Spirit and Emotion: Cultural Connotations of Chinese and Western Sculpture

Author: Xu Jianguo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: This book primarily examines and compares the relationship between Chinese and Western sculpture and cultural connotations from the perspective of diachronic cultural forms in the East and West, focusing on three main forms: mythology, religion, and secular culture. It explores the developmental trajectory and cultural factors of this relationship, while also revealing the connection between sculpture and literature through the changes in Chinese and Western sculpture throughout their respective histories. Additionally, it summarizes the spiritual essence, characteristics, and fundamental features of Chinese and Western cultures. The book is richly illustrated, with fluent language, and is highly readable. Xu Jianguo has presented us with a meaningful work titled Spirit and Emotion: Cultural Connotations of Chinese and Western Sculpture. To write this book, he extensively collected materials and conducted in-depth research during his doctoral studies, often engaging in heated discussions with fellow artists and scholars in the field of sculpture as well as friends in the cultural community. He completed his doctoral thesis on this topic, and the book you see today is a slightly refined version of that thesis.
The choice of this topic was the result of considerable contemplation and reflection on Xu Jianguo's part. He is an artist practitioner who has been active in the fields of sculpture teaching and creation for many years and has achieved notable success. Long-term artistic practice, particularly his teaching responsibilities, compelled him to pay attention to theory. To articulate the issues encountered in teaching and creation clearly to students and audiences, he had to first understand and organize his thoughts. Moreover, perhaps the more significant reason for his interest in theory was his realization, through years of artistic practice, that contemporary Chinese sculpture needed to reach new heights on the existing foundation. While mastering techniques was important, theoretical advancement was equally, if not more, crucial.
This has two implications:
1. For the sculptor themselves, they should not merely focus on creating works but also enhance their overall cultivation, especially their theoretical knowledge. In the history of art, truly accomplished sculptors have always been those who reflected on and offered insights into social, cultural, and artistic issues. In this sense, they are sculptors, but more importantly, they are cultural figures. Their sculptural creations not only move people visually through form but primarily influence their inner world through the meaning and thought embedded in the work, thereby impacting society.
2. For society's understanding and appreciation of sculpture, people often view it merely as decoration or embellishment, lacking recognition of its aesthetic significance, value, and stylistic function. Worse still, some even consider sculpture art as a culturally irrelevant, inferior "craft." In such a cultural atmosphere, achieving genuine improvement in the level of sculptural art is challenging.
Based on these understandings, Xu Jianguo chose this topic for in-depth research and ultimately produced commendable academic. Using extensive historical facts from both Chinese and Western art as evidence, he argues that sculpture is a spiritual product of humanity and an integral part of sociocultural development. While many factors constrain the language and form of sculpture, the fundamental constraint is sociocultural. Cultural connotations determine the form and language of sculpture, but in turn, the creation of sculpture enriches sociocultural life and deepens its spiritual essence.
Xu Jianguo further points out that sculpture, as a materialized form of human emotion, inevitably reflects the cosmology and philosophy of life of different historical periods, embodying people's passionate life force. Throughout history, mythology, religion, and secular customs have played a crucial role in shaping the cultural connotations of sculpture. Notably, when comparing Chinese and Western sculpture, Xu Jianguo employs a scientific historical dialectical perspective, analyzing both the similarities and differences between them from cultural and artistic form perspectives, thereby offering valuable insights for people contemplating the essence and laws of art.
In summary, this is a work rich in historical materials, innovative viewpoints, and a unique academic approach. Its publication contributes to the theoretical development of Chinese sculpture studies and is expected to be well-received by the art community and.