Research On The Group Of Contemporary Artists In Yunnan (1985～2015)

As an important method of international artistic dialogue in globalization,contemporary art enriches people’s renewal and cognition of contemporary life and art.The social reality of different regions and diverse cultural concepts,however,influences the differences between new artistic concepts and expressions.The presence of contemporary art in Yunnan questions and innovates the traditional art thoughts;praises and references Western Modernism;criticizes and confronts art autocracy and institutional authority;and also expands and inherits the local historical context.In the 1980s,as pioneers of contemporary art,a group of young artists with avant-garde spirits and fruitful results emerged in Yunnan Province.They took the lead in simultaneously joining China’s ’85 New Wave through their characteristic creations and foreign exhibition at their own expenses,therefore have become important participants and witnesses of this period of history.At that time,members of the "New Representational Image" exhibition and the established "Southwest Art Research Group" became outstanding representatives of the local arts groups in China because of their unique artistic qualities and vitalities.Their artistic practice and social influence have laid practical conditions and a solid foundation for the spread and sustainable development of contemporary art in Yunnan.Taking this clue as a starting point,it is of great academic value and an important dimension to conduct an in-depth investigation of the contemporary artist group in Yunnan and to systematically demonstrate and analyze the dynamics and functions of Yunnan’s contemporary art creation group in history and reality.Choosing outstanding artists with profound geographical relationship with Yunnan as representatives,this paper basically sums up the whole development process of Yunnan’s contemporary art from 1985 to 2015 in chronological order.Based on the outstanding performance,creative achievements and functions of artist groups and individuals in different periods,this paper pioneers Yunnan’s contemporary artist development pedigree from 1950s to 1980s examining and analyzing the relationship and influence between the artist groups and the times,regions,society and individuals combined with the artistic phenomena occurred in the same period.And it further explores the inherent connection between local contemporary art samples and China’s modernization,social and cultural changes and their humanistic values.The main part of this paper is divided into four chapters.The first chapter—Pioneers of ’85 New Wave and Yunnan’s Contemporary Art,emphasizes the history and important position of the "New Representational Image" exhibition and the "Southwest Art Research Group" starting from the background of Yunnan modem art before the ’85 New Wave.It also analyzes those representative artists and their creations,as well as the relationship between groups and individuals during this period.In particular,this chapter affirms the avant-garde art dynamics of specific art groups and outstanding individual artists.The second chapter—Groups of Contemporary Artists in Yunnan and Their Dynamics in the 1990s,talks about how local artists began to consciously explore the cognition and language of contemporary art after analyzing the development of contemporary art in Yunnan.During this period,there have been outstanding artists using other media for creation,creative clusters from both inside and outside the "system," as well as professional artists who have gone outside Yunnan for development.The third chapter—Multiple Strengths and Ecologies of Contemporary Art in Yunnan Since 2000.Based on the establishment of Kunming’s innovative library and its impact on local art ecology,this chapter demonstrates the trend of active fusion between contemporary art and urban culture and public life.After young artists born in 1970s and 1980s boarding the art stage,they actively carried out indigenous experiments of new ideas,and help to form a more diverse contemporary art ecology and pattern in Yunnan in the new century.Representative artists with creative and influential media,tactics and ideas put forward valuable matters from different points of view.Representatives of artists who are creative and creative in a flexible medium,tactics and ideas have raised many issues of concern from different angles.The fourth chapter—Comprehensive Analysis on the Contemporary Artist Groups in Yunnan,makes a periodic summary based on the above historical investigation and artists’ questionnaire survey.After a comprehensive discussion in many aspects from the pedigree of the contemporary artists in Yunnan,the evolution of the "group",the regional reflection in the creation,the quality of "life aesthetics" under the influence of emotion,the basic characteristics and ideas of the creation,the response to the "contemporary",the status and function of the artists,and the extant problems on the development of contemporary art in Yunnan,this paper puts forward original ideas.Through the continuous efforts of several generations of outstanding artists,the development of contemporary art in Yunnan Province has gone through three important stages in thirty years.Now it has gradually defined its own position and formed the initial basic system.As an important part of China’s contemporary art,its development has not blindly followed the domestic mainstream,but has formed its own rhythm for a long time.Expressive creation focusing on life,heart,intuition and true expression creation is one of the main lines of inheritance of contemporary art in Yunnan.Artists are more concerned with the reflection on the"contemporary" art by escaping,questioning,and investigating life itself,therefore their creations tend to pursue more spiritual expression and reflect humanistic concern and democratic awareness.And to varying degrees,these creations infiltrate the quality of "Life Aesthetics" under the influence of the "Utopia and Nostalgia" and also present the poetic colors rooted in regional lifestyles and cultural temperaments.As a result,groups of contemporary artists in Yunnan are not only participants and contributors to the contemporary Chinese art,but also creators and witnesses of the local art history,the implementer and disseminator of contemporary art as well as the builder and promoter of contemporary culture.Their creations and acts not only vividly reflect the development of Yunnan’s modernization reform,but also play an active role in promoting urban modernization,aesthetic modernity,and diversified integration of cultural life.Of course,we still need to further observe and study the existing problems and the overall development of contemporary art in Yunnan,and further analyze and judge individual cases of artists so that the contemporary art and the historical research in this field can really make a difference in helping people understand the true meaning of living and life.