That China will become the next world superpower has been the argument of economists for decades, and few now doubt the accuracy of such predictions. But since the Cultural Revolution, it has been felt by many that the arts have taken a back seat to economic growth and have been hidebound by policies enacted by the ruling Communist Party.
So what is the current role of the arts in China and how does it compare with the situation before and during the People’s Revolution? Have China’s art markets grown in proportion to economic growth and what does the art scene look like following China’s economic reforms and a relaxing of Party laws that suppressed art not sanctioned by the Party? And are there still signs of such censorship and stifling Government control?
A brief history of art in China
To appreciate the magnitude of the changes affecting Chinese art and culture in the latter half of the 20th Century it is useful to look at events in context. Here Thayer Watkins, economics lecturer at San Jose University, provides a synopsis of the economic and political changes that occurred during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).
It is inevitable that such tremendous upheaval should affect art and artists but the impact was magnified by steps the ruling Party took to allow only those forms of artistic expression which sought to elevate the accepted Maoist ideology. This two-page extract from Wendy A. Levine’s thesis, The Development of Beijing Opera During the Cultural Revolution gives some indication of the impact of the Revolution and Party interference with respect to Beijing opera, highlighting the suppression of non-conformist art and artists in the ten years 1966-1976, sometimes referred to as the Lost Decade.
However, as with all recorded instances of suppression there are always those who refuse to succumb, a critical factor in the ability of Chinese artists to reconnect with the past and reach into the future once restrictions are alleviated.
Economic liberalisation and increasing exposure to foreign investment, culture, and art has given rise to a new era of freedom for Chinese artists, many of whom began their careers as minions delivering Party propaganda.
The story of the Stars Group of Artists and their struggle for the right of artistic expression after the events of Tiananmen Square in 1979 shows the determination of their spirit.
The resourcefulness and entrepreneurship of Chinese artists is exemplified in one of the country’s most successful painters, the late Chen Yifei, who used the profits from his paintings to up the ante on his homeland’s sense of style.
One artist who is managing to blaze a trail at home and abroad is calligrapher Xu Bing, who uses the traditional art of calligraphy to give new expression to a world and society in flux. After years spent in self-imposed exile in the USA, Xu Bing’s return home is a sign of the times.
As an interesting aside, in this article, Professor Robert Mansfield of San Diego State University draws interesting parallels between moves to suppress artistic freedom in America and China, during the 70s and 80s respectively.
To move from our analysis of the factors which shaped Chinese recent art history into the present, we hear from McGill University’s Professor Francesca Dal Lago who describes what she has learned about contemporary Chinese art from studying the period of the Cultural Revolution. ‘For Western viewers wanting to appreciate Chinese art, Dal Lago has some useful advice: ‘Try to see just a work of art, don’t think of it as Chinese. That is probably the best service you can give to the artist.’
The times they are a changing
As China’s importance escalates, Western collectors of modern art are selectively beginning to acquire Chinese art. It seems evident that in the future, demand for this work will come from China’s growing middle classes. The Economist looked at the Chinese art investment scene recently.
In line with its growing economic status and in keeping with its heritage, government ministries are keen to represent the nation’s culture as proudly as possible on the world stage. As one of the most rapidly evolving cities in the country, Shanghai is leading the charge to reinstate its sense of cultural significance with an ambitious museum building project.
Measures in Shanghai aside, some newspapers are reporting a very different story in areas outside the main economic hubs. Which just goes to show that the art of what to leave in and what to omit from official communications is something the regime would probably like to think it has perfected.
A broad overview of the current state of China’s visual arts markets, both internal and overseas, can be found HERE. This report highlights some of the loopholes – such as artists’ selling for cash to private investors -; drivers – the first wave of economic prosperity of Chinese citizens since the Revolution – and barriers such as (restrictions placed on the sale of art by Party officials that have shaped the formation of these markets.
Light and sound
And then of course there’s the movies and music.
China’s film industry has not escaped the change and upheaval experienced by other sectors but, since foreign films were allowed to be screened (1995) and the fifth generation of Chinese film-makers began really stretching boundaries and exploring the medium, the future for this industry certainly has the potential to truly come of age in the new millennium. In this link, we get a glimpse of the many transitions that China’s film industry has gone through since its inception in 1913.
Joint ventures, such as the deal between Warner Brothers Pictures (USA) and the State-owned China Film Group Corporation, herald exciting times ahead in a medium that has been embraced by young Chinese creatives.
Statistics listed in this China Daily article indicate a strong future for the industry, but with foreign films set to flood the market, quality products will be the hallmark of success and box office takings.
In music, China has come a long way since the days of the Cultural Revolution when Western classical music was played on pain of death. He late virtuoso violinist, Isaac Stern, eloquently traces the journey in the Academy Award winning documentary From Mao to Mozart.
And in a country where music has been so important, perhaps the most striking indication of the cultural revolution that has taken place since the Cultural Revolution is the emergence of a rock and roll subculture, personified by Cui Jian.
In this link, young American musician Matthew Corbin Clark tells of a decade of collaboration with Chinese rock musicians, including Cui Jian, and supplies audio tracks of five of the top bands on the current Beijing scene.
Into the future
Given a regime that has suppressed genuine expressions of creativity, it is not surprising that China is years, if not generations behind where it would otherwise be in terms of productivity and market share. But as the country embraces its newfound prosperity the importance of art is being recognised, and after decades of restrictions new ways of approaching art without reference to the Party manifesto are being explored by artists and embraced by their own people.
The ‘Big Head’ art movement is looked at as a movement that expresses the changing values that see the individual as more important than the group (something that would have been unthinkable, and very dangerous, until quite recently).
Having been through the turmoil of the Revolution, politics is integral to the mindset and work of nearly all Chinese artists. At a recent exhibition of contemporary Chinese artists at Stanford University, the emphasis was on interpreting life and views in China.
With the memory of Tiananmen Square receding but not forgotten, China’s artistic community is now moving forward without fear.
