Southern California is fertile territory for young artists from China. Along with the Hammer show, DNJ Gallery, a relatively new space on La Brea Avenue, offers "Contemporary Photography From China." DF2, a West Hollywood gallery that specializes in Chinese contemporary art, has "Shine Upon Me," a show of color photographs from Jiang Zhi's "Light Series." Morono Kiang Gallery, in downtown L.A., is showing paintings by Li Yan that link Chinese sports and politics. At UC Riverside's Sweeney Art Gallery is "Absurd Recreation," composed of nine artists' playful explorations of a country in overdrive.
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A witness to transformation
The dramatic changes rocking China's art scene aren't just academic for one L.A. curator -- he's in deep.
THE NEW CHINA / ART
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In the Bay Area, two major private collections are -- or soon will be -- in the public eye. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art recently opened "Half-Life of a Dream: Contemporary Chinese Art From the Logan Collection," featuring 50 paintings, sculptures and installations from a major private holding of international contemporary art. The fall exhibition at the Berkeley Art Museum is "Mahjong: Contemporary Chinese Art From the Sigg Collection," a traveling exhibition showcasing the work of almost 100 artists from the collection amassed by Uli Sigg, a Swiss businessman and former diplomat who has spent many years in China.
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New respect within
ALL THIS art represents the period of tumultuous growth that has transpired since the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976. Initially, artists had to move to the West to gain recognition and earn a living. And the government crackdown in Tiananmen Square in 1989 brought new restrictions. But now it's possible for avant-garde artists to flourish at home and -- for a relative few -- to become wealthy.
The market for contemporary Chinese art has boomed, with a big push from Christie's and Sotheby's auction houses. Paintings of Chinese people looking stressed, depressed and hysterical by artists such as Zhang Xiaogang, Liu Xiaodong, Yue Minjun and Zeng Fanzhi have brought from $2 million to $9 million at auction. Buyers are an international lot.
"The market is shifting," Elaine says. "A whole new generation is coming up with a new vision. Ten or 15 years ago, some of these artists didn't have a penny. Now they are wealthier than I will ever be. Young people see that you can be an artist in China. You can be respected, you can make lots of money and you don't have to do traditional Chinese landscape painting.
