Balthus and His Chinese Connection -- Grand Art Studio

Author: Xiaosheng (Author)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: In 1984, I was selected by the state to study Western art history in Paris for two years. After that, I was invited multiple times to visit and lecture in various countries in Europe and America. As a result, I had many opportunities to meet the elite of the contemporary art world. I suppose it was because I came from China that I was particularly treated with great kindness and courtesy. They often invited me to their guest rooms, studios, to discuss art and philosophy, make friends, and build good relationships, allowing me to live a happy life surrounded by art and friendship. I gradually introduced them to China, and they received universal and enthusiastic responses. What I introduced may not be sufficient to paint a full picture of the art scene of the 20th century, but it certainly covers the part that can be considered the essence. In this world, everything is bustling, and the art world is no exception. The rampant nihilism has made art, in the hands of some, not only a "form of self-pleasuring" (as Sikyros put it) but also pushes humanity toward self-destruction in the process of anti-civilization. Although my work involves researching and introducing foreign cultural arts, I am determined to select the excellent and reject the trash, with the aim of spreading beauty, promoting mutual understanding between our peoples, sharing the common spiritual wealth of humanity, encouraging and inspiring each other, and recreating our own brilliance. We are a great nation in culture, and we should have an open and inclusive attitude and a magnanimous demeanor. However, as we return to the big family of all nations, facing a world that has changed greatly and an art world that has changed even more, we should also maintain a very clear mind. We must avoid abandoning our independent judgment due to confusion in our understanding, or even due to a craving for immediate benefits, to accommodate values and aesthetic standards that are not suitable for us. Otherwise, colonial consciousness will surely spread, and the national spirit will be even harder to express.