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Thai Art
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Thai art was traditionally primarily
Buddhist.
Sculpture was almost exclusively of Buddha images,
while painting was confined to illustration
of books and decoration of buildings, primarily palaces and
temples.
Paintings depicted subjects in two dimensions, without
regard to perspective. Instead, the size of each element reflected its
degree of importance. The primary technique of composition was that of
apportioning areas: the main elements were isolated from each other by
space transformers. This eliminated the intermediate ground which would
otherwise introduce perspective. Perspective was introduced only as a
result of Western influence in the mid-19th century.
The usual subjects for paintings were the
Jataka stories, episodes from the life of the
Buddha, the
Buddhist heaven and hell and scenes of daily life.
Sukhothai style Buddha at Sukhothai, Thailand
Buddha images of the Sukhothai period
are elegant, with sinuous bodies and slender, oval faces. This style
emphasized the spiritual aspect of the Buddha by
omitting anatomical details. The effect was enhanced by the common
practice of casting images in metal rather than carving them. This
period saw the introduction of the "walking Buddha" pose. Sukhothai
artists tried to follow the defining marks of a Buddha
set out in ancient Pali texts:
 | skin so smooth that dust cannot stick
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| legs like a deer
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| thighs like a banyan tree
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| shoulders massive as an elephant's head
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| arms round like an elephant's trunk, and long
enough to touch the knees |
| hands like lotuses about to bloom
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| fingertips turned back like petals
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| head like an egg
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| hair like scorpion stingers
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| chin like a mango stone
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| nose like a parrot's beak
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| earlobes lengthened by the earrings of royalty
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| eyelashes like a cow's
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| eyebrows like drawn bows
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Sukhothai also produced a large quantity of glazed
ceramics
in the sangkhalok style, which were traded throughout
south-east Asia.
Art of the Ayutthaya era can be divided into three
periods. The early period is strongly influenced by
Khmer art:
Buddha images were carved primarily of stone, while
painting used only red, black and white (blue and yellow were added
later) and characterised by juxtaposed rows of Buddha figures. In the
middle period, Sukhothai influence dominated, with large bronze
or brick and stucco Buddha images and decoration of gold leaf in
free-form designs on a lacquer background. The late period was more
elaborate, with Buddha images in royal attire set on decorative bases.
The Bangkok period
was characterized by the continued development of the Ayutthaya style
rather than by further great innovation. One important element was the
Krom Chang Sip Mu (Organization of the Ten Crafts), originally
founded in Ayutthaya, which was responsible for improving the skills of
the country's craftsmen. Paintings from the mid-19th century show the
influence of Western art.
Contemporary Thai art often combines traditional Thai
elements with modern techniques. Notable artists include Chakrapan
Posayakrit and Tawan Dachanee.
Reference:
Flavours - Thai Contemporary Art
by Steven Pettifor
Rama IX Art Museum
Virtual museum of Thai contemporary artists. Listings of museums,
galleries, exhibitions and venues. Contains lots of information on Thai
artists and art activities.
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