Contemporary Chinese Arts - Essay Example

Contemporary Chinese Arts Introduction For my research work, I have decided to work on the question “can all Chinese contemporary art be called post-socialist art?” There has been a lot of previous work on this topic in an effort to try and address the tensions that exist between the West and China. A lot of criticism is on the artistic work done by Xu Bing in the early 1990s. The artist had stamped two pigs with fake Chinese characters and allowed them to mate inside an art gallery. Most of these critics dwell on the fact that they do not understand the sense of the lack of human consciousness in modern art. However, this study looks forward to bring a clear contrast between the traditional and post-socialist aspects of Chinese art (Boden, 2014). Following Mao Zedong’s death in 1976, there came market reforms that have totally changed the way of life of many Chinese people in multiple ways. This growth in living standards, reduction in poverty as well as increased number of skyscrapers and highways is referred to as a symbol of post-socialism. Post-socialist art is thus deployed when analyzing any form of art that arrives from post-socialist countries such as China. For a country to be considered as post-communist, it usually has a nature that is totally different from the western art. In accordance with Sheldon Hsiao-peng Lu, post-socialism is best described as a cultural logic that filmmakers, artists, and writers use to negotiate the remnant socialist past with the emerging capital present to build new imaginaries of a transitional society (Hsiao-peng, 2007). Also, the study will come to a conclusion on whether all Chinese art are as a result of a post-socialist influence or not. The conclusion will be achieved through a wide review of current literature on this topic. The post-socialist Chinese tradition is affiliated with a rising number of ideas that are mainly in direct competition with postmodernism. The social reality affiliated with a post-socialist China can only be defined in polysemic terms that bear both contradictory and conflicting connotations. The immeasurable and phantasmagoric nature dimension of such a historical condition makes it an obstacle for anybody who develops an interest in any of the aspects related to contemporary China. The past thirty years have brought wide changes to China. These changes have fundamentally changed formations of individual social structure, function and position in this structure. As a result, the Chinese people have opted to reorganize themselves in such a manner that they can feel the universe and be able to interact with others. The success of global capitalism does bring China a considerable explosion of positive energy that enables the ordinary Chinese citizen to march forward towards more wealth and greater satisfaction of pleasure. The post-socialist aspect of contemporary art impacts considerably on ethical standards, essential moral and a type of thinking that is quite different from the norm. Such thinking is characterized by conventional habit and wisdom that ushers room for newer sets of beliefs, values, and practices. However, many of these beliefs and practices are seen to be less of beneficial capabilities. I believe that the modern Chinese is heavily characterized by post-socialism and, therefore, most of the work affiliated to it are a proof of post-socialist art in China. This study will carry out an assay on post-socialist art in China and the evidence contained in the artistic work from two perspectives. To begin with is the workings of the body politics followed by a family in disintegration. These two aspects do exploit the weakness in the society and encourage the comeback of repressed desires. Problem Statement Previous studies in the past related to post-socialist Chinese art have pointed to only one essential feature. This is the fiercely erosive and increasing process of urbanization. According to Robin Visser in her research work on the meaning of the new communist strategy to modernize China points out that for the countryside around major cities, there has been irrevocable reversion in the past three decades[Rob10]. The process of urbanization does produce a new way through which people see and perceive the world. The contemporary art in China is influenced by a post-socialist background regardless of the massive opposition to socialism and socialist realism. The contemporary art in China is therefore different from the contemporary art in postmodernism. This research work, on the other hand, will give a conclusive answer to the state of post-socialist in contemporary art. Research questions This study wishes to tackle some questions that will act as a guide. It will, therefore, look to answer the following questions in details. When did a post-socialist aspect gain root in the Chinese contemporary art? The study will also answer how a post-socialist perspective has influenced art in China and what are some of the evidence contained in Chinese art. Research methodology The study will look forward to carrying out a vast literature review on fifteen sources that focus on post-socialist Chinese art. At the end of the research, a clear picture of the post-socialism in Chinese art will be provided. Sources to be used in the study. The study incorporates a total of fifteen sources some of which have been cited in the introduction section of this work. These include work done by Boden (2014) on Chinese contemporary art. Another source is Braester (2010) that analyzes the urbanization aspect of post-socialism. Dirlik (1989) gives a good analysis of the post-socialism characteristics that are contained in Chinese contemporary art. Erjavec (2003) gives a review of the politicized artwork that took place in the post-socialist Chinese art. Foster (2004) is also another source that will be studied in an attempt to answer the formulated research questions. Peng (2006) and Hong (2013) provide a perfect review of Chinese contemporary art that suits this study. The study of Chinese literature and visual culture in terms of including a post-socialist aspect by Hsiao-peng (2007) will also be used for the study. Visser (2010), Neves (2012) and Lee (1999) give a clear reference to the urbanization aspect of post-socialism that this study wishes to expound on. McGrath (2008) worked on post-socialist modernity thus providing a key pillar for this study. The history of the Chinese avant-garde is of great importance in trying to find an answer for the questions as presented by Minglu (2007). The study will also use Zhang (2000) and Zhang (2008) to provide a vast analysis on post-socialist art. References Rob10: , (Visser, 2010), Read More