Contemporary Chinese Art: A History

Product Description In this first systematic introduction to contemporary Chinese art, Wu Hung provides an accessible, focused and much-needed narrative of the development of Chinese art across all media from the 1970s to the 2000s. From its underground genesis during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), contemporary Chinese art has become a dynamic and hugely influential force in a globalized art world where the distinctions between Eastern and Western culture are rapidly collapsing. The book is a richly illustrated and easy-to-navigate chronological survey that considers contemporary Chinese art both in the context of China's specific historical experiences and in a global arena. Wu Hung explores the emergence of avant-garde or contemporary art - as opposed to officially sanctioned art - in the public sphere after the Cultural Revolution; the mobilization by young artists and critics of a nationwide avant-garde movement in the mid-1980s; the re-emphasis on individual creativity in the late 1980s, the heightened spirit of experimentation of the 1990s; and the more recent identification of Chinese artists, such as Ai Weiwei, as global citizens who create works for an international audience. Table of Contents Introduction • Part 1 1970s–1980s: 1. Beyond the Revolution; 2. 85 Art New Wave; 3. Rebirth of the Artist • Part 2 1990s: 4. A Contemporary Turn; 5. An Age of Experimentation: Return of the Real; 6. An Age of Experimentation: Redefining Chinese Art • Part 3 1990s–2000s: 7. Contemporary Chinese Art Beyond China; 8. Conversation With Tradition; 9. After Normalization • Conclusion Review A stunning publication that could well become a classic. --Burlington Magazine Emphasises an individual's sense of agency in the face of dominant forces. --Critique d'art From the Back Cover In this first systematic introduction to contemporary Chinese art, Wu Hung provides an accessible, focused and much-needed narrative of the development of Chinese art across all media from the 1970s to the 2000s. From its underground genesis during the Cultural Revolution (196676), contemporary Chinese art has become a dynamic and hugely influential force in a globalized art world where the distinctions between Eastern and Western culture are rapidly collapsing. The book is a richly illustrated and easy-to-navigate chronological survey that considers contemporary Chinese art both in the context of Chinas specific historical experiences and in a global arena. Wu Hung explores the emergence of avant-garde or contemporary art as opposed to officially sanctioned art in the public sphere after the Cultural Revolution About the Author Wu Hung is the Harrie A. Vanderstappen Distinguished Service Professor in Art History and East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Director of the Center for the Art of East Asia and Consulting Curator at the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago. His many books include 'Remaking Beijing: Tiananmen Square and the Creation of a Political Space', 'Transience: Chinese Experimental Art at the End of the Twentieth Century' and (with Christopher Phillips) 'Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video from China'. He has curated many international exhibitions of Chinese art. Peggy Wang is Assistant Professor of Art History at Denison University.