Calligraphy And Power In Contemporary Chinese Society

This unusual and interesting book is a fascinating account of the world of Chinese writing. It examines Chinese space and the political and social use of writing as propaganda, a publicity booster and as a ladder for social climbing.

This unusual and interesting book is a fascinating account of the world of Chinese writing. It examines Chinese space and the political and social use of writing as propaganda, a publicity booster and as a ladder for social climbing.

Over the past three decades it has emerged as a more visually exciting modern genre, which now offers fascinating insights into the people of modern China.".

Secret Signs, an extensive group exhibition catalog, looks at the role of Chinese calligraphy in relation to contemporary Chinese art over the past three decades as a way of asking fundamental questions of art and art making in China today. In 1956 Mao ordered the radical simplification of the ancient complex calligraphic writing system used by the court by standardizing the characters and their sounds, reducing their form and number, creating a sudden lack of referential symbols and images. Is the sidelining of Chinese calligraphy paradigmatic of modern Chinese culture? How does China deal with its cultural heritage in light of the rapid changes brought about by globalization? These poignant issues are explored through the 38 artists spanning the early 1980s to the present including Ai Wei Wei, Chen Guangwu, Chen Zaiyan and Dai Guangyu along with artist interviews, essays by cultural historians and curators and installation views from the exhibition.

Chinese calligraphy has been an independent visual art form for thousands of years. Its wonderful aesthetics has inspired the art of Chinese painting since the second century B.C. Before pen and pencil were introduced to China, millions practiced the art of writing in ink. In the twentieth century, the art of calligraphy has not only fascinated modern Chinese who are part of this continuous tradition, but has also captured the interest and imagination of the world. This is the first proper history of Chinese calligraphy in English.

Published to accompany an exhibit at the gallery, in New York City, from April to June 1998. Offers examples of the modern resurgence of the traditional writing form as practiced by 21 artists. The many black-and-white illustrations and 11 color plates are supported with an introduction to the genr

How contemporary Chinese art is creating “a philosophy of life, a philosophy of politics, and a natural philosophy,” as artist Qiu Zhijie says it must, is explored in this collection of essays by philosophers and art historians from America and China.