Conceptual Art

Although the special stage of social transformation and the deep accumulation of history in contemporary China will provide many conceptual touchpoints for artistic creation, the conceptual content expressed in conceptual art works is not complicated. Roughly, the themes are as follows: the political, economic and cultural differences and confrontations between the East and the West; the memory of social changes; the alienation of people and the loss of identity in the modern society; the skepticism and rebellion against the orthodox culture and the mainstream cultural system; the critique of the popular culture in the age of consumerism; the environmental protection; the feminism, etc. Therefore, the social conceptual significance of the art works is not limited to the conceptual content of the art works. Therefore excessive attention to the meaning of social concepts in art works is unnecessary. In a short-term historical stage and a specific political environment, concepts are absolutely slow to be updated and advanced, and wasting time on these established issues can only be a confusing practice for lame critics who are rigid in their thinking and have a low perception of the works they produce, and who are often tongue-tied. They hardly take into account the difficulty and persistence of artists in formalizing their ideas when creating works, and the similarity of conceptual content urges artists to build on form.

Appreciation of Conceptual ArtWith regard to the phenomenon of using traditional Chinese cultural resources in conceptual art, many critics have sharply criticized the practice, deriding it as "spring rolls" and "exported porcelain" (Li Xianting); "Chinese stalls" (Wang Nanming); "Oriental masks and young children selling art" (Zhang Qiang); "Chinese cards" and so on. It means that the use of Chinese culture is a kind of pandering to the Western exhibitions and curators' appreciation of interest, a kind of pandering to satisfy the Westerners' "alternative" tastes and ideological curiosity, and a kind of extremely market-oriented and utilitarian production and sale transactions. We can't deny that there are many people in contemporary art who use the poor "superficial Chinese interest" to deceive the world art world, as discussed in the previous chapter of this article. However, it would be too subjective and one-sided if these charges were indiscriminately imposed on all artists and works that bear the imprint of Chinese culture in their form. It can only be understood that the critics have turned their research and judgment into whining and ranting, holding preconceived emotions and a sense of personal favoritism, and having lost the ability to seriously examine and discern the concepts and methodologies of art history. Moreover, they have neither objective standards nor effective solutions to the problem in their loud crusade. This kind of biased critical point of view has a terrible adverse effect on artistic creation in the special period when contemporary art is seeking development and communication. It is equivalent to letting us abandon our mother tongue to talk to others, and in the end, we can only lose our personality and be at a loss due to the lack of language. Using traditional cultural resources is an inevitable choice for contemporary art in order to emphasize individual style and identity. Pop Art utilizes American consumer culture, Abstract Expressionism reflects American freedom and impatience, and Beuys demonstrates German rationality and esoteric traditions. Are we to deny them their place in art history simply because they formally utilize their own country's cultural resources? Painter Chen Danqing (who has lived and worked in the United States for a long time) made a far-reaching rejoinder to the above criticism: "If we don't play the Chinese card, are we going to play the American card?" Cai Guoqiang, on the other hand, rightly pointed out that Americans are also playing the American card. It is inconceivable that the concepts of Chinese artists and the characteristics of Chinese art can be successfully expressed by using the resources of other countries or cultures. Oriental culture has already initiated the transformation of Western modern art forms since Post-Impressionism, so why can't the initial creation of the formal language of Chinese conceptual art be accomplished by the practice of using traditional cultural resources? If Chinese contemporary art loses its identity in terms of form, it can no longer have the need to exist and the opportunity to develop.

The idea of using traditional culture is not a contingency expressed by the success of a few artists and the phenomenon of a few international exhibitions, but it is a "group creative practice strategy" with the inevitability of art history in this historical stage. The strategy is the artist's methodological appeal, an active and spontaneous creative conscience. Conceptual artists must find a form of expression that properly conveys their concepts and is very different from the Western formal language. This is a thought that all Chinese artists cannot escape in the face of the trend of art diversification, the reality of the international marginalization of Chinese art, and the demand for dialogue and confrontation with the Western cultural centers. Like a war there must be a correct tactic. So it is necessary for us to examine the real reasons for the generation of such tactics, and then highlight its necessity. Taking China's national and cultural characteristics and the state of contemporary art, the reasons can be categorized into two parts: social and cultural backgrounds and individual artists' factors.

I. Social and Cultural Background

(1) Globalization of the World Economy and Cultural Pluralism

The globalization of the world economy has led to the enjoyment of scientific and technological resources as well as the import and export of culture. The meaning and function of "culture" have been expanded infinitely. The Western world's political inhibition and ideological conflict against socialist China was transformed in this context into peaceful cultural post-colonialism and control of discourse. Western capitalist culture, supported by economic and political power, of course became the mainstream of world culture, and cultures other than it were naturally defined as non-mainstream. It is difficult for the mainstream strong culture to complete the great unification, and the existence and development of the weak culture must be allowed and acknowledged, which forms the state of cultural pluralism and coexistence in globalization. Chinese culture and art are obviously in the position of non-mainstream culture, and this idea has been y rooted in the minds of intellectuals since the Opium War. The art world has always had a tendency to "self-colonize" by taking the path of progress by "combining East and West". Contemporary artists also feel the opportunities and challenges posed by marginalized cultures and heterogeneous identities, and the mentality of struggle and confrontation is hidden and engraved in every artist's heart. The works are invariably branded with the idea that non-mainstream culture must be different from mainstream culture.

Technology and culture*** have provided Chinese artists with the latest trends and methods of Western contemporary art, making it possible for them to be on the same starting line as Western artists in terms of creative concepts and media technology. However, this possibility is a double-edged sword that can be relied upon to fight for the international status of Chinese contemporary art, but it is also necessary to be constantly on guard against its interference and control. China's special conditions provide artists with special conceptual content, and traditional culture has become a distinctive formal characteristic that separates it from Western art clichés.

(2) The Abundance of Traditional Culture and the Involvement of Modern Culture

The fruits of traditional Chinese culture and its position in world culture need no introduction. Philosophy, aesthetics, art forms, and material materials are a rich heritage left to the present generation, which is not possessed by other countries and nations. In contrast, after the May Fourth Movement, Chinese culture rejected tradition and folklore in the revolutionary movement against feudalism, pursued the "science" and "progress" of Western culture, and gradually lost its "autonomy". It gradually lost its "autonomy" and became a replica of the "past tense" of Western culture. Modern reform and opening up, while developing a market economy and reducing the distance between China and the developed world, has further degraded Chinese culture, making it an accessory of the West. Contemporary Chinese culture is not representative of any art form.

The primary task of the conceptual art form, outside of the expression of ideas, is to be culturally typical, i.e., to condense and generalize cultural symbols. The autonomy of modern Chinese culture makes the choice of such typicality only turn to the precipitated traditional culture and rare folk culture.

(III) The Shift in the Trend of Modern and Contemporary Art

The process of artistic development in China during the 20 years from 1979 to 1999, with 1989 as the boundary, was characterized by a change in trend. The artistic ideology of pursuing change resulted in the reawakening and reapplication of traditional culture in the latter decade. The art trend from the end of the Cultural Revolution to the 85 New Wave of Art was summarized by the theoretical circles as "rebellion", which included the reflection on the non-humanist political movement (Scars Art) and the revolt against the backward and dogmatic orthodoxy of art creation (85 New Wave of Art). The whole trend was to find a way of freedom outside of the confines of art. It did not exclude the blind worship of the newly introduced Western philosophy, aesthetics, and art styles, and the radical behavior of subverting the "tradition" into the "orthodox" scope. But when these new explorations and experiments were mercilessly dealt a blow in 1989 (the Chinese Modern Art Exhibition was twice forced to close due to the impact of the artworks on social habits), the artists became clear about the fact that they were not the only ones who were not in a state of shock with their artworks. It became clear to the artists that absolute freedom and ontological experimentation in art could not survive under the dual constraints of political interference and cultural lag. The collapse of the dream of "breaking the orthodoxy" also meant that the "Dada" style of creative thinking left no valuable approach to Chinese contemporary art, except for its shock value and enlightening effect. The cruel reality forces artists to rethink the possibility of art development, and the key lies in changing "breaking" into "constructing". The key is to turn "breaking" into "constructing". The capital for constructing is naturally the combination of Western methods and Chinese representative culture. Thus, re-examining the usable components of traditional culture and returning to the tradition became the artists' **** knowledge, which then expanded into a generalized leading idea and trend of art creation.

Second, the personal factor of artists

The success of famous artists and the establishment of their personal style can also be found in the inevitable reasons for the use of traditional resources. Their formal language and creative strategies influenced those who came after them.

(1) The identity of the artist includes the following four points:

1 ⒈ College education Most contemporary Chinese artists engaged in installation, performance, and visual art have received higher art education from art colleges. This identity background has laid the foundation for their considerable basic art techniques and knowledge reserves, as well as artistic thinking and appreciation. It also determines their admiration for traditional Chinese art. From such a starting point, they will inevitably walk out of a strict, classical contemporary practice path that pursues profound meaning and emphasizes formal creation.

Peak Cultural Background The intellectual spirit of Chinese artists and their love and mastery of Chinese culture form the breeding ground for the concepts and forms of their works - the cultural background. Xu Bing's loyalty to Zen's "gradual enlightenment" produced "The Book of Heaven"; Wu Shanzhuan's preference for Zen's "epiphany" and "public case" achieved "Red Humor"; Huang Yongping's study of the I Ching developed the "Carousel Series"; and the Chinese artists' love of Chinese culture and their mastery of it constitute the breeding ground for the concepts and forms of their works. Huang Yongping's study of the I Ching developed the Carousel Series; Lv Shengzhong's fascination with folk paper-cutting and sorcery manifested itself in Invocation of Souls. The vastness and depth of Chinese culture makes an artist benefit greatly from taking a leaf of it, and even determines the direction of his art for a period of time.

3 Life Experience Most of the artists who utilize traditional Chinese resources were born in the 1950s and 1960s, and have experienced social upheaval and change, and generally possess a critical spirit and a strong Chinese national spirit. Life experience (including life experience, personal character, and living environment) also influences the artist's choice of form. Cai Guoqiang grew up in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, where the custom of firecrackers in his hometown and the experience of the Kinmen Cannon Battle led him to specialize in the form of gunpowder. Lü Shengzhong, who nearly drowned at a young age, has made witchcraft "invocations" and the sense of life a theme of his work. The Chinese character of his work is all the more important for an artist who has moved to the West, where he is at the forefront of the cultural confrontation between East and West.

Sung Specialization This is mostly related to the artist's artistic education. The specialization of the artist's school has a direct impact on the way they use materials and the way they express themselves in their works. Each artist will only choose the techniques and materials he or she is comfortable with. Cai Guoqiang and Chen Zhen, who studied stage art design, are adept at utilizing ready-made products to form large-scale installations, incorporating a variety of sensory forms and media, and integrating time and space. They are also good at manipulating the atmosphere to make the works blend in with the environment. This is due to their specialized knowledge. Xu Bing's expertise in printmaking made the creation of The Book of Heaven possible. Gu Wenda's training in Chinese painting made the effect of brush and ink his eternal aesthetic pursuit.

(2) The artist's creative strategy Includes the following two aspects:

⒈ Creative considerations The artist must consider the unique style of the work that distinguishes it from previous art in art history and the establishment of his own identity. Contemporary Chinese art must maintain a distance from Western modern and contemporary art, and the personal style of contemporary artists must be different from Western artists. Therefore, it is never a panacea to unilaterally fight the East with the West, and it is necessary to change the Western form with the Eastern face, to use the traditional culture to reconstruct the contemporary form, and to complete the contemporary release of the national culture in the artistic language.

Peak acceptance considerations In this contemporary "age of criticism", creation has to take into account the acceptance of critics and the audience. It is obviously unwise for a Chinese to use Western formal language in the West, and it is difficult to surpass the creations of Western artists. The use of Western formal language in China is even more likely to be criticized as imitation and incompetence. Exploiting the contemporary formal values of traditional resources will be better received in both East and West. Critics can also fully utilize their knowledge of culture and art history to select, promote, and interpret works.

In summary, the sum of all the reasons is the real driving force for traditional resources to become the language of contemporary art, and the exploration of Chinese contemporary art and the success of some of the artists under its action have pointed out a direction or at least provided valuable experience and lessons for the contemporary art that has been confused and wandering, and also laid a good foundation for the later recognition of the environment of art in the world and the attention it has received. It also laid a good foundation for the subsequent environment of awareness and attention for art in the world. This proves that the "strategy" of necessity is of practical significance.

Conceptual Art AppreciationChinese avant-garde art has been pioneering and developing its own experimental path. Although avant-garde art in China is still a marginal situation outside the system, it is in full swing in the cultural and artistic circles. Conceptual art occupies the mainstream in avant-garde art, which is manifested in the fact that many artists engaged in easel art have turned to installations, behaviors, and visual art creations after the 85 New Wave. Moreover, since the 1990s, many Chinese artists have achieved success in important international art exhibitions and become important artists with international reputation. Through these representative examples of success, we can summarize the basic creative status of conceptual art in China with a simple formula: Chinese contemporary social and cultural issues (conceptual content) + Chinese cultural resources (expression). This actually forms a contemporary art trend that is worth studying as a completely national and ethnic type, phased and practical.