The Real Thing

For many in the West, Chinese contemporary art is still synonymous with the political realist painters of the 1980s and 90s, who recycled the styles of communist social Realism with pop cynicism. In China itself, the speed of change in technology, architecture, industry and lifestyle has been matched by extraordinary developments in the arts. The embracing of modern technologies and a widespread openness to the history of Western art has combined with distinctly Chinese traditions and concerns to forge entirely new forms of expression in the new century. Placing this huge variety of work in the context of the art of previous decades, the author examine the different modes of production, artist groups, market systems and infrastructure that shape artistic production in China and maek it unique in the world today. With widespread and increasing fascination in the West for all things Chinese and with Chinese art now increasingly dominant in auction houses and exhibition spaces across the globe, this is a vital guide for all those interested in Chinese art today.