Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art

This subject examines art and visual culture in China from the early 19th to the end of the 20th century. Students are introduced to key art works by major figures and important social, cultural and political, factors that have shaped the making of art from the decline and fall of the Manchu-Qing dynasty (-1911) to the resurgent spirit of the People’s Republic of China (1949-). The changing contexts of production, circulation and reception including scholarly communion and exchange, public display and exhibition, and dissemination through mass media and the global marketplace are examined in relation to brush-and-ink painting, oil painting, printmaking, photography and globalised contemporary practice. A range of theoretical writings and methodological approaches show how modern and contemporary Chinese art reflects radical transformations, deep continuities and makes a fascinating contribution to world art.