i see a lot of art filled with plants, like, in the american art scene there seems to be a kind of general movement towards and appreciation of ruined structures being overtaken by nature. offices full of dead computers and leaves. walls with ivy. old factories crawling with new growth. a symbol of degrowth, of new futures that devour and reject colonial modernism, of a refutation of the tyranny over land. it's a nice sentiment.
but consistently im noticing something odd, which is that over and over the plants depicted in art are very familiar -- they're houseplants. pothos. monstera. calathea. zamioculcas. plants growing in the wrong place, at the wrong time, in the wrong climate, a mishmash of unrelated folks with far-flung origins symbolizing "natural" retaking of the modern world.
plants, specifically, that are directly tied to the legacy of colonialism. from northern africa. from southern america. from india. plants that were collected as curios during periods of direct imperialism. plants kept as trophies, plants sold at high prices. plants that are "exotic". that are beautiful. that are high-value. plants whose people got no payment for their capture.
they're the plants people in american colonial territory, who lack access to native plant community, see most often -- that is, other than "weeds". and so when these artists reach for the pure idea of plant, the concept of nature, these plants are their only blueprint. dragging with them all of the baggage of hundreds of years of empire.
it's incredible how much this changes the messaging of the image. dreams of ecological participation stained with a creeping theme of alienation from their native biosphere. the thumbprint of colonialism, clear as day. a hopeful vision of the future, kneecapped by its own symbology. hundreds of individual artists so alienated from their own ecosystems that even their fantasy of participation with nature is inextricable from colonialist trophies. trying to imagine reclaiming the world.
This cute little critter isn’t AI-generated. Meet the hairy horned dorid (Acanthodoris atrogriseata.). Found in intertidal habitats in the Northern Pacific, including Washington state’s Puget Sound, this species grows about 1.1 in (2.7 cm) long. The hairy horned dorid is a nudibranch—and it’s just one of the more than 2,000 known species of these soft-bodied marine molluscs!
by the way, because someone in the comments had asked -
1) here are the photos i used to study! please feel free to use them yourself, though id love if we could find the creator. i found these on pinterest and could not find who had provided the photos originally
2) it was asked why the bands are drawn on the model/studies - as you might be able to see in the photos, not only do the rings help you understand how foreshortening works a little better with a visual guide, i also find seeing how the flat or rounded planes of the arm deform in different poses to be really helpful (to me) in understanding the arms form better.
if youre someone who has struggled with drawing arms like tubes (unintentionally, not including stylistic choice) i would say this is a really good studying point to start!
Hopefully this is legible if you click into it. With the popularity of Nezha 2, I wanted to give recommendations for other donghua but also to help clarify some Nezha 2019 vs Nezha Reborn (2020) confusion.
They are different movies with different plots! Nezha 2019 takes place in a more traditional past whereas Nezha Reborn is a Steampunk reimagining of Nezha 1979 and the original Nezha Myth.
Nezha 2019's studio Coloroom also produced Jiang Ziya, also based on Investiture of the Gods. God of Three Eyes was a slated addition that follows Erlang Shen but I have not seen news about it. Monkey King is Back is also the same studio and I would say kicked off the revitalization of animated movies based on myths. You can watch the intro scene and skip the rest.
Nezha Reborn has a cinematic sequel with Yang Jian which follows Er Lang Shen/Lotus lantern myths in the steampunk setting.
★I would recommend the classic Lotus Lantern which follows Sanshengmu and her son Chen Xiang who goes on a hero's journey to defeat Erlang Shen who is evil in this movie.
★I love Butterfly Lovers, it follows the myth of Zhu Yingtai who wants to be a scholar, dresses up as a man to do so. She meets Liang Shanbo and they really hit it off as they study and Zhu Yingtai falls in love, reveals her identity, and then the end :) . This particular movie has three musical numbers that are all great in my biased opinion.
Little Door Gods plays on the idea that people used to keep images of two door gods pasted on their doors but with cultural progression and economic slumps, the gods are at risk of being obsolete.
White Snake. I have no words for White Snake, I didn't like them but you might like them. It is a romance between a Snake Spirit and a Human.
★ 30,000 Miles from Chang'An. Stunning movie, I loved the heavy art inspirations for the proportions of everything. Follows the life of Gao Shi and his crossroads with the burgeoning poet Li Bai.
My little area! Can't go wrong with any of these movies I think.
Big Fish and Begonia was a big hit, especially for the historical round house representation. Zhou Shen propelled to fame and OST career with this movie.
★ Dahufa is a weird movie! The less you know the better, honestly just strap in for the ride. This one is a bit violent.
Legend of Hei follows a black cat, Hei which is a prequel movie to the animated series with a similar name. He is trying to find a home but encounters humans and monsters along the way that cause him trouble.
I am who I am is about a group of misfits who overcome challenges and become Lion Dancers. The only movie that I included that isn't that fantastical but extremely touching.
Originally reblogged this with just tags because I appreciate this post a lot and agree with everything OP said (as I mentioned in my tags, I love Dahufa and 30,000 Miles from Chang’an is great too, as is The Legend of Hei and I Am What I Am and Jiang Ziya and Yang Jian…)!
But also, for those stating they may use this as a reference to check out donghua, I have another resource you guys can also use!!: ^^
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Quick Intro to the owner of this list, Kuku (kuku88 aka kukuandkookie) Current Releases: shows I like or have heard good
turnnoffyourmind
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blakekathryn
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