About this resource:
How does art reflect and respond to social transformation? The 1980s was an important period in the establishment of today’s China, where changing ideologies led to shifts in social and cultural values and expressions.
Content of this video is derived from Teaching Labs: Contemporary Context Series talk "China 1980s: Art in the Age of Social Transformation", which is part of the Contemporary Context Series.
Speaker: Anthony Yung, AAA Researcher
Voice Over: Janet Chan
Language: Cantonese
Total Length: 54 minutes
I. The development of art in China in the early 20th century
Length: 12 minutes
Keywords:
Realism, Socialism, New Cultural Movement, Yan’an Art Movement, New Year Illustration Movement, propaganda, Soviet Union's socialist realism, revolutionary romanticism and revolutionary realism
Supplementary materials: Materials of the Future: Documenting Contemporary Chinese Art from 1980-1990
II. The major shifts in social and cultural values and expressions during the 1980s
Length: 27 minutes
Keywords:
Pragmatism, experimentalism, retaining traditional medium, ontological revolution, hyperrealism, paintings of peasants and minorities, memories of the Cultural Revolution (e.g. struggle sessions), anti-realism, self-taught artists, self-organised exhibitions, abstraction, installation art, proposal art
III. Extended research topics on the evolution of social attitudes and ways of thinking
Length: 15 minutes
Keywords:
Research Topic 1: Art schools-- pedagogy and libraries
Research Topic 2: Significant areas in China
Research Topic 3: Foreign exhibitions
Research Topic 4: Reading and publications
Supplementary materials: Interview with Zhang Xiaogang
Guided questions:
- How would you compare the context of art development in 1980's China with your own cultural background?
- What comparisons can be drawn between the art of China and that of your own country?
Publishing date: 19 Apr 2017
