'Avant-garde' Art Groups in China, 1979-1989

by Paul Gladston

Overview

This book gives a critical account of four of the most significant avant-garde Chinese art groups and associations of the late 1970s and ’80s. It is made up largely of conversations conducted by the author with members of these organizations that provide insight into the circumstances of artistic production during the decade leading up to the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989. The conversations are supported by an extended introduction and other comprehensive notes that give a detailed overview of the historical circumstances under which the groups and associations developed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781841507156
Publisher:	Intellect, Limited
Publication date:	05/15/2013
Pages:	155
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Paul Gladston is associate professor of critical theory and visual culture in the Department of Culture, Film, and Media at the University of Nottingham.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vii

About the Author ix

Introduction 1

China's Post-Maoist 'Avant-garde' in Context: Modern and Contemporary Art in China, 1911-2011 9

The Stars-The Northern Art Group-The Pond Association-Xiamen Dada 37

The Stars (Xingxing) 39

Conversations with Members of the Stars Yan Li Qu Leilei 46

The Northern Art Group (Beifang yishu qunti) 83

Conversations with Members of the Northern Art Group Wang Guangyi Shu Qun Ka Sang 88

The Pond Association (Chi she) 121

Conversations with Members of the Pond Association Zhang Peili Wang Qiang Song Ling 126

Xiamen Dada (Xiamen Dada ) 159

A Conversation with Members of Xiamen Dada Huang Yongping Yu Xiaogang Lin Jiahua Jiao Yaoming 164

References 177

Index 185

Editorial Reviews

‘Avant-Garde’ Art Groups in China, 1979-1989 is one of the most thought-provoking books on the subject of contemporary Chinese art. It addresses head-on the problematic identity and cultural politics of contemporary Chinese art in the late 1970s and 1980s. At the same time, it gives reader unfamiliar with the field a theoretically sophisticated introduction. A must-read even for those already familiar with pressing issues related to globalization and contemporary art in general.

Jason C. Kuo

Paul Gladston is one of the few, among many, writers on contemporary Chinese art whom I really find worth reading and thinking about.”

Jerome Silbergeld

Gladston’s interviews will be of value to readers seeking to understand the roots of contemporary Chinese art. . . . an excellent sourcebook through which to discover the contentious, politicized discourse of Chinese artistic modernity in the 1980s.

Journal of Asian Studies