The Party and the Arty in China: The New Politics of Culture (State and Society in East Asia)

In This Original Exploration Of The Dynamic And Potent Interface Between Chinese Culture And Politics, Richard Kraus Examines The Impact Of The Market On The Once-comprehensive System Of State Patronage Of The Arts In The Prc. The Author Uses All Genres Of Art To Explore The Changing Nature Of Politics, Seen Through Such Phenomena As Ideology, Propaganda, Censorship, And The Relationship Of Artists To The State. Kraus Makes Three Provocative Arguments: First, The Commercialization Of China's Cultural Life Has Been Intellectually Liberating, But Also Poses Serious Economic Challenges That Artists Are Sometimes Slow To Master. Second, Despite Conventional Wisdom In The West That China's Economic Reforms Have Not Been Followed By Serious Political Reform, He Shows That The Shift From State Patronage To A Mixed System Of Private And Public Sponsorship Is In Fact A Fundamental Political Change. Third, Western Recognition Of The Reformation In China's Cultural Life Has Been Obscured By A Combination Of Ignorance, Ideological Barriers, And Foreign Policy Rivalry. Cogent, Witty, And Deeply Informed, This Comprehensive Overview Of The Chinese Arts Scene Will Be An Essential Text For All Observers Of Contemporary China. Cultural Reform As An Afterthought -- The Waning Authority Of The Chinese State As Patron Of The Arts -- Normalizing Nudity -- The Chinese Censorship Game : New Rules For The Prevention Of Art -- Artists As Professionals -- The Price Of Beauty -- The Hands That Feed Them. Richard Curt Kraus. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "In this original exploration of the dynamic and potent interface between Chinese culture and politics, Richard Kraus examines the impact of the market on the once-comprehensive system of state patronage of the arts in the PRC. The author uses all genres of art to explore the changing nature of politics, seen through such phenomena as ideology, propaganda, censorship, and the relationship of artists to the state. Kraus makes three provocative arguments: First, the commercialization of China's cultural life has been intellectually liberating, but also poses serious economic challenges that artists are sometimes slow to master. Second, despite conventional wisdom in the West that China's economic reforms have not been followed by serious political reform, he shows that the shift from state patronage to a mixed system of private and public sponsorship is in fact a fundamental political change. Third, Western recognition of the reformation in China's cultural life has been obscured by a combination of ignorance, ideological barriers, and foreign policy rivalry. Cogent, witty, and deeply informed, this comprehensive overview of the Chinese arts scene will be an essential text for all observers of contemporary China"--Verso de la couverture Arguing that cultural reform is a key aspect of political reform, Richard Kraus shows here that China's economic transformation has dramatically liberated the production and consumption of culture. In this original and provocative study, Kraus offers a political analysis of Chinese culture that includes all genres of art. Surveying the evolution of China's cultural politics between 1979 and 2003, this book explores the complex relationship between money and art as exemplified by declining state arts patronage, changing standards for painting nudity, censorship, and the professionalization of a