Liu Xiaodong: New Pictures of the "Ugly Chinaman"

Leonardo, 2010

2009

This dissertation has three goals. The first is to chart the artistic life of Pang Xunqin (1906-1985) and his art works from 1929 to 1946. Pang's metamorphosis from an aspiring young artist in Paris and Shanghai in the 1920s and 30s, into an artist in his own right, a graphic designer, an educator, and a scholar of the history of Chinese art and craft, while ceaselessly trying to renew himself-all this is a record that deserves an art Notes to the Reader All translations are by the author of this dissertation, unless otherwise indicated. Chinese names appear in Chinese name order with the family name first, e.g., Pang Xunqin, except for authors of English-language publications or authors who write primarily in English, e.g., Shu-mei Shih. Chinese terms and names are romanized using the pinyin system. Other forms of spelling, if commonly known would be indicated in brackets. v Acknowledgments This dissertation would not have come to fruition without assistance and blessings from the four corners of the globe. I am taking this opportunity to remind myself of my good fortune and of the individuals who have lent a helping hand along the way. In China, I especially want to thank Professor Pang Tao, who graciously agreed to meet me in the summer of 2007 and who patiently, during my interview and in our subsequent email exchanges, answered many questions regarding her father, Pang Xunqin, the artist at the center of this study. Her grace and elegance and her artistic passion and enthusiasm echo the qualities of her artist parents that I was too young to meet and yet became so familiar with, particularly Pang Xunqin through his artworks and writings. I am especially grateful to Professor Shao Dazheng, who, in his ever demanding administrative and academic capacity, still remembers my work and sends me valuable references. My disciple-like gratitude goes to Professor Chen Ruilin, who kindly helped me make necessary contacts for my research in China and guided me through many enlightening conversations we had in Beijing, illuminating my thoughts on Pang Xunqin.

Ars Orientalis is a peer-reviewed annual volume of scholarly articles on the art and archaeology of Asia, the ancient Near East, and the Islamic world. It is published jointly by the Freer and Sackler Galleries and the University of Michigan Department of History of Art. Fostering a broad range of topics and approaches through themed issues, the journal is intended for scholars in diverse fields. Ars Orientalis provides a forum for new scholarship, with a particular interest in work that redefines and crosses boundaries, both spatial and temporal. Authors are asked to follow The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition.

2018

The China Journal, 2011

Western understandings of the trajectory of Chinese art following Mao’s death in 1976 have been hampered by several factors. A persistent element is the propensity of Western art historians and critics to impose Western historical patterns, esthetic standards and critical methods to the analysis of Chinese art, its production and expression. This tendency was exacerbated by China’s closing to the West after 1949, which discouraged scholarship and Chinese language study and resulted in a 30-year hiatus in scholarly communications and firsthand knowledge—a situation that invited imagination and speculation that favored an obsessive preference in the West for art that could be interpreted as politically subversive. When China re-opened in the 1980s, scholars of contemporary Chinese art faced the further problem of trying to make sense of an anarchic disarray of theories and practices rushing in to fill the vacuum afforded by the collapse of Marxism-Leninism-Mao-Zedong ideology. The prolific but scattered writings and publications by Chinese artists, critics and theorists were accessible only to those few who already possessed a high level of Chinese language facility including the specially nuanced vocabulary of the art world, as well as a wide-ranging and balanced network of interpersonal contacts. This volume addresses the need for wider access to primary Chinese sources by readers of English.

This essay gives a general view, examines, and discusses the life and works of Xu Bing and his social, cultural, and historical events that made an impact on his life. Xu Bing is a prominent contemporary Chinese artist celebrated for his innovative use of language and visual art. By examining, discussing his major works and the social, economic, political factors that influenced his career, and incorporating opinions from various scholars and references from relevant literature, this study aims to provide an understanding of the affects and consequences of Xu Bing's art as a successful artist and things that contribute, cause, and provide incentives to the existence of such an artist in Chinese society.

2011

Edited exhibition catalogue with three essays, available on the author's personal website

2008

Reviewing Xu Beihong's four history paintings-Tian Heng and His Five Hundred Followers (1928-30), The Astute Judge o/Horse (1931), Awaiting/or Deliverer (1930-33), and The Foolish Old Man Removing the Mountain (1940)-through an interdisciplinary approach, this study examines the relationships among the artist, his works, and the circumstances in which these paintings were rendered. Better understanding this intrigue relationships leads to three trajectories of "re-imagining" that are set apart from conventional paradigms in Chinese art history: the hybrid style that embodies both tradition and modernity, the complex subject-matter that embraces both past and present, and the link with the "imagined community" that enkindles a national consciousness both within and outside ofChina.

Made in China , 2019

Cartoon master Lu Zhixiang’s artistic production offers notable glimpses into timeless aspects of Shanghai’s metropolitan modernisation in the 1930s, providing particular insight into the plight of the underclasses. In this essay, Martina Caschera argues that Lu’s work is not only particularly representative of the ideal approach to artistic creation strongly upheld by leftist intellectuals in that epoch, but can also be useful as we reflect on the social dynamics of present-day China.