More Human Than Human: A Reflection

BBC One’s “How Art Made the World” reveals a series of breathtaking depictions of

world’s puzzle pieces unsettled for more than a thousand of years. Uncovered by a well-known

British classicist, Nigel

Spivey’s five-part

documentary series

enthusiastically invites the

viewers to navigate the

globe and be immersed

through art. Realizing how

Figure 1. Nigel Spivey in his way to Athens
art molds every aspect of

life, the first part entitled “More Human Than Human” unwraps the power of art and the prowess

of image to validate one’s obsession towards human forms of art which do not resemble real

human characteristics. Featuring the Paleolithic Venus of Willendorf, the perfectionist Egyptian

carvings and wall paintings, and the heroically gestured Riace Bronzes, the documentary

demonstrates how one’s human brain has been hard-wired upon parts with pleasing attributes

and the culture-driven attribute which explain the exaggeration in effect towards art. Now that

the Western art provides enough about the human forms of art, the discussion becomes more

breathtaking when non-Western art cuts across the unreal.

Viewed from the east part of the globe, the non-Western art traces its origin almost the

same time as the domination of Western art. Although it has been said in general that the latter

influenced the former in terms of techniques applied to different forms of art, the non-Western

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 artists separate itself from the Western artists in some

other ways. While Western artists create detailed and

technical depiction of the subject as seen and experienced

by an individual, non-Western artists aim to cultivate inner

values and an in-depth understanding of nature in line with

experiencing art as an integral part of a whole. Amidst

contrasting perspectives in terms of art, they remain

speaking the same language. Both Western and non-

Western art are highly influenced by the cultural context to

which it has been permanently hard-wired into people’s

mindset for several centuries. From traditional forms such

as paintings to contemporary forms such as printed and online advertisements, it is possible that

the non-Western artists also practice exaggeration but the way the concept is being portrayed

among selected non-Western arts related to human form needs further discussion as we go along.

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 In the Philippines, one popular

prehistoric figure which slightly

resembles Venus of Willendorf in terms

of stature is the Ifugao’s Bul-ul. An

anthropomorphic wooden sculpture of

the Cordilleras, the Bul-ul humanizes

Figure 3. Wat Pho's Reclining Buddha

Figure 4. Wayang Kulit Puppet
the rice god which gives them bountiful harvest and guards the natural wealth of the mountains.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Reclining Golden Buddha is another highly visited gigantic sculpture

which overemphasizes its dimensions while retaining its human body composition. Indonesia’s

theatrical Wayang Kulit puppet figures present overly schematic two-dimensional human

characters stuck in bamboo sticks with extravagant accessories displayed. Behind those three

virtuosities of Southeast Asia lies an implication that the unreal images are depictions of a higher

being which people regard as sacred and omnipotent. Aside from the rich culture the region has,

their minds have been already hard-wired with the intention to separate humans from gods

through exaggeration of some body features

– in other words, to show respect.

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 Gracefully performing somewhere in the

land of the rising sun, the characters of the

traditional Japanese Kabuki are recognized for

their expressively elaborate make-up and

flamboyant costumes extravagantly expressed to

convey emotions “out of the ordinary” (the literal

Figure 5. Korean masks
translation of the word “Kabuki”). An important cultural asset and a national treasure, Korean

t’al (mask) distorts human face into different forms of facial expressions. Most of the masks are

humorous and horrifying faces designed to serve for shamanistic practices or be used during

theatrical plays. Altogether, East Asia’s culture-driven art evokes sophistication towards

characters and other important elements which

vividly contribute to the overall performance. What

Figure 6. Kabuki character
matters the most among their audiences is the

enjoyment, to which their minds are hard-wired to

something that induces their enthusiasm, so much

for unrealistic portrayals. Through exaggeration,

art, as a form of entertainment, can be fully

achieved.

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 Furthermore, India’s appreciation towards its principle deities embodies a combination of

lifelike and extraterrestrial features lawfully distorted in order to preserve its vigor and concern

for surface texture closely attributed to Indian art. The image of the four-armed Shiva (the

destroyer) composes a reassuring gesture surrounded by iconographical elements such as the

third eye on the forehead and a serpent around its neck. Definitely unrealistic, the non-Western

art of the Hinduist region of Asia also proves that its craftmanship is highly influenced by its

predominant religion. In order to convey aesthetic appeal, exaggeration is being applied to its

image, a highly respected representation of their

Figure 7. Shiva the Destroyer
belief.

It can now be reflected that non-Western

artists also share the biological instinct of not liking

realistic images with the Western artists. Even those

people who just enjoy seeing art everywhere prefer

the unique more than the conventional. In essence,

exaggeration is a valuable asset hard-wired to

everyone’s minds for so long in order to better appreciate art limited to what we just see in

reality.

References

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Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/howartmadetheworld/episodes/human.

“Ceremonial Deity (Bulul).” Education, education.asianart.org/explore resources/artwork/

ceremonial-deity-bulul.

Cotter, Holland. “Under Threat: The Shock of the Old.” The New York Times, The New York

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 Times, 15 Apr. 2011, www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/arts/design/non-western-art-history-

bypasses-the-ancient.html.

“Dancing Shiva Grand-Scale Statue.” Extraordinary Statuary & Decor for Home & Garden –

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ne22744.do.

“Family Program: Javanese Wayang Kulit Shadow Puppet Theater of Indonesia.” Asia Society,

15 May 2016, asiasociety.org/new-york/events/family-program-javanese-wayang-kulit-

shadow-puppet-theater-indonesia.

Hostels.com. “Bangkok's Temple of the Reclining Buddha.” Flickr, Yahoo!, 8 Jan. 2013,

www.flickr.com/photos/hostelscom/8361736870.

Hub Japan. “Japanese Art: Ukiyo-e Prints, Main Artists and Techniques.” Hub Japan, Hub Japan,

12 Nov. 2015, hubjapan.io/articles/japanese-art-ukiyo-e-prints-main-artists-and-

techniques.

Music and Arts 8 Learning Module. Department of Education. 2016.

Szczepanski, Kallie. “The Fascinating History of Korean Masks.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 17

Oct. 2019, www.thoughtco.com/traditional-korean-masks-195133.

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