture. My grandfather immigrated from Italy when he was 13 and built a life for himself here in America. Italian culture is a staple in my life, and I admire their immense appreciation for the arts. One representative object of Italian culture is Giacomo Balla’s painting Street Light. Balla’s futuristic vision allowed him to create the painting of the streetlight, but he continued to utilize Divisionism technique in the piece. Divisionism technique related to the advancements within the field of optics in the 19th century, stemming from a scientific approach. Divisionism allowed painters to portray light in their works. Despite the subject matter being exclusively futuristic, the technique employed was standard for that time period. American culture, specifically the culture of Appalachia, holds significance in my life also. I am from a small town in Southeastern Ohio where there are several cultural artifacts from early settlers and even Indians who had previously occupied the land. Janice Harding Owens, a Kentucky native, painted a piece entitled “Down on the Farm” which depicts a farm with horses, a cow pasture, and rolling hills. This painting symbolizes the surroundings of my childhood, growing up in Appalachia. This object reflects Appalachian culture because the majority of Appalachia is farmland, country roads, and rural areas. In Buddhism, their art often symbolizes concepts and teachings within their culture. I find Buddhism particularly interesting because of their belief that “…life is a cycle of suffering and rebirth, but Buddhists also believe that if one achieves a state of enlightenment (nirvana), it is possible to escape this cycle forever.” (National Geographic Society, 2020) I don’t claim one specific religion, but I do tend to lean toward these beliefs and borrow truths and practices from several different religions – this is sometimes referred to as omnism. Roundel with Karma Lineage created in Tibetan culture during the 16th century is a sculpture that represents the concept of Karma in Buddhism, or the idea that what your soul is in one life will carry through to the next. This belief is profoundly true, in my opinion. Sculptures such as this represent Buddhist beliefs in a way that can be shared and analyzed over years past.