Modern Art for a Modern China

"How did art reform fit into the many initiatives for social and cultural change that contributed to the New Cultural Movement that transformed the Chinese cultural landscape during the Republican period? 'Modern art for a modern China' was the catch-cry of Chinese intellectuals, many of whom were artists, critics, writers, poets and educators. This book discusses how these groups discussed and implanted changes in China's concept and practice of art. The work considers how art reform fit into the many initiatives for social and cultural change that contributed to the New Cultural Movement that transformed the Chinese cultural landscape during the Republican period. In this book, the author analyses two key areas in the intellectual history of Republican China. The first is China's art reform in the early decades of the 20th century. The second is the connection and intersection between colonialism, nationalism and cosmopolitanism, and their direct impact on the development of art and art practice in China. Modern Art for a Modern China is an invaluable resource for scholars and students of China's twentieth century intellectual history and art history"--