What is it about?
University of Rhode Island (URI) doctoral student Jingyi "Serena" Duan did some field research on the Wushipu art village in China, under the supervision of Prof. Ruby Roy Dholakia. She interviewed many gallery (shop) owners in Wushipu on the gradually changing nature of art in China - from industrial art ("copies of Western masters") to some original art. This paper evolved out of Serena's fieldwork at Wushipu.
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Why is it important?
As authors, we were wondering how to communicate the changes observed at Wushipu and similar "art production centers" of China to a larger global audience. As we examined the issue around these changes, we came to realize they represented a slice of the larger phenomenon: the struggle by a fast-rising mega-China to be seen not just as a copying-and-making nation but as an innovator and producer of original works. This study provides an early, small window into this phenomenon -- which we believe is epic and will be long-playing through this century.
Perspectives
I joined the project a bit later because the data (interviews, photos, observations) collected by Serena needed an interpretive lens. My contribution has been mainly to provide this lens, and to bring in some relevant art theory to bear upon the issues in this paper.
Dr Nikhilesh Dholakia
University of Rhode Island
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Production and marketing of art in China, Arts and the Market, May 2015, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/am-10-2013-0023.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Google Scholar Page: Ruby Roy Dholakia
A window of some of the other globally oriented work of the primary author.
Google Scholar Page: Nikhilesh Dholakia
Links to interpretive and global works of this author.
China Art: Dafen Art Village
China's biggest "art production" village
China Art: Dafen Art Village, Daily Mail UK
A photo essay on Dafen by the UK tabloid
China Art: Dafen Art Village, WSJ article
Wall Street Journal take on Dafen
China Art: Dafen Art Village, Der Spiegel
The leading German paper's view of Dafen
China Art: Dafen Art Village, Wired magazine
Wired magazine writer visits Dafen
China Art: Wushipu Oil Painting Vilage
Unlike the totally-created Dafen mega-cluster, Wushipu has a history of art... now overtaken by industrial art
China Art: Wushipu Oil Painting Vilage, sales link
In this age of e-commerce, one can of course buy Wushipu "industrial art" online...!!
Walter Benjamin: The Famous Paper
Complete text of the famous paper that changed our view of art in the age of technology.
Walter Benjamin: Art Paper; interpretation - 1
Erik Larsen interprets the famous Walter Benjamin essay at this Yale website.
Art as imitation of nature?
A 1974 look at a classic art philosophy issue
Imitation vs. Creation
This one takes a very hard line against imitation.
More on China: Tech, not art, this time
Two of the authors of this paper, Jingyi Duan and Nikhilesh Dholakia, have another China-focused paper published... but this time not on art but on social media behaviors in China.
Political Art: Linda Lewis - 1
Digital photo montages by Linda Lewis.
Political Art: Linda Lewis - 2
Lindia Lewis creates imaginative digital photo imagery.
Political Art: Linda Lewis - 3
Digital photo albums of Linda Lewis.
Postmodernity and Management: David Boje
In the field of management, the concepts of postmodernity have been explored by some. David Boje is one of the most prominent and influential exponents.
Dafen Art Village: Critical View
This study employs a Foucauldian perspective to critique the policy frames for developing and promoting the Dafen art village. First author Jun Wang has the paper available at her ReseachGate site.
ResearchGate Page: Ruby Roy Dholakia
Portal into other research works by lead author #RubyRoyDholakia.
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
