Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China

As this exciting volume, showcasing 80 pieces by 40 artists, makes clear, China’s ancient ink art aesthetic remains very much alive, with the tradition’s tenets now extending beyond works in actual ink to include ceramic, wood, bronze, stainless steel, photography, and video. Hearn tracks the evolution of ink art by situating it in relation to the West, and shows how various pieces follow, and eventually depart vibrantly from ancient Chinese techniques and themes. Indeed, some of the most striking pieces are produced using traditional ink on unusual surfaces. These include graceful, old-world tableaux by Duan Jianyu on workaday cardboard boxes. Meanwhile, the bold, tattoo-like face paintings by Zhang Huan feature lettering that grows in volume and density over the span of nine photographs. Equally fascinating are works that actively connect China to the rest of the world, including the huge “100 Layers of Ink” trilogy by Yang Jiechang, which evokes Western abstract painting, but uses ink instead of oil or acrylics. The volume illustrates the diversity and adaptability of one of China’s signature artistic traditions. 250 color illus. (Dec.)