Academic Sessions: Glasgow 2010
AAH Annual Conference 2010
15 - 17 April, University of Glasgow
China and the West: The Reception of Chinese Art across Cultures from the 15th Century to the Present
Session Convenors:
Michelle Huang, University of St Andrews, ylh@st-andrews.ac.uk
Sarah Ng, University of Oxford, sau.ng@kellogg.ox.ac.uk
With China’s long history and rich culture, Chinese art had long been perceived as the parent art of Asia in the West. In the 15th century, extensive commercial development in China transformed art into commodity and upset its original status. The purposes of art changed from serving mainly in official extent for political and religious to personal/public extent for leisure, cultivation and commercial culture. Through trade, war, and international exposition, it went beyond the border and emerged in the West. Henceforth, it has been enthusiastically appreciated by connoisseurs, artists, and art collectors, despite the differences in the perception of Chinese art across cultures with time. At present, bequests from private collectors, and their collaborations with national museums, both played an important role in acquiring specimens of Chinese art in all kinds. The choice of collectibles/ exhibits reflects the national taste, and influence the general understanding of the subject.
This session investigates the cultural interaction between China and the West from the 15th century to the present. It will explore the Western/ Chinese perception of Chinese art, the roles of collectors, connoisseurs, and museums in shaping the conception of art, the influence of Western/Chinese art on the art development in China/ the West. We also encourage discussions on the collecting and display of ancient and modern Chinese art, the perception of the contemporary Chinese art, and the impact of collaboration across cultures.
Speakers:
Lenore Metrick-Chen (Drake University)
The Politics of Chinoiserie in 19th-Century America
Nixi Cura (Christie’s Education London)
Early 20th-Century 'Imperial' Porcelain and Ideals of Empire
Clare Taylor (Open University)
'Painted paper of Pekin': 18th-century Chinese papers in 1920s Britain
Michelle Huang (University of St Andrews)
Enchanting the Occidental: The Aesthetic Value of the Song Landscape Painting
Martin Powers (University of Michigan)
The Cultural Politics of the Brushstroke in the Making of National Myth
Sau Wah Ng (University of Oxford)
Western eye in late imperial China