Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

III. Methods and tools
1. Is having knowledge of the arts necessary for being
one speaks of art production, one might
When
the art studio, the theatre company, the
imagine
desk—at least in the popular imagination
writer’s
sites of art production. But how does art
of
out of specific local contexts, and what is
arise
relationship between art and place? How
the
globalization and other forces of modernity
are
traditions of artistic knowledge that
affecting
consider two examples from South India.
Let’s
first arose during the 10th-century dynasty
The
the Chola kings of Tanjore, and reveals how
of
monarchy, religion and divinity came
landscape,
to inspire a resurgence in traditional art.
together
this period, land features such as the hills,
During
and groves surrounding villages were
waterfalls
with spiritual stories connecting them
animated
a pantheon of deities, many of whom had large
to
idols made in their honour. Over time,
stone
idols were replaced with smaller, portable
these
statues. Among the best-known examples
bronze
these are the Chola bronzes, sculptures
of
using the lost-wax casting technique,
made
and produced by the Chola kings
commissioned
Tanjore. The sculptures communicate with
of
the hand and finger gestures of South
mudras,
dance, and are widely described as deeply
Indian
communicating theological truths; they
beautiful,
also sometimes described as unabashedly
are
their near-naked bodies symbolizing
sexual,
and eroticism. While the Chola bronzes
fecundity
be seen as “art from above”, an example of
can
art produced through elite patronage,
religious
also have theyyam from South India, a ritual
we
tradition that is thousands of years old and
dance
10
able to make great art?
In the arts, what is the relationship between
2.
of skill and the quality of knowledge?
mastery
How does the role of convention influence
3.
in the arts?
knowledge
III.2 Method and art production
have continued for centuries?
predates Hinduism.
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