Economics and contemporary Chinese art
Zeng Fanzhi sets a great example to demonstrate how he has benefited from the globalization under economic development in China. Zeng Fanzhi is a contemporary Chinese artist born in Wuhan, China. He attended one of the most prestigious art schools in China – Hubei Academy of Fine Arts, where he had the chance to experience art from all around the globe and was deeply intrigued by the beauty of Expressionism. Zeng Fanzhi is most renowned for his ‘Mask’ series. Expressionist element is clearly displayed by the mask, which is the centre of focus in this series. Characters in this series are often in small groups or a single person. The painting above is called ‘We, No.6’; however, there is only one young student standing amongst a field of flowers. Without looking at the mask, the painting appears at first glance to convey the bright future of this young man and epitomize the success in the new Chinese economy. Then, we soon realized the solitude for the person wearing mask – he is placed in this fake world of happiness, but in fact, his vulnerability and isolation are clearly conveyed through the expressionist exaggeration of the mask and painter’s new technique of using a palette knife as a paintbrush. 94 Another positive effect caused by China’s growing economy is the crowding-in of foreign investment. China is, geographically, the fourth largest country in the world, resting across four time-zones; in terms of population, China is way ahead in the lead with about 1.3 billion – there is almost a Chinese per five heads in the world. These natural advantages not only helped China’s rapid economic growth (with rich resources, cheap labour and massive demand), but also signalled foreign investors that there is plenty of gold to dig in China. In the 21 st century, almost every foreign firm is trying to crack into the Chinese market. Yet, this phenomenon continues to expand from the industrial market to the business of art. Foreign investors are not purchasing Chinese art for the sake of appreciating its artistic value; however, they are convinced that the commercial potential of Chinese art is guaranteed. Is it a bad thing for Chinese contemporary art? Not really. With the extortionate price, it is destined that massive attention will be paid on the study of Chinese contemporary art, especially the hidden messages which only sinologists could fully comprehend.
94 http://www.shanghartgallery.com/galleryarchive/texts/id/157
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