Barbara Pollack Boeken

A lively and opinionated romp through China's contemporary art scene, Wild, Wild East is based on firsthand encounters with the artists, dealers, collectors, curators and auction specialists who have made Chinese contemporary art the fastest growing sector of the international art market. This is the first book to take stock of China's commercial art boom, the rapid development of its institutions and the biographies of its major players. It conveys the thrill of the current gold-rush atmosphere, but also investigates the pitfalls of the corruption, government censorship and conflicts of interest. The author, Barbara Pollack, is an experienced journalist and art critic who has been reporting on China's developing art scene since 1997. With unparalleled access to the major figures both in the country and elsewhere, she is unafraid to ask, "Is this the emperor's new clothes?" of this country once ruled by emperors, and now managed by post-Mao millionaires.

"A unique and visionary generation of young Chinese artists are coming to prominence in the art world - just as China cements its place as the second largest art market on the planet. Building on the new frontiers opened up by the Chinese artists of the late 1980s and 1990s, artists such as Ai Wei Wei who came to the West and became household names, this new generation are provocative, exciting and bold. But what does it mean to be a Chinese artist today? And how can we better understand their work? Here, renowned critic Barbara Pollack presents the first book to tell the story of how these Chinese millennials, fast becoming global art superstars, negotiate their cultural heritage, and what this means for China's impact on the future of global culture. Many young Chinese artists have declared they are "not Chinese, but global"--This book investigates just what that means for China, the art market, and the world. Brand new Art from China is the first collection to showcase the dynamic new art coming from Chinese artists, and features full-colour photos and video stills throughout - with many works being published in book-form for the first time. Featuring an in-depth interview with Zhang Xiaogang, probably the most well-known artist in China itself, whose sombre portraits of Chinese families during the Cultural Revolution sell for as much as $12 million at auction, alongside unparalleled access to the tastemakers of today's art scene, Brand New Art from China is the essential guide to Chinese contemporary art today - its vision, values and aesthetics." -- Publisher's description

A vibrant, accessible volume that looks at the new generation of artists that has emerged in mainland China since 2000.