2011, Surrealism Pop, Opening Exhibition of Yue Art Museum, Beijing
Surreal Pop: A New Style of Contemporary Art
Contemporary art is a controversial concept. Hal Foster once sent a questionnaire to the curators and critics of famous art museums all over the world on the definition of contemporary art, and the answers they received were completely different. We can use some classic sayings to define indefinable contemporary art: "With regard to contemporary art, the only certainty is that it is an uncertain concept" (Richard Shusterman). “Undefinable is not the defect of contemporary art, but its advantage. Contemporary art is possible only in undefinable” (Ales Erjavic). "Contemporary art is always full of interest and disappointment. It is both clear and confusing, both intriguing and nonchalant" (James Elkins).
Although contemporary art cannot be defined, this does not prevent us from identifying contemporary art from the art family. In the art family, we already have members such as Surrealism and Pop Art. If someone paints Rene Magritte-style surreal paintings or AndyWorhol-style pop paintings today, his art is not contemporary art, but stylized postmodernism at best. However, if someone combines these two styles to form Surrealist Pop or Pop Surrealism, it may become contemporary art. Contemporary art is not a "new bottle of old wine" of postmodernism, but a "hybrid advantage" with contemporary technical characteristics.
From the perspective of Western art history, the predecessor of surreal pop can be traced back to the “Lowbrow” (Lowbrow) on the West Coast of the United States in the 1990s. "Vulgar" is in contrast to "Highbrow" (Highbrow). Vulgar art is not only completely different from high art in terms of technique, style, subject matter, etc., but also has a world difference in social status from high art. Pulp art was originally an underground art movement composed of artists such as graffiti, cartoons, and advertisements who were not trained by the academy. It began to be accepted by the art system in the late 1990s and became a popular art style after entering the 21st century. This situation is similar to Rap + points. Rap music was originally black underground music that was officially banned, and has now evolved into popular music worldwide. With the gradual acceptance of vulgar art by art institutions, some artists working in the field of high art have joined the vulgar art movement. After vulgar art changed from an underground movement to an art style that was widely sought after, some artists began to dissatisfied with the term vulgar art, and adopted the neutral term "Surrealism Pop" or "Pop Surrealism". In 2004, "Pop Surrealism: The Rise of Underground Art" edited by Kirsten Anderson was published, and the position of surreal pop in the art world was established. When vulgar art was transformed into surreal pop art, its style has also undergone subtle changes. Although most critics regard them as---or the two stages before and after a style, some sharp critics have found that there is a qualitative difference between them. The sentiment of angry youth in vulgar art has transformed into aestheticism in surreal pop, which coincides with the "The Return of Beauty" predicted by Dave Hichey in 1993.
In my opinion, in addition to stylistic reasons, there are sociological reasons why surreal pop is popular in the 21st century. With the deepening of globalization and aesthetics, the distinction between the elite and the masses has become increasingly blurred. The emergence of surreal pop reflects the trend of reconciliation between the elite and the masses, and reflects people's weariness of the dichotomy between the elite and the masses.
Some people say that there is a shadow of a Western artist behind Chinese contemporary artists, and Chinese contemporary artists are accused of lack of creativity. According to Danto's concept of contemporary art, this kind of reference is not only feasible but necessary, because drawing on art styles that have appeared in history has become a basic feature of contemporary art. Artists can not only learn from the art of different eras, but also learn from the art of different countries. I am not here to defend the lack of creativity of contemporary Chinese artists. In fact, Chinese contemporary artists have created many eye-catching works through misappropriation and creative misunderstanding. Historically, examples of Western artists drawing on the art resources of other countries and regions are not uncommon. However, I want to emphasize that Chinese surreal pop has basically developed independently, and is not the result of imitating the popular art styles of the West Coast of the United States, and to a certain extent, the creative work of Chinese contemporary artists is increasing. The more it is paid attention to and referenced by artists from other countries and regions in the world.
Surreal Pop is not only in line with the visual experience of the 21st century, but also can make full use of Chinese native art resources. Since realism has not achieved a dominant position in traditional Chinese art, Chinese artists of the past dynasties have created many surreal images with their imagination. Compared with European art since the Renaissance, Chinese traditional art has surreal characteristics as a whole. Developed imagination and rich image resources have become an inexhaustible treasure for Chinese artists to create surreal pop. Because of this, in the emerging surreal pop, Chinese artists have moved from the periphery to the center, and have grown from supporting roles to protagonists.
The rise of surreal pop in China, or that Chinese artists occupy a central position in surreal pop, shows that Chinese contemporary art has matured. Yue Art Museum decided to make surreal pop as her first exhibition, which shows that the new Chinese art institution can occupy the forefront of contemporary art from the very beginning. From my personal point of view, the name and space of Yue Art Museum best match the surreal pop art, even though they come together not from my design. Just like her naming, space design and functional distinction, Yue Art Museum aims to lead life with art, making art lively and life aestheticized. With the interaction between art and life, the boundary between the two was blurred and disappeared, and a new art form and lifestyle came into being.
In the preparation process of the exhibition, the staff of "Mobile Art" paid a huge amount of labor. I support "Mobile Art" because of her academic pursuit and the professionalism of her team. As new members of the contemporary art world, Yue Art Museum and "Mobile Art" both need everyone's care and support, and the sincere cooperation between them and the broader cooperation triggered by this cooperation will definitely enable Chinese contemporary art Become stronger.
Peng Feng
