Social Psychology: Artwork Analysis, Essay Example

Sitting atop a lotus flower in meditation prays the Buddha in the architectural monument Tian Tan Buddha.  This statue is not only a dedication to the Buddha, but also to the nearby Po Lin monastery and to the religion that the founded, of which the monastery is a part. This is a description of the artwork.  Below the lotus, rests an alter with three tiers, each with its own representational hall.  These are the hall of the Universe, the Hall of Merit, and the Hall of Memory.

The statue is made of bronze, consisting of over two hundred segments that were pieced together during its construction.  These were placed over an initial framework that set the overall shape of the structure.  It is surrounded by six smaller statues, which are all offering prayers in different ways including offerings of food and music. The Buddha holds up its right hand, in a traditional Buddhist gesture that symbolizes clarity of the soul. The entirety of the scene sits at the top of a mountain, from where it can be seen from a long distance away.

These are the concepts and topics that can be applied to the statue as a piece of cultural artwork.This includes attitudes, behavior, and rationalization, social Influence, and relationships and attraction.By looking at how these concepts can be applied to the statue the reasoning behind the construction of the art can be seen.These are the defining terms and examples that describe the concepts.  By examining them in relationship to the statue, a more in depth understanding of the meaning of the artwork can be understood.

Attitudes, behavior, and rationalization can be applied based on a few concepts.  First of all, the construction reflects not only the attitude of those who built it, but also the type of behaviors that they consider to be important. Their ideas are rationalized within the philosophy that is fundamental to the religion that the statue represents. The construction of the temple is an example of the attitudes of the people who built it.

By representing their ideas in physical form they are able to express their views.  Within Buddhism, the representation of Buddha sitting on the lotus represents their ideas of enlightenment and its role within society.  The six smaller deities standing around him praying are evidence of the reverence that is given to the Buddha within the religious context of their society.

Social influences can be applied as well. The statue is a representation of the society in which it is a part of.  It is an attraction that people come from all around to visit, and it can be seen by the people for miles around. The fact that the temple was constructed demonstrates the influence that Buddhism has had upon the society at large. It is a representation of not only their historical values, but also the ethical values which they wish to express.

Buddhism is a long running part of China’s history, and construction of the temple is their way to immortalize their religion in physical form for others to see.  Not only that, but it represents the physical manifestation of their notion of morality, in order to inspire others to reach towards the same.  In this way, it is a representation of the social and historical values that are held by the people within the region.

The concepts of relationships and attractions can be applied to the statue as well.  Not only does the community have a strong relationship based on a deeply rooted cultural affinity, but they are attracted to the emotion that it expresses, as its form is a fundamental aspect of their spiritual lives as well.  The fact that it can be seen from miles around shows that it is important in the daily lives of those who see it.  By allowing people to view the Buddha from far off, they are able to establish a relationship with one another as it is something that they can all look to and feel connected with, much like praying to Mecca is within Islam, only on a smaller, regional level.

This is an interpretive analysis that describes the meaning of the artwork.  The meaning of the artwork in this case is the exemplification of an ideal that the society it is a part of wished to express.  By representing their ideas in a form that others can not only see, but actively seek out to visit, they create a mode of expression that goes beyond simple architecture or art.  They attempt to immortalize the embodiment of their beliefs in a timeless cast of bronze.  By doing so, they express the historical understanding of the society in which they live.

The people of Po Lin monastery hold a dedication to the historical framework of their society.  This seems to be what inspired them to create this monument.  By doing so, they wished to share the expression of their beliefs with others.  They did this by building it in a way that not only awes those who see it, but also provides a sense of identity that unites them.  This piece of architecture is an example of art that has deep underlying modes of expression.  These expressions represent the hopes of the people who have built it.This is what I find interesting in relation to the artwork’s meaning.

Works Cited

Buddhism & Buddhism in China. Indiana University, EALC E232, R. Eno, Spring 2008. May 2014.

Lai, Whalen. Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey. Buddhism, Zen (Chan).  May 2014.

Tian Tan Buddha. 1992. Bronze Plates on Wire Frame Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. May 2014.