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.