Is there art criticism in China? "Russian Exporter": Own art business in China Art galleries in China.
Chinese painting is very rich history. This form of Chinese art is well known outside of China. Traditionally Chinese art created on rice paper or on a piece of thin silk fabric. A wide variety of brushes, Chinese inks and paints were used to create the painting. There are several genres in Chinese painting: portraiture, landscapes, depictions of flowers, birds, animals and insects.
painting technique
Traditional Chinese painting is known by term国画 (go hua, guo hua). Like calligraphy examples, picturesque paintings are written with a brush dipped in black or colored ink. The basis of the picture is paper or silk. The finished work is sometimes attached to a roll so that the painting can be rolled up, moved and then hung on the wall. Paintings in style traditional painting they also painted on walls, porcelain and lacquerware.
There are two main techniques in Chinese painting:
gong bi(Gong bi 工笔), in which a lot of attention is paid to drawing all the smallest details (using this technique, they mainly draw portraits) and
Xie and(xie yi 写意), this method is called "freehand drawing" in other countries (mostly landscapes were painted in this style).
History of Chinese painting
From the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220) to the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), artists spent a lot of time creating well-drawn, the smallest details, portraits of representatives of the imperial court. Many of the works of ancient artists, describing the life of emperors, their mistresses and wives, as well as depicting various details of their life, were placed in the tombs of the emperors and, thus, have been well preserved to this day. During the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), a direction of painting began to develop, which mainly concentrated on depicting landscapes. This direction began to be called Shanshui (Shanshui), which translates as Mountains and water. This style did not have strict canons and allowed artists to interpret reality in their own way.
This period, which spanned from the Five Dynasties (907-960) to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), is known in history as the Golden Age of China. landscape painting. Often using bold strokes and black lines, the artists depicted mountains, rivers and rocks. Others have used softer brushes and softer brushwork to depict peaceful scenes of nature, birds and animals.
Landscape painting during the reign of the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) began to express almost mystical motifs - so many in the paintings of that time were vague outlines of mountains and river valleys covered with fog.
Later, starting from the Yuan Dynasty (1279 - 1368), artists began to add poetic lines or simply calligraphy to their paintings. This gave them the opportunity to express their mood and feelings even more fully.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), color printing techniques began to develop, which made it possible to create illustrated books and textbooks. At the same time, methods characteristic of the technique of Chinese painting were used.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, wealthy people contributed to the development of painting. They bought and promoted the work of young up-and-coming artists. Some big cities, such as Shanghai and Yangzhou (Yangzhou), became the main centers of art.
Western art began to influence Chinese artists in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Some artists were educated abroad. Upon returning home, they used the knowledge gained in other countries and created works that combined the best Chinese and Western painting traditions.
famous chinese painters
During the reign of each of the imperial dynasties there were famous artists. It is impossible to list all of them. Many excellent books on Chinese painting were written during their lifetime and much later. There were many illustrations in these books, which broadly represented creativity. famous artists. Those with a special interest in art in general, and Chinese painting in particular, may refer to similar books to learn more about this fascinating subject.
The magnificent nature of the Guilin area has inspired many generations of Chinese artists. In the city of Guilin (Guilin) and its district, you can see many masterpieces of landscape painting.
Tours dedicated to the beauties of nature
Photography Tours in China
Questions about Chinese painting
Report on business negotiations in the direction “ Art galleries And auction houses in Shanghai, China”
Summing up the seven days full of meetings and negotiations with auction houses and art galleries, our clients have already had a preliminary agreement to hold three exhibitions in Shanghai galleries in the near future, as well as a preliminary agreement on cooperation with China's largest online gallery. And what is important, the conditions reached as a result of the negotiations were acceptable to our clients.
Day eight.
The eighth day began with a meeting with the manager of one of the leading private galleries in Shanghai, which was previously promised to be organized by a representative of the online gallery. This meeting was a study visit, during which the parties got to know each other better, discussed issues of interest and laid the foundation for future cooperation.
In the afternoon, since no meetings were scheduled, the clients decided to visit the Shanghai Art Museum, where they got acquainted with the works of famous Chinese artists presented there.
Day nine.
On the last, ninth day of the clients' stay in Shanghai, it was planned to sign two official cooperation contracts with art galleries. After making the last adjustments and fully familiarizing ourselves with the conditions, the contracts were signed, which summed up the joint nine-day work of clients and an employee of our company.
We wish our customers good luck in holding upcoming exhibitions and are glad that we were able to provide them with all possible assistance in negotiating with Chinese partners!
Annex to the report. Feedback from clients about the work of an employee of the company.
We express our deep gratitude to Vadim Kozyashev, an employee of the company, thanks to whom our nine-day stay in Shanghai was very fruitful.
Excellent knowledge of the language, high responsibility and correctness made my trip with my husband easy and productive, despite the unusual weather - 30 degree heat and almost 100 percent. humidity.
Probably, thanks to the personal qualities of our translator, his subtle knowledge of psychology and the manner of communication of Chinese partners, everything went on at a good level.
Our previous trip was to Beijing, the guide-interpreter was a Chinese with good Russian. Therefore, we doubted whether we needed a Russian translator in Shanghai. But the practice of negotiating in Shanghai showed that we were not mistaken. We are convinced that shopping, museums and parks are possible with any guide-interpreter, and business matters - only with a person whose native language is Russian.
It's a pity there was little time for a cultural program.
Now there is one more reason to return to the amazing city of Shanghai.
Sincerely, Nikolay and Elena, St. Petersburg, July, 2014.
With this interview, we open a whole series of conversations with businessmen - novice and experienced, who were able to organize sales in the growing Chinese market.
Interview with Olga Glezoy - an art historian who sells art objects in since 2012. Olga is a St. Petersburg artist. For 4 years she studied icon painting, oil - and now she calls her style "a mixture of Byzantium and surrealism."
"South China" : Olya, how was the idea to do this kind of business born? Still, art and money do not always lie on the same plane, usually creative people are not always financially successful.
Everyone, and maybe not everyone, the artist dreams of some kind of financial confirmation of his talent. However, this desire is not always realized. Of course, you can feel like a Van Gogh, but it is much more pleasant to follow the advice of Salvador Dali: “Artist! From all points of view, it will be better if you are rich (...) ”- still would not agree with this. And China provides every opportunity to put this principle into practice.
The crazy world of the art market in China allows you to implement any, even the most unusual and incredible schemes. For all its seeming traditionalism, it boils interesting people and fresh ideas, thus pushing new faces to bold adventures. On this wave, considering that I am also a “unique” foreigner, in the world there are mainly Chinese artists, and there was my experience of transition from the category of “Van Goghs” to the category of “Salvadores”.
UK: That is, there were no Russians in your environment - you didn’t focus on such a “popular” direction as the trade in “butter”? I heard that in Xiamen, where you lived, not a single painting was sold at the exhibition of Russian "oil"? And at the Hong Kong Sotheby's - not a single Russian exhibit ...
As for the artists, all the artists and gallery owners I knew were Chinese, as were the buyers of the paintings. "Oil" is too broad a category, because it can also be different - from the classics of the Renaissance to socialist realism or abstractionism, and all at your own demand.
YuK: Olga, is it true that the art market is growing “in breadth” and leaving the capitals for the regions? How effective is it to not stay in over-supply big cities?
I can talk about a small city in a beautiful island city called Xiamen. Despite the fact that it belongs to the category, we can safely say that the development of infrastructure and everything else is proceeding at an incredible pace. Before my eyes (for 2 years) amazing changes took place. First of all, the 798 TimesSpace gallery opened in Xiamen, which in just over a year has noticeably revived cultural life cities (with characteristic Peking enthusiasm). In addition to expanding its own gallery into three exhibition spaces, about 10 major exhibitions were organized with the support of Timesspace. Further, a whole “art village” appeared and grew, several new galleries, many exhibitions organized by the artists themselves were held.
YUK: How are the sales of paintings arranged?
Most galleries in China work on a 100% markup system: the artist brings his work and indicates his price, respectively, the gallery doubles this price and already such an impressive amount is declared for sale. If the price decreases during the purchase process, the gallery bears this responsibility, leaving the artist's price to that stated in the contract. However, it is worth remembering another nuance - if, for example, during the auction the price increases, this additional profit will also go to the gallery's finance fund, and the artist, again, will receive what he indicated in the original contract. Of course, this also has good side- the final price of the painting significantly affects the "face" of the artist, and if it is much higher than originally stated, then the next time you sign a contract with the gallery, you can safely raise your price bar. Galleries, and those hosted by them, remain the most common way for artists to sell their creations. By the way, an exhibition contract sometimes includes an unscheduled auction, about which they may forget to warn you - or simply invite you to an event without saying a word that your works are also participating in the auction. If we are talking about a small local auction, and not about Sotheby's or Poly, the very presence of the artist will be useful - personal participation has and increases the chances of selling the painting. Sometimes it gives a chance to explain art that is not understandable to everyone.
If you do not want to cooperate with the gallery and give your creations into the fetters of contracts, a personal exhibition can be a very good option - if you have at least 25-30 works for this. In that case, a friendly space that will be happy to take a creative event under its roof will not keep you waiting.
YUK: Is it obligatory to give paintings to galleries?
In addition to galleries, you can try to find new house for their work on their own or with the help of friends. This, in fact, is also nothing new, however, in my opinion, only in China, from an impromptu “auction” in a weisin, in just a few hours, can you find a buyer for a painting. all sorts of social media are incredibly actively involved in the life of the Chinese, and this simplifies everything in many ways - people are connected with each other by an incredible number of acquaintance threads, and these "guangxi" work great.
There are still options for what is called “creative residence” in the West, but in China it is more like a commercial creative journey of the artist - he is invited by some company or school, paying for housing, food and other daily needs, but during his stay in the “residence” the artist will have to give out a certain amount of the “finished product”, in the technique and direction agreed in advance. This, of course, is not the most creative direction, however, according to rumors, it is well paid - with the active assistance of the organizers, almost 100% of the works are bought in the first few days. Accordingly, everyone receives their percentage.
Yuk: How easy is it to get started in China? What is needed for this?
if you have art education, and ideally teaching experience, there are bound to be plenty of job opportunities in China at art schools or universities. As part of the heightened interest in the West, and in the case of Russia, the still unforgotten heritage of the Soviet school of painting, China is open to all new trends and in most cases takes great pleasure in hiring art teachers from abroad. This does not require Chinese - very often English is sufficient.
During my stay in China several times I received letters from artists who wanted to go to China, mainly for the purpose of selling own works, organization of a personal or group exhibition.
It's not as difficult as it might seem. There are options that do not require a good or any knowledge of the Chinese language - most often these are the so-called Chinese versions of art residences (more often this kind of event takes place in small cities, in Shanghai and Beijing, an art residence is closer to Western concepts and rather involves finding an artist in a gallery to prepare an exhibition and not solely to sell his work). The second option, undoubtedly more honorable, is teaching. Teachers in China are traditionally very respectful attitude. As part of this, if, for example, you are already in China, the best option from what I can advise is to try to find a friendly gallery that is really engaged in exhibition activities, and not just declares it, and cooperate with them, while communicating in artistic and non-artistic circles to expand your own circle of acquaintances. If it so happened that you are not in the territory of the Celestial Empire, but you want to send your work there, you should, firstly, decide on the city, since there are small nuances here. In Beijing, academic painting is more appreciated (although this does not mean that Beijingers are closed to innovations), in small cities - oil and traditional Chinese painting, in this regard, a little more liberal - Western trends are strong here, but the most liberated and all-accepting -. Further, you can either independently or through an intermediary try to establish contact with the gallery and discuss the details of cooperation directly with them. To be honest, I would like to recommend doing this through a trustee: works of art are a fragile item, and at least in terms of transportation, it is better for someone to track it. Thus, after some time, when the paintings are already in place and some acquaintances appear, someone will want to purchase, perhaps more than once, or tell a friend, a friend, thus earning the most incredible and durable invention of mankind - word of mouth radio.
Of course, establishing long-term relationships of trust and cooperation takes time. In the art business, perhaps a little more than in other areas. However, this is precisely why art remains a subtle matter: nevertheless, its main purpose is to bring beauty and light into the souls of people, inspiring and speaking with the viewer. The purchase of this or that work of art can be a pleasant compliment to the author for his work and time, for his ideas and energy that were spent to create the work, but, even according to Dali, who advised all artists to be rich, creativity comes first, the idea , work and endless love for your creation, and only then a monetary reward. If these concepts are reversed, the Muse leaves - she does not like to share attention with someone or something else.
YUK: Olga, how promising do you see this market? What would you invest or invest in? What will be popular in China tomorrow?
If we talk about the market, then the Chinese market, as well as the eastern one in general (and this includes artists from the Middle East, Turkey, India, Asia in general), is now definitely in the stage of increasing interest. Chinese collectors who buy Chinese artists support the prices of their works by enough high level, so on this moment Chinese artists are quite popular in this regard. Bureau Artprice regularly reports on the expected prices for the work of certain artists, and very often investors trust their statistics.
Yuk: Are there any risks in your activities? What are the pitfalls to watch out for?
As in any activity, there are risks, but only those who do nothing have no risks. When it comes to investments, there is always a risk that the artist's work will not increase in value as expected. That is why novice investors are advised to split the first investment: spend a certain percentage on "blue chips" (for example, the Impressionists or Old Masters) and only a part on post-war and modern Art. If we talk about artists, there is always a risk of being unnoticed or underestimated, however, perseverance and a competent approach can turn the tide, especially in Chinese realities.
It is worth fearing, as I have already said, excessive focus on money - many people are engaged in art, but only those who invest something in their business and are as sincere as possible with the viewer can achieve success. (This is related to the previous question)
YUK: And traditional question from "South China" - tell us where you lived and what did you like or find interesting?
I spent two years in Xiamen, but I recently moved to and for now I plan to stay here. The main attraction of Xiamen is the great weather, blue sky and sea, but the very rhythm of life and a certain "family" life of expats, together with a rather calm rhythm of life, create a very pleasant, relaxed atmosphere.
Thank you, Olga! We hope you will please us with new successes in this unique field!
Creative Center "Loriel" (Vladivostok) and Liaoning University of Science and Technologyinvite
TOcourse of Chinese calligraphy and traditional painting "guo hua" in China (Anshan).
"The magic of discovery lies not in discovering new landscapes, but in acquiring new eyes".
Traveling to other cities and countries, getting to know their art and culture is not only a great way to relax, but also an opportunity for self-development, acquiring new experience, "new eyes" for the mind and soul. Knowledge of a foreign culture, philosophy, worldview gives a person a different, different from the usual, view of the world. And this is a chance to change your own world.
The culture of Chinese civilization is so different from the culture of the West that it is of great interest to those who wish to discover other horizons, to get "new eyes".
Our program "Charm of the East" is valuable because it introduces you to Eastern culture from the inside - through practical training in calligraphy and painting. The language of art is universal. It is he who gives us the opportunity to better understand and feel a foreign culture.
In order to learn Chinese calligraphy and painting, you do not need to be skillful artist. These works are written not by hand, but by the heart. The techniques and basic principles of building a picture are quite simple - even a beginner can handle them. Artists with experience will discover in Chinese art a completely different approach to painting, able to enrich their own style of painting.
In the training program: landscape "mountains-water", plants, animals in the "se-i" technique.
Teachers are professional Chinese artists!
Jao Hwatien- Teacher of calligraphy, Member of the Union of Calligraphy Masters of Liaoning Province, Member of the Union of Masters of Calligraphy of China, Deputy Secretary General Anshan City Association of Calligraphers, Vice-Chairman of the Anshan Association of Hardhand Calligraphers. Painting teacher professor He Zen Fuo- Member of the Union of Artists of Liaoning Province (China), Honored Member of the Anshan Association of Artists, Honored Master of Oil Painting and Chinese National Painting "Guohua".
A group of students is accompanied by an interpreter.
Art supplies are issued at the place of study.
A certificate is issued upon completion of the course.
Liaoning University of Science and Technology
Liaoning University of Science and Technology is located in Anshan City, Liaoning Province. All educational buildings and dormitories for students are located in one closed area, which is a 15-minute drive from the city center - in its most picturesque and ecologically clean area. To the east of the campus, you can see the famous Qianshan Mountains. To the south is a view of the foothills of Jade Buddha Mountain.
Being founded in 1948 and having gone through a difficult path of formation and development of 60 years, today LUNiT is a modern higher educational institution engineering and technical orientation. But meeting the needs modern society in qualified personnel of different areas, the university is multidisciplinary. Thus, in addition to technical specialties, it also has a faculty of arts, foreign languages, Economics and Finance, Faculty of Management, Law, etc.
In addition to training, program participants will have plenty of time for sightseeing, recreation, treatment and shopping. There is so much to see in the Anshan area!
Anshan is a city with unique nature and beautiful landscapes. There are many parks here Botanical Garden bird park. The most important place of pilgrimage for tourists is a rock in the shape of a Buddha 70 meters high. Surprisingly, it is also of natural origin. In addition, you can go to the mountain of a thousand lotuses, visit the Jade Buddha Temple or the Jasper Buddha Garden.
In Anshan there is a wonderful sanatorium with thermal springs. Here you can improve your health, order a massage, visit the springs. Near the medical building there is a mini-zoo and three lakes.
Attractions worth seeing when traveling to Anshan.
jade giant
A giant jade boulder weighing over 60,000 tons was found in Xuyan County, Liaoning Province. It is believed that this is the largest jade stone in the world. The county plans to engrave Buddha figures from this huge semi-precious stone and build a park with the stone in the center, in the hope that it will attract more tourists. Xuyan County, named for the unique stone, is located at the head of the Liaodong Peninsula in northeastern China. It is rich in jade stones, the best in structure. It provides 80% of the material for the production of jade products in China.
Jasper Buddha Garden
Located on the outskirts of Anshan, the Jasper Buddha Garden covers 220,000 square meters. meters. The world's largest Jasper Buddha (Jasper Emperor), 7.95 meters high and 6.88 meters wide, and its thickness reaches 4.1 meters, was carved from a stone weighing 261 in 1995. It was registered by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest Buddha from jaspers in the world. Shakyamuni is engraved in the dark green part of the jasper. And a piece of yellow stone lies on the top of his head, like a golden crown. But the goddess Guanyin (Avalokitesvara or Goddess of Mercy) engraved on the back of the Buddha is truly amazing.
World's Largest Wonderful Jade Buddha
The local landmark "Jade Buddha Temple" is located in Anshan City, jade culture, Buddhism culture and its special charm attract more and more dear friends from China and abroad. The architecture, although not neat, is beautiful. The stratification is clear, surrounded by mountains on three sides, and with one lake. The Jade Belt Bridge, the Chuihuasan Gate, the Temple of the Heavenly Emperor, the hall with the remains of the Buddha, all this is part of the world's largest Jade Buddha and impresses with its magnificence. Its weight is 260 tons, height is 7.9 meters, width is 6.8 meters, thickness is 4.1 meters. On the cladding is Buddha Shakyan-muni, on the back Bodhisattva Guanyin. Listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
Terms of participation in the program:
Adults are invited to attend the courses. Drawing experience doesn't matter.
Copied from the site "Self-knowledge.ru"
The main goal of art criticism is the search for a rational basis for assessing painting. Criticism compares and evaluates, it reveals currents and analyzes what is happening in art. Without it, there can be no development, without criticism, chaos is born, when, as a result of certain manipulations, the cost of the author's works is thousands of times higher than the real value based on their artistic value. Of course, there were cases in history when criticism did not recognize and did not accept a new trend, a new trend. But in most cases, criticism serves as a kind of fairway for collectors, galleries, art lovers and ... helps artists develop.
In principle, the question posed can be answered in the affirmative (you can answer in the affirmative): art criticism there is in China. But! It has little to no effect on the market, because local critics do not have enough influence. Of those who have the proper aesthetic taste and received a decent education, few are ready to defend their opinion.
Further, there are practically no professional art magazines in China. But even for those that exist, independent (and only such is possible) criticism is not interesting. The critic in China becomes part of the "production cycle" of Chinese art. Galleries and auctions have a very clear goal - to sell a work of art at the maximum price. To create demand, critics order an article (naturally positive), which is then printed in a magazine (often for money) or used in the presentation of an exhibition, which, in turn, becomes the main way to attract the attention of a wealthy, but very far from art collector.
But the most interesting thing is that even if there is a critic who expresses a negative opinion, he is unlikely to be able to influence sales - there are not enough authoritative critics in China, I repeat, no. Criticism exists outside the painting market and has no leverage to influence it. In Chinese, there is not even art history terminology: most of the terms have been transferred from in English, which is the de facto language of Chinese criticism. In turn, this also reduces the degree of its influence on "minds and hearts." For example, 波普艺术, the term is used to mean " pop art", V this case the word Pop (from popular) is replaced by a combination of hieroglyphs that sound similar to it. Or 空气透视, " aerial perspective”, which is perhaps even a tracing paper from the Russian language, since it contains a literal translation, while most of the special terms used in Chinese have a semantic meaning.
The only good thing is that there are authoritative people in China who understand the existing problems and are trying to take action. For example, Pi Li (皮力), curator, critic and lecturer at the Central Academy fine arts in Beijing, lectures twice a week to students in the course of criticism. And two major collectors of Chinese art (one from Hong Kong, the other from Switzerland), realizing the importance of the material base for the formation of independent criticism, created scholarships and awards for critics who write about Chinese art and artists. But the formation of the system will take years. In the meantime, galleries and auctions will use the chaos for profit. But how long?
