I've had just enough time to... witness the change in the Chinese Art Scene.
Taken by surprise in the Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
Contrast
the previous painting (in the last post) done during the Mao Tze Dong era with
this very large painting that I found in the arrival section of Shanghai Pudong
International Airport. I have been in and out of China since the early 80s and
what a change I had seen. From padi fields to high rise in a blink of an eye.
From an universal grey to the latest French fashion. From a third world to one
of the largest economy in the world. The speed and scale were mind-boggling.
Still it
surprised me when I saw this painting in clear view just prior to the arrival
hall. They will allow this suggestive painting in the airport? My friends from
the West may think nothing of it. But most Asians are still conservative when
it comes to nudity and suggestive portrayal in Arts. They have no problem if
such paintings are displayed in studios and museums but have strong reservation
when they are shown in public places in full views of children and their
grandparents. And what can be more public than an airport?
China has
come a long way in the last twenty years. How far? This tale of two paintings
show the quantum leap.
