Modern Chinese Artists

Publisher description

"Modern Chinese Art explores the interactions of the two traditions, Chinese and Western, as Chinese painters and sculptors have attempted to address the social and cultural effects of modernism. Accompanied by high-quality reproductions of original art works, the text treats the works of Chinese artists - whether using traditional media or adopting media and techniques imported from the West - from the late nineteenth century through to the present day. At once a survey of the most influential Chinese visual artists of the century and a provocative exploration of modernity's influences. Modern Chinese Art will appeal equally to readers just discovering this rich artistic world and to those who have already developed an interest in Chinese and Western modern art."--BOOK JACKET.

The complexity and confusion of styles and intentions are true characteristics of modern Chinese art. Just as the definition of "modernity" was subjected to reinterpretations at various points in China's recent history, current notions of the canon are likewise subjected to change. This book -- consisting of ten articles by art historians, artist, historian, and curator -- explores the developments of Chinese art in the 20th century, applying critical theories to question and reinterpret concepts that are normally taken for granted. Their writings also reveal the thought processes in which the authors filtered what they considered to be important information, especially regarding people, events, dates, and artworks. As such, the topic of each article is, in itself, a result of judicious selection. This volume demonstrates how modern Chinese art history has been -- and can be -- written.

“The Art of Modern China is a long-awaited, much-needed survey. The authors’ combined experience in this field is exceptional. In addition to presenting key arguments for students and arts professionals, Andrews and Shen enliven modern Chinese art for all readers. The Art of Modern China gives just treatment to an expanded field of overlooked artworks that confront the challenges of modernization.”—De-nin Deanna Lee, author of The Night Banquet: A Chinese Scroll through Time.

Invaluable resource for anyone who wants to understand contemporary Chinese art, one of the most fascinating art scenes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The late twentieth century has been marked by momentous political, economic, and social change throughout the Chinese world. Deeply rooted cultural assumptions and ancient visual traditions have been challenged by rapid modernization and conflicting global, ethnic, and local identities. Inside/Out: New Chinese Art was the first major international exhibition to explore the impact of these challenges on artists in the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and those of the 1980s Diaspora. The multifaceted exhibition and accompanying catalog encompass an extensive range of artistic forms, including installation, video, and performance art as well as more traditional media such as oils and ink. The art is grouped according to themes, some specific to regions and others that reflect widespread and overlapping trends. With the inclusion of ambiguous territories like Hong Kong and Taiwan, the exhibition opens up a perspective of modern Chinese art from the "outside" as well as a looking-out from the "inside." The catalog features essays by eminent Chinese art scholars and curators along with leading curators and historians of Western art. Together they promote Chinese art's rightful place in the contemporary global cultural arena and at the same time acknowledge the influence of its rich heritage. The diversity and freshness of the exhibition reflects the explosion of creativity among Chinese artists during the past decade. The ironic social commentary of Li Shan's The Rouge Series, no. 24, the "apartment art" of artists reacting against the traditional patronage of large museums and corporations, and Wang Jin's sly humor in portraying consumer fetishes in today's China are a few examples of the spirited artistry awaiting the viewers of Inside/Out.

Khoan and Michael Sullivan began collecting modern Chinese painting in Sichuan in western China in the 1940s, and their collection has developed over the course of more than half a century to include paintings by the principal artists of late twentieth century China, as well as works by a new generation. Many of the works presented in this complete catalogue of their collection were given to Khoan and Michael Sullivan by the artists themselves, so that this is at once a work of scholarship and a record of many friendships. Book jacket.

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.