New China New Art (Revised Ed.)

Updated and expanded, this essential reference book critically surveys eighty of the most influential contemporary Chinese artists.

The rapid economic and cultural transformation of China during the past twenty years has created an art scene of unparalleled energy and global impact. Throwing off restrictions on subject matter, embracing a new freedom to experiment, but also preserving and expressing Chinese identity on a monumental scale, the new Chinese art has enjoyed an astonishing surge of commercial and critical success. With chapters organized by medium, including painting, sculpture and installation, photography, and performance, the book focuses on works by the most significant contemporary Chinese artists and offers a comprehensive critical assessment of one of the most dynamic art scenes in the world today. A preface placing the art in the context of the whirlwind changes in the country’s social and political environment, and a concluding critical appraisal make this book an authoritative and exciting introduction to art of the new China.