The Watery Turn in Contemporary Chinese Art

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This essay examines an interest in water which is displayed by a variety of contemporary Chinese artists whose work is not necessarily otherwise identifiably linked in terms of style. While a great many non-Chinese contemporary artists have also explored water, the watery turn in Chinese art is a relatively distinct phenomenon, making use of aspects of the inherited cultural stock, in particular the ink-painting heritage (which might not at first have been thought to offer much that would concern consciously contemporary artists). It comes into being, as will be shown, in response to particular state ideologies and modernization policies and may be read as offering a critical and even …