Ananda  Kentish Coomaraswamy’s Philosophy of  Art: Universalism  and Cross-Cultural Communication

Introduction/Biography of AKC

AKC was  a unique exponent of Universal Philosophy or  Perennial Philosophy

Born in 1877 August 22nd in Colombo

Educated in England got his D.Sc. In London University -1905

Introduced Eastern values to the West

While introducing the Classical West to the Modern West

Introduction

Through His Geological Mission he evolved as Art historian , Art Critic, Art Philosopher.

He Wrote on Many Fields Science, History of Art, Philosophy of Art Metaphysics, Literature, Psychology, Nationalism and Education and so on..

More than Thousand items, hundreds of Books All rooted in his Universal Philosophy.

 Universal Philosophy of AKC

Integral universal understanding of world Philosophy and world cultures

Theory of Suggestion hermeneutics/Dhvani

Subjective universality/ Inter-subjectivity

Universal vision of Philosophia- Perenis

Universal Philosophy is the root of his Philosophy of Art and comparative Aesthetics and cross cultural understanding

Writings on Science

Report on Thorianate and  Thorite- 1904

Mineralogical note  -1904

Contribution on to  Geology of Ceylon- 1904

Geology of Ceylon -1905 D.Sc. Thesis

Articles in Roger  Lipsey’s Volumes Coomaraswamy Selected papers on ‘Kha’

Volumes I & II  selected papers and III

Writings on History of Art

Open Letter to the Kandyan Chiefs- 1905

Kandyan Art : What it meant and how it Ended – 1905

Unfamiliar Kandyan Literature – 1905

Mediaeval Sinhalese Art -1908

Domestic Handicraft and Culture- 1908

Indian Bronzes 1910

The Modern School of Indian Paintings-1911

Indian Drawings-1912

Rajput paintings 1912

Arts and Crafts of India and Ceylon- 1912

Bronzes from Ceylon- 1914

The Cave paintings of Ajanta- 1916

Writings of Art History and Philosophy

The Dance of Shiva- 1918, [Collection 14 articles, ‘What has India Contributed to the World’ Civilization, Theory of Art in India, Beauty as state of Being etc.to The article on Nietzsche]

History of Indian and Indonesian Art- 1927

Introduction to the Art of Eastern Asia 1932

AKC’s Writings on Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics

Aims of Indian Art -1908

Hindu View of Art – 1914

Meister Eckhart’s Theory of Art- 1934

The Techniques and Theory of Indian Art-1934

Understanding art of India- 1934

The Intellectual operation in Indian Art- 1935

Mediaeval Aesthetic : Mediaeval Theory of Beauty- 1938

Asiatic Art- 1938

The Nature of Buddhist Art – 1938

Philosophy of Mediaeval and Oriental Art-1938

The Christian Oriental Philosophy of Art or True Philosophy of Art- 1939

The Transformation of Nature in Art [1934]

The Theory of Art in Asia

Meister Eckhart’s Views on Art

Reactions to View of Art in India

Aesthetic of Sukranitsara

Paroksa- [Direct perception or Intuition]

Abhasa-[Reflection]

The origin and the use of images in India

Figures of Speech and Figures of Thought

The Nature of Mediaeval Art – 1940

Why Exhibit works of Art – 1941

Samvega- Aesthetic Shock- 1943

A Figure of Speech and A Figure of Thought- 1946

Figures of Speech and Figures of Thought-1946

AKC’s writings on Art Criticism

The Appreciation of Art- 1927

An Approach to Indian Art- 1935

The Jain Paintings – 1935

The appreciation of Unfamiliar Art- 1936

The normal View of Art -1936

What is the use of Art Anyway- 1937

AKC’s writings on Nationalism

Open Letter to the Kandyan Chiefs 1905

Anglicization of the East1906

The Deeper Meaning of Struggle- 1907

Essays in National Idealism- 1909

Art and Swadeshi 1911

Education in Ceylon- 1911

AKC’s Comparative Aesthetics

Reconciliation of Eastern, Indian and Western – Universal Message

Exploring common Humanity and Universal Humanism

While preserving each and every specific culture- maintaining the Universality of all the cultures- Philosophia Perrenis

Sociological and Anthropological and Historical Approach

Explores Art of Classical East and West

Art as skill in action/Plato /Asian

Plato, Neo Platonism/ Christian/Medeiaval

Medieval Persian and Christian and Oriental Art and Islamic Art as a Bridge of East and West

East Asian /West Asian And Mohammad an Art

Explored East to the west and Critical on Modern attitude of the west

Different cultures are different Dialects of one and the same universal language

Universalism and Humanism of Asian Art

‘Indian Art is not merely Indian but human and Universal’- AKCoomaraswamy

‘I do not Perceive any fundamental distinction in Art, as Greek, English, Indian or National, All art Interpret life’ AKC

‘Human nature ha nothing to do with time’ Eckhart, Karl Marx’s Common Man in Communist Manifesto

AKC’s Message

His Universal Philosophy/comparative still have the contemporary relevance

Reconciliation of East and West is a meaningful integration

Unity in diversity, While preserving each and every culture maintaining the Universality/ Interpersonal Relations

Preserving each every culture maintaining the universal understanding – and Values

Perennial Philosophy and Spiritual secularism of AKC

Spiritual secularism of Perennial Philosophy and Phenomenology

Explores Common Humanity in all cultures

Transcends exclusiveness in all the Cultures and Art

AKC one of the pioneers of Perennial school with Rene Guenon and Frithof Schuon.

Spiritual Universalism in Upanishads/Indian and Platonic

Essential contribution of India ‘Indianness’

Eternal Experience in practical life

Experiencing oneness of all beings Isha U

Bases for Interpersonal/ transcultural and the notion of the ‘other’

Beauty as a state of being in this sense. Mathematical Universality/sublime in Art

Interdisciplinary approach/ Indian Asian, Greek and Medieval European Art

Universality of Indian Art and Traditional Art forms of Asia and Medieval Europe which were expressions of deeply rooted Philosophia-Perennis connected Ethics

Ananda Coomaraswamy observes “Indian Art – not merely Indian but human and universal” in all the expressions

cont….

Art and Ethics, Epistemology and Rhetoric

Reconciles Spiritual East and Classical West and interdisciplinary approach of Plato and the Upanishads

Universal Philosophy or Philosophia Perennis as Science of sciences root of all sciences

Metaphysical Foundations of Art and Aesthetics

Phenomenology in Indian Art and Medieval European Art

Phenomenological expressions and existential Art of India and Medieval Europe. Upanishadic Monism

Explores the deeper levels of Intercultural understanding and Communications. Truly universal and cosmopolitan outlook

Phenomenology of Non dualistic experiential Understanding

Tranquil wisdom and Art / Catharsis

Inter-relation between Science Art, Ethics, Religion, Philosophy

In Traditional Theory all these issues are closely connected/one Consciousness

Science and Mathematics are the bases of Artistic expressions/communications

Art Religion and Ethics are inseparable in Traditional Theory and all rooted in the Universal Philosophy/Perennial Philosophy

Theory of suggestion ‘Dhvani’ and Hermeneutics in Art

Dhvani is in Indian Art as Hermeneutics

Hermeneutical messages of Traditional Art forms Suggestion/ Intention

‘Art is the imitation of Nature in her manner of operation.’

St. Thomas Aquinas

Hermeneutic expression of holistic Reality

Art as the powerful communication for trasformation

AKC’s unique Expression of Buddha Image and origin of Buddha Image

Art as Contemplation/ Hermeneutic message of Buddha’s silence.

Writings of Hinduism and Buddhism gives the comparative Understanding of deeper messages of Indian and Asian messages.

Transcultural and Universal Communication

AKC’s Universal Rhetoric as trans cultural universalism/effective communication

Unique expressions of comparative Aesthetics connects the whole of Humanity

Traditional school of thought and Perennial Philosophy explores the trans-cultural communication.

Art as Imitation of Highest Reality

The mere imitation of nature is not attempted by Indian, East Asian and Medieval European Artists.

They concretized the vision arrived at by inward contemplation. The first principles of these artistic expressions are universal and Existential Hermeneutics.

Symbolism in Indian and Medieval Art and Universality

All creative art and Aesthetics are inspired by the unity of experience from the realization of complete oneness;

the artist feels the universal experience which transcends all barriers

Symbolism is the expression of Universal Reality/ Indian and MediavalEuropean

Art as Yoga or Artistic Contemplation of Perennialism

Indian, Asian and Medieval European art is idealistic in phenomenological sense and Indian art is specifically monistic or non- dualistic.

Art as Yoga and Tranquil wisdom, AKC quotes all the original sources to communicate these contemplative nature art. His Monumental scholarship is Unique

Art as a form of Cognition

Art as form of higher cognition in the Classical East and the West/ Medieval

Art as expression of universal wisdom

Nothing intelligible could have been thought f as Beautiful’ Christian and Oriental Philosophy of Art.

Critique of Modernity and Scientism

AKC as a Perennial Philosopher a cardinal critic of Scientism, Positivism and the so called scientific methodology in education

Post Renaissance and Modernity as so- called formal scientific expression /limited

Scholars of Perennial school emphasized the integral reality of Science and Mathematics

Art Mathematics and Universal Communication

Art and Mathematics closely connected in deeper levels/many articles on Science

His Interpretation of Professor Hardy’s book on Beauty of Mathematics.

Mathematics, symbolic expressions and Reality all art forms connected with mathematics, Music, Painting Architecture etc..

Cont..

AKC is Article on Mathematics Kha’

Philosophy of Zero and Being

In the Dance of Shiva he integrates Science Philosophy and Art

Perennial Philosophy as Science of sciences

He spoke about real metaphysical foundation of Sciences

AKC’s Message

AKC’s Philosophy Art explores very effective cross cultural communication

Trans-cultural bass of Traditional Art

AKC ‘s Philosophy Art / its contemporary relevance. Transcending borders

His Philosophy of Art expresses monistic Phenomenology which transcends all the borders of society and Nations and Unites.

AKC’s Universal Philosophy and Comparative Art Aesthetics still have the contemporary Relevance

Reconciliation of East and West is a meaningful integration

Preserving each every culture maintaining the Universal Understanding – and Values

Significant Achievement of AKC in the field of cross-cultural Communication