Spirit and Emotion---Cultural Connotation of Western and Eastern Sculpture

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Features: This book primarily examines the relationship between Chinese and Western sculpture and cultural connotations from the perspective of the diachronic forms of Chinese and Western cultures, specifically focusing on the three main forms: mythology, religion, and secularism. It explores the developmental trajectory and cultural factors, while also revealing the relationship 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. Professor 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 sculptors and cultural scholars. He completed his doctoral thesis on this topic, and the book you see now is a slightly refined version of that thesis.
The reason Jianguo chose this topic was the result of considerable contemplation and reflection. He is an art practitioner who has been active in the fields of sculpture teaching and creation for many years and has achieved notable results. Long-term artistic practice, particularly teaching responsibilities, compelled him to focus on theory. To articulate the issues encountered in teaching and creation to students and audiences, he had to first understand and clarify them himself. Moreover, perhaps the more significant reason for Jianguo’s interest in theory was his realization, through years of artistic practice, that contemporary Chinese sculpture, despite its existing foundation, needed to reach new heights. While mastering techniques is important, what matters more is theoretical advancement. This has two implications:
1. For the sculptor themselves, they should not merely focus on creating works but should also enhance their overall cultivation, especially their theoretical knowledge. In the history of both Chinese and Western art, truly accomplished sculptors have always been artists who have reflected on and offered insights into social, cultural, and artistic issues. In this sense, they are sculptors, but they are also, more broadly, 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 art, thereby impacting society.
2. For society’s understanding of sculpture, people often view it merely as decoration or embellishment, failing to recognize its aesthetic significance, value, and stylistic function. Worse still, some even regard sculpture as a culturally irrelevant, inferior "craft." Under such a social and cultural atmosphere, achieving genuine improvement in the level of sculptural art is challenging.
It was based on these understandings that Jianguo chose this topic for in-depth research and ultimately produced commendable academic results. Jianguo grounds his arguments in extensive historical facts from both Chinese and Western art, explaining that sculpture is a spiritual product of humanity and an integral part of social culture. While many factors constrain the language and form of sculpture, the fundamental constraint is social culture. Cultural connotations determine the form and language of sculpture, but in turn, the creation of sculpture also enriches social culture and fulfills its spiritual essence.
Jianguo further points out that sculpture is both a materialized form of human emotion and a reflection of people’s cosmology and philosophy of life in different historical periods, embodying their passionate life force. Throughout history, mythology, religion, and social customs (secularism) have played crucial roles in shaping the cultural connotations of sculpture.
Notably, when comparing Chinese and Western sculpture, Jianguo applies a scientific historical dialectical perspective, analyzing both the similarities and differences between them from the angles of culture and artistic form. This provides 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.