Believe in art or believe in the artist

Author: Shu Kewen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Shu Kewen has long observed art and artists, expecting to grasp the essence of artistic creation from their actions, the concepts behind their actions, and the history behind the concepts. Her admirable critiques inspired me to see artists as a "tribe" worth exploring, whose "culture" infuses a special "way of thinking." This "way of thinking" can be seen as a mythic, uninterrupted variation, or as a "revolution" of breaking through and rebirth. Through participant observation and interviews with this loosely distributed special "tribe," Shu Kewen gained unique insights, allowing her to write an anthropological text that presents distinctive human types. This text by Shu Kewen itself represents a new style of art anthropology, unbound and diverse in its narrative approaches, expressing the rich connotations of intertwined stories. Shu Kewen always captures your true intentions in time, turning all your attempts to hide or evade—whether east or west, north or south—into rags meant to cover shame. Then, you can only honestly reveal what you truly think. In the face of the complex landscape of contemporary Chinese art, Shu Kewen's art critiques are truly unique in both their perspective and style. Viewing big culture through small art, she grasps the essence from afar; using small art to speak of big life, she observes its meaning up close. This is a level of ease that others cannot achieve. Her art "critiques" are also "real evaluations," presenting the emergence of contemporary new art and the state of artists in a tangible way. I believe she is among us. This book records art events happening around us, offering multiple perspectives and methods for observing and documenting art, rather than a single stance. If contemporary art is considered one form of sociocultural expression, you cannot measure it with any simple yardstick. Sometimes, you can act as your own critic, and your views can change as freely as a child's face. Sometimes, the authentic voice of the artist, whether persuasive or overly dramatic, presents an opportunity to encounter a new perspective. Sometimes, an exhibition may reflect the current trend, while other times, it may uncover unexpected emotions. However, the extreme ways art expresses itself might just be the reason for its existence.