Chinese Contemporary Art is Symbolic of a Changing Market
Posted on 23 December 2009 | By Richard Friswell
Landscape, HUANG Gong Wang (1269-1354 C.E)
Ancient pictographs depict China as the Land of the Middle Kingdom, suspended half way between heaven and earth and blessed by splendid isolation from the rest of the world. In this century, this sprawling nation of 1.3 billion sits squarely in the real world, striving to find a place and a voice in a vast and rapidly-expanding global economic marketplace. In spite of its transition to new-found prosperity, China remains a country of stark contrasts. The language of wealth, materialism and a new-found lifestyle for a privileged few co-exists with the poverty and illiteracy of a far-flung and uninformed rural populous, divided, as it were, by language and centuries of isolation and ethnic conflict.
The hide-bound and myopic patriarchal leadership of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) regularly co-mingles with the rapidly-emerging intellectual and business communities of the urban centers of financial power and influence; each continues to view the other warily and with mutual distrust. Both factions of the political/social divide, however, reap the enhanced financial and political benefits that free trade policies offer. Additionally, more open access to unfiltered news, spawned by the technology of the Information Age, lurks in the background as an omnipresent threat to the reins of control customarily applied to the general population. In spite of this uneasy shift to social transparency for the power-elite, China continues to transition from economic oblivion; emerging as a major sphere-of-influence on the international playing field, far exceeding anything they could have envisioned for themselves—this once-remotest of lands– given a national legacy veiled in mystery, spaning five millennia.
Pop Recruiting poster by WANG Guangyi, 2002; one of the 4 Kings
China’s long history places a premium on tradition and old-world values. These principles of personal anonymity, isolationism and secrecy, loyalty to political dogma, ancestral worship and strong family values have served as both a mainstay and a barrier to progress over the years. Twentieth century politics in China has been dominated by leaders, like Mao Zedong, who have been able to effectively capitalize on these cultural norms: to control agricultural production, promote political loyalty and limit free-thinking. The decade-long Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) proved deadly for those who embraced remnants of the feudal past or proclaimed any modicum of liberal, artistic, religious or intellectual thought that did not tow the party line.
Factory workers in one of thousands of factories springing up in the Chinese countryside
Following Mao’s death in 1976, there was a period of social and industrial experimentation under the direction of Deng Xiaoping, as he attempted to strengthen China’s standing in the world as an economic power. By the 1980s, China had earned “most favored nation” status with the U.S. and, with that, information, outside investment, retail brands and all forms of pop culture began to pour into the country. The establishment of Special Economic Zones in larger coastal cities, such as Hong Kong and Shanghai introduced the Chinese to Western economic opportunities and to the development of a new concept—an emerging middle class created by successful business ventures. With the government’s response to the student protests in Tiananmen Square in 1992, much of the creative energy within the artistic community went underground. What followed was a decade of government-sponsored crackdowns and a return to old-school, “Great Wall” isolationism. This only appeared to end during the period leading up to the arrival of the Summer Olympics in Bejjing in 2008 and the emergence of China’s new face as a manufacturer and exporter of goods in the global marketplace in the early years of this new century. The West, and particularly the United States, eagerly sought out the limitless supply of cheap labor and production capacity that China now offered; as the recipients of this largess withing the PRC quickly moved to embrace the once-forbidden capitalistic market model.
WANG Guangyi Untitled, 1986
So, what accounts for the rapid emergence of a new generation of artists, living and working in a country that, for all intents and purposes, has a reputation for not supporting or even welcoming creative or independent expression? Furthermore: if contemporary Chinese art is being so fiercely sought after in today’s market, how is it that this market trend arrived so abruptly and without the usual early warning signs that accompany any significant sea-change in the insular and self-informed world of fine art?
For the answers to those complex questions, I went to Lillian and Jeff Lum, owners of the Greenwich, Connecticut-based, Art Touch Collection. There, I learned that contemporary Chinese art is as varied as its Western counterpart and, like that more familiar model, has its highly-visible personalities, auction house favorites and celebrities. But also, like the Euro/American scene, there are many Chinese, Taiwanese and other Asian artists who are laboring quietly in the vineyards, producing credible and beautiful work.
LIU Wei, Landscape,1998
Lillian explains that, “It is remarkable that a body of such experimental work can be turned out by a group of artists whose formal training has such traditional roots. The art academies and universities continue to teach traditional Chinese methods, including brush painting, calligraphy and print making. These methods were, by their nature, expressionless, uniform in their composition and guided by strict rules. The political climate in the late 70s was just open enough, however, to allow a handful of young post-Mao artists to experiment with techniques and themes that were informed by Western ideas at the time. Thematically, they remained fundamentally Chinese, but the work began to challenge old ideas of authority, identity and tradition.”
“Historically, Chinese artists produced work and gave it away to friends, family and members of the royal order,” Lillian says, “but in the modern world, with increased attention for ‘things Chinese’, these artists found a modestly enthusiastic market for what they were producing.” A number of shows were planned and mounted in the 80s, but most were shut down by the State after just a few days or weeks. The events of Tiananmen Square in 1992 brought the public display of experimental art to an abrupt end. But colonies of artists continued the debate and produced work that found a modest and cautious audience in the country, itself.
FENG Zhengjie, Chinese Portrait #28, 2004
It was the Shanghai Biennale in 2000 that once again opened the doors to the world for the experimental art community in China. Following that event, and fueled by a robust global economy and China’s prominent role in that resurgence, contemporary Chinese artists were increasingly legitimized through international shows, major auction house activity and collector interest.
XU Bing, Book from the Sky, 1987-91
“The difficulty comes in how to benchmark this work,” explains Lum. “With such a rapid expansion in interest and perceived value for the work of these artists, it is hard to know if it will be sustainable. The model for sale of art in China, itself, relies little on standard outlets such as galleries and dealers, except in the largest cities. In too many cases it is possible to buy art directly from the artist—leaving little or no ongoing track record of consistent valuation. Also, the Chinese auction houses are not carefully controlled, so sale prices can be artificially manipulated by private arrangements between the artist and the house, or by outside buyers who ultimately represent the interests of the artist,”
“A steep ramp-up in pricing probably means that the artist is not ‘bankable’ in the long run. That is why it is important to collect Chinese artists with an eye toward established market presence in the West, consistent output over time and quality,” says Lum. “The market has its favorites and there is a group called, The Four Kings, consisting of ZHANG Xiaogang, YNE Minjun, CAI Guo-Qiang and WANG Guangyi. They will continue to command high prices in Western galleries and auctions, at least for a while. Beyond that, there are many Chinese artists turning out meaningful work that is worth owning.”
But, in the long run, important segments of a rapidly-growing Chinese artistic community are exhibiting the willingness and ability to bring a carefully-considered body of work to the marketplace and have it stand on its own against the best that Western markets have to offer. In recent comments at Columbia University, by world-renowned artist Xu Bing, he stated that innovation stands on equal footing with tradition in Chinese artistry. “Like the mythical Phoenix of legend, China and Chinese art will rise from the ashes of our recent past and take its place in Western consciousness,” he declared with a broad smile.
by Richard Friswell, Editor-in-Chief
To see more contemporary Chinese and Japanese art, go to: www.arttouchcollection.com
