Art in China (I)

 

 

Western influence in the last 100 years has spawned a series of modern trends in Chinese art, which have changed its function and style.

 

Art was an important component of traditional Chinese culture; in particular, India ink painting reflected philosophical representations of world and order.

 

Art emphasized harmony and agreement with nature. In traditional China art served mostly for personal perfection and character formation. This is still visible in the Chinese character "Yi Shu"  for art, "Yi" meaning agricultural cultivation, and "Shu" meaning "ability" with readiness to adapt to the laws of nature. Unlike in Western art, the moment of creation is much less important in Chinese art.

 

In the first half of the 20th Century, the Western trend adopted by Chinese art attempted to change society and carried political aims, which made a break with tradition and culminated in a "socialist realism" with no future. Starting with the Chinese economic liberalization in the late 70s, a free market in art has grown that has become an interesting part of the world art market.

 

This has created a few Chinese stars whose works command very high prices. Based on the principle that "money follows art and art follows money," the demand for art has grown in China. Artists in China are still supported by the government, as often in the West, but artists who rely on the free market are becoming more numerous.

 

The two central means of expression in Chinese art may be summarized as "Xie Yi," meaning "writing ideas" to express their essence, and "Xie Shi," meaning "writing reality" to represent their external appearance.