Chinese Art and Its Encounter with the World : Negotiating Alterity in Art and Its Historical Interpretation

This book examines Chinese art from the mid-eighteenth century to the present. By means of a series of closely-focused case studies, often introducing previously marginalized aspects of Chinese visual culture, it analyzes Chinese art's encounter with the world, arguing that we cannot fully understand modern Chinese art without taking this larger global context into account. Annotation. This book examines Chinese art from the mid-eighteenth century to the present, beginning with discussion of a Chinese portrait modeler from Canton who traveled to London in 1769, and ending with an analysis of art and visual culture in post-colonial Hong Kong. By means of a series of six closely-focused case studies, often deliberately introducing non-canonical or previously marginalized aspects of Chinese visual culture, it analyzes Chinese art's encounter with the broader world, and in particular with the West. Offering more than a simple charting of influences, it uncovers a pattern of richly mutual interchange between Chinese art and its others. Arguing that we cannot fully understand modern Chinese art without taking this expanded global context into account, it attempts to break down barriers between areas of art history which have hitherto largely been treated within separate and often nationally-conceived frames. Aware that issues of cultural difference need to be addressed by art historians as much as by artists, it represents a pioneering attempt to produce an art historical writing which is truly global in approach. It hopes to appeal both to those with a special interest in modern Chinese art and those who are only now becoming aware of this fascinating but previously under-explored field The Book Offers A Bridge Into The Critical Understanding Of Modern Chinese Art Through Its Encounter With The World Beyond China's Borders. David Clarke Demonstrates Chinese Art's Interconnections With Western Cultures While Exploring Its Inherited Cultural Traditions And Internal Historical Change. The First Section Deals With The Cross-cultural Trajectories Of Individual Chinese Artists Who Traveled From China To The West And Then Returned. The Focus Then Shifts From The Movement Of Individual Artists Between Cultures To The Process By Which Specific Genres Of Western Art Have Been Interpreted. Chitqua: A Chinese Artist In Eighteenth-century London -- Cross-cultural Dialogue And Artistic Innovation: Teng Baiye And Mark Tobey -- Iconicity And Indexicality: The Body In Chinese Art -- Abstraction And Modern Chinese Art -- Illuminating Facades: Looking At Post-colonial Macau -- The Haunted City: Hong Kong And Its Urban Others In The Postcolonial Era. David Clarke. Includes Index The book offers a bridge into the critical understanding of modern Chinese art through its encounter with the world beyond China's borders. David Clarke demonstrates Chinese art's interconnections with Western cultures while exploring its inherited cultural traditions and internal historical change. The first section deals with the cross-cultural trajectories of individual Chinese artists who traveled from China to the West and then returned. The focus then shifts from the movement of individual artists between cultures to the process by which specific genres of Western art have been interpreted by Chinese artists. The final section illuminates the encounter of cultures via visual representations of Macau and Hong Kong. Contents 8 Acknowledgements 10 Introduction 12 Part I: Trajectories: Chinese artists and the West 24 Chapter 1: Chitqua: A Chinese artist in eighteenth-century London 26 Chapter 2: Cross-cultural dialogue and artistic innovation: Teng Baiye and Mark Tobey 96 Part II: Imported genres 124 Chapter 3: Iconicity and indexicality: The body in Chinese art 126 Chapter 4: Abstraction and modern Chinese art 144 Part III: Returning home: Cites between China and the world 176 Chapter 5: Illuminating facades: Looking at postcolonial Macau 178 Chapter 6: The haunted city: Hong Kong and its urban others in the postcolonial era 200 Notes 224 Index 264