I found this exhibit interesting. There were a lot of things foreign about this kind of art. A lot of Western art includes portraits, landscapes, objects, etc. However, Islamic art focuses more on patterns and calligraphy. In Islam, Arabic is very important (with it being the language the Qu'ran was given in) so it made sense to have a lot of writings in their art.
I really liked the phrase "God is Beautiful and God Loves Beauty". I liked the need they felt to make everything beautiful, from actual "works of art" to cups. By making everything beautiful, it seems like they are imbuing God into everything, acknowledging his His presence. It also makes God a part of their everyday life. They just don't think about God on Fridays, but every day, all the time. Also, if God loves beauty, then by beautifying everything, they are, in a sense, worshipping God.
A pretty common theme among the Islamic art were patterns. These patterns seem to represent two different things: united-ness and eternity. Islam teaches about the ummah and that Muslims are all part of a family. They are all united. This is readily seen in the patterns found in Islamic art: just as the different shapes are interconnected so should Muslims be as well. The patterns can also continue on forever. Eternity is a common theological belief and is heavily present in Islamic art.
One thing I learned is that there are different ways to represent something. In our culture, we represent God usually as a bearded man. In Islam, they represent Him through shapes and patterns. But, the same being is being represented by both ways. By looking at characteristics of something that I do not normally look at, I can be able to see new ways to portray something. This can be applied to our "theme" of the class: observing the ordinary. If I look at something ordinary in a different way, or look to see how it glorifies God, I can be inspired to create new and dynamic works of art.
I really liked the phrase "God is Beautiful and God Loves Beauty". I liked the need they felt to make everything beautiful, from actual "works of art" to cups. By making everything beautiful, it seems like they are imbuing God into everything, acknowledging his His presence. It also makes God a part of their everyday life. They just don't think about God on Fridays, but every day, all the time. Also, if God loves beauty, then by beautifying everything, they are, in a sense, worshipping God.
A pretty common theme among the Islamic art were patterns. These patterns seem to represent two different things: united-ness and eternity. Islam teaches about the ummah and that Muslims are all part of a family. They are all united. This is readily seen in the patterns found in Islamic art: just as the different shapes are interconnected so should Muslims be as well. The patterns can also continue on forever. Eternity is a common theological belief and is heavily present in Islamic art.
One thing I learned is that there are different ways to represent something. In our culture, we represent God usually as a bearded man. In Islam, they represent Him through shapes and patterns. But, the same being is being represented by both ways. By looking at characteristics of something that I do not normally look at, I can be able to see new ways to portray something. This can be applied to our "theme" of the class: observing the ordinary. If I look at something ordinary in a different way, or look to see how it glorifies God, I can be inspired to create new and dynamic works of art.
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