My Proletarian Life (Includes CD) (Includes CD)

Author: Zhang Guangtian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: Zhang Guangtian: an actionist who strikes it rich without a cent, a cultural adventurer, a myth of modern art. What is Zhang Guangtian's true face? With his "revolutionary theater" productions such as Che Guevara, The Sage Confucius, Red Star Beauty, and Mr. Lu, he has shaken the Chinese art world to its core, earning a public image described as "revolutionary, radical, obsessive, and somewhat performative." He often wears a portrait of Chairman Mao pinned to his lapel; sometimes he wears a star-studded eight-pointed hat to look cool, only to be criticized as a "avant-garde actor" or someone who "performs excessively." The title of this book also seems to align with Zhang Guangtian's consistent "revolutionary style," or perhaps his "performative style." However, he says that the book is actually intended to reveal his other side—"the opposite of revolution"—because he is so fond of ordinary life. The book is Zhang Guangtian's self-narration of his main experiences in singing poetry and theater creation, including his red childhood, his time in labor re-education, his years as a wandering singer, his collaboration with Zhang Yimou and Gong Li, and his fiery theater career. Through these, we can see a relatively authentic Zhang Guangtian—in modern China's market economy, he shares contradictions, likes and dislikes, resonances, and struggles with us. What differs is that he may be more radical, purer, and more unscrupulous than us. This is a personal biography that tells the story of self-made success. The author is the up-and-coming theater director Zhang Guangtian, who for the first time reveals his legendary journey from an ordinary folk poet who lacked constitutional resources and was sent to hell in layers, to a wandering artist who took a unconventional path and created a myth of modern art. In recent years, Zhang Guangtian has been a key figure in theatrical practice. The form of poetry, song, and drama combined makes his theater highly provocative and artistically moving. From Che Guevara in 2000 to later works like Mr. Lu, Red Star Beauty, and The Sage Confucius, Zhang Guangtian has triggered a series of earthquakes in the art world. His works represent a cultural transformation at the turn of the century. The book also includes Zhang Guangtian's most representative scripts and musical works, providing them to all art enthusiasts and researchers, as well as young people facing adversity and seeking confidence and a way forward!
Excerpt:
People often say that in the 1930s, literary works were abundant, with personalities as vibrant as a rainbow, but after liberation, everyone lowered their flags and became mediocre and ordinary. Thus, they lament that harsh policies are worse than tigers. This issue has puzzled me for a long time. I think there are policy factors on one hand, but on the other hand, policies are also shaped by these artists and literati who actively participate in the revolution. Take the Yan'an "Speech," for example. Without Zhou Yang's penning it and Jiang Qing's strategic advice, it wouldn't have turned out as clever and meticulous. And the youth who joined the revolution could have chosen other paths—they could have followed Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan, or stayed in the UK or the US, like the sophisticated...