thailand arts and contemporary culture

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Thailand Visual and performing arts samith senadeera

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  • 1. ThailandVisual and performing arts samith senadeera

2. Introduction Thai traditional arts have numerous distinctive qualities which make themeasily distinguishable from those of other neighboring countries in South-East Asia. Thai art mainly deals with Buddhist religion and is known as Buddhistart, which formed the national ideal and conception of life. In ancient times up to the early modern period in Thailand, Thai craftsmenwere considered the "true artists". They were thought to possess superiorintellect, a full understanding of culture and a wide ranging wisdom. At present the contemporary art scene in Thailand is centered around itscapital Bangkok 3. Manual Arts Architecture Thai architectural style is unique and very memorable. Traditional Thai architecture is the result of a combination ofmany different styles, methods and influences from thecultures of Burma, China, Khmer, India and Sri Lanka. Most noticeable in Thai architecture are the swooping multi-tiered rooflines, the distinctly ornamental decorations, thestunning interior murals, the vivid colors and the lovinglycrafted and gold-adorned Buddha images.There are 3 main categories :Religious Architecture Traditional Architecture Royal Architecture 4. 1.Religious Architecture Essentially, there are five different historical periods wheresignificant changes can be seen in the various religiousarchitecture styles. Khmer (9th to 13th Century) Sukhothai (Mid 13th to 15th Centuries) Ayutthaya (Mid 14th to late 18th Centuries) Lanna (Mid 13th to 19th Centuries) Rattanakosin (Late 18th Century to present) Regardless of historical period, the most important area ofreligious architecture is the Thai temple or wat. 5. 2.Traditional Architecture The traditional Thai house is well adapted to the tropicalclimate The main materials used, such as hardwoods, bamboo anddried leaves assist in keeping the house cool. It is thought that the overall design also reflects spiritualbeliefs. The bedroom, or the innermost area of the houseused as the sleeping quarters, is believed to be frequentedby family ancestors. Nowadays the traditional Thai house is mostly found in ruralsettings or up-country and the majority are the more modestversions. 6. 3.Royal Architecture Appropriately named royal architecture relates mainly toroyal palaces, royal mansions and other royal residentialand non-residential working buildings, as well as royalwats known as Wat Luang. Teak wood is the main structural material of suchbuildings, giving them their distinctive rich red color. Thedoors and windows usually have ornate pediments andframes, which are sometimes decorated in gilt bronze. 7. Crafts The Thai phrase "chang sip mu is used to describe acraftsman in Thailand With sklls that are passed down for generations, the art of Thaicrafts has long been a reflection of Thai peoples creativity andingenuity. The intricate detail and meticulous methods is a display ofinventiveness, and the elaborate designs proof ofperseverance. Moreover, the abundance of natural materials such as wicker,palm leaves, rattan and coconuts make it possible for Thais toproduce beautiful and inexpensive handicrafts. 8. Drawing Traditional Thai paintings showed subjects in twodimensions without perspective. The size of each element in the picture reflected its degreeof importance. The most frequent narrative subjects for paintings were orare: the Jataka stories, episodes from the life of the Buddha,the Buddhist heavens and hells, and scenes of daily life. Traditional Thai art can be seen in museums and temples,palaces and theaters, or in the living culture and day-to-dayactivities of the Thai people themselves 9. Wood Carving Wood carving is a form of working wood by means of acutting tool held in the hand (this may be a power tool),resulting in a wooden figure or figurine (this may be abstractin nature) or in the sculptural ornamentation of a woodenobject. Mostly, teak has been used for carving as, unlike nowadays,it used to grow in abundance in Thailand. Wood-carving is done in two styles bas-relief free-standing 10. Fruit carving In Thailand, fruit carving is a traditional and highly cultivatedart. The decoration of food and correct use of serving dishes isof utmost importance in Royal Thai Cuisine. Thus noaccount of Thai food can be complete without mention ofthe importance given to food and meal presentation. The ingenuity of all Thai palace crafts and cooking lies inthe artists attempt to create natural and realisticmasterpieces. 11. Sculpting Thai sculptors of the past concentrated almostexclusively on Buddha images, producing works that rankamong the worlds greatest expressions of Buddhist art. Thai sculpture received a boost in 1933 when an Italiansculptor, Corado Feroci founded the Fine Arts Schoolwhich in 1943 became Silpakorn University. 12. Lacquering Lacquering is the art of coating things like leaves of doorsand windows in black lacquer and gilding them with gold leaf. Examples of this craft technique are book cabinets holdingBuddhist scriptures and door leaves of many Buddhisttemples. Lacquer, or rak in Thai, is the resin of a plant in the samefamily as the cashew nut. This resin is irritating and cancause a severe rash on the skin. Consequently, some peoplewho are allergic to it will not be able to do the job. Theprocess of lacquering is complicated and painstaking. Itusually takes up to three or four months to complete such awork of art 13. Molding Molding also known as coving (UK, Australia) is a strip ofmaterial with various profiles used to cover transitionsbetween surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster butmay be made from plastic or reformed wood. In classical architecture and sculpture, the moulding is oftencarved in marble or other stones. 14. Plastering Plasterwork refers to construction or ornamentation donewith plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior wall orplaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. This isalso sometimes called pargeting. The process of creatingplasterwork, called plastering, has been used in buildingconstruction for centuries. 15. Thai Modern Art Thai modern art started around 1924, when CorradoFeroci, an Italian sculptor was invited to Thailand by KingRama VI ( 1910-1925). He produced bronze statues of the exploits of Thailandspast heroes. Thai painters began experimenting with Impressionismand Cubism to a lesser extent. Thai painters chosenature themes or depicted rural scenes, usually devoid ofpeople. Angkarn Kalayanapongsa, Misiem Yipintsoi andTawan Duchanee led Thai modern art intodifferent forms of art than seen in Thailand to that time. 16. Music The Thai people have always had a passion for music andsong since music is closely related to the life and work ofthe people Traditional Thai music is quite unique and cannot be foundanywhere else in the world. Its exotic and wondrous sounds captivate and sometimesconfound the listener. Not unlike western sounds, Thaimusic has several styles representative of different regionsof the country. Thailands musical styles include Thai classical music, folksongs and local or regional music. 17. Dance The Thai Dance is a graceful and interpretativeperformance. It has played an indispensable part of Thai life fromhistorical times to the present day. Thai dance is closely intertwined with the beliefs, traditionsand customs. It has been kept alive through royal patronage in acontinuous line of succession through the Sukhothai,Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin periods. Thai dance may be divided into two major styles: folk dance(rabam phun muang) and classical dance (natasin). Each of the four regions of Thailand has its own folk dances northern dances- elegant ,graceful . South and Northeast- active and fun-filled, Central and eastern- linked to the agrarian lifestyles