The Stars Group: Transforming Chinese Art Scene Amidst Cultural Revolution

1. Dedalus Art History Research Project

2. Robert Motherwell Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 34, 1953 – 1954 Oil on canvas 80 x 100 inches (203.2 x 254 cm) Collection: The Albright Knox Gallery, Buffalo, New York (Gift of Seymour H. Knox, 1957) The Art History Research Project, developed by the Office of the Arts and Special Projects, New York City Department of Education has been underwritten by a generous grant from the Dedalus Foundation.

3. in·no·va·tionˌinəˈvāSH(ə)n/nounthe action or process of innovating.synonyms: change, alteration, revolution, upheaval, transformation, metamorphosis, breakthrough; a new method, idea, product, etc.plural noun: innovations"technological innovations designed to save energy"

4. Art history research paper Rough draft due Friday 12/19/14 Requirements: • Use 12-point type in a Times New Roman font • Use 1.5-spacing • Use endnotes rather than footnotes • Set 1 inch margins all the way around • Do not use any headers or footers • Do not include page numbers • Type straight text in paragraph style, with a one-tab indent on the first line • After a period, use just one space before the start of the next sentence. • 3-7 pages

5. Students are invited to include images of works of art in research papers. Please place them, numbered (before endnotes) on one or two pages. Reference images within the text in this way: Vincent van Gogh’s L’Arlésienne (Image 1) which hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is one of seven portraits he painted of Marie Ginoux from 1888 to 1890.*

6. REWARDS • 5 Scholarships of $2000 each • Art History Credit Topic Sentence - Due Monday October 20, 2014 Rough Draft - Due Friday December 19, 2014 Completed Paper - Due Monday January 12, 2015 Presentations - Week of January 20-23, 2015 Scholarship Application Due March/April 2015

7. TOPIC SHEET DUE MONDAY 10/20/14 When choosing a topic to research: 1. Choose a topic that you are really interested in and want to spend time researching. 2. Think of some kind of controversy, conflict or question that goes into your topic. Think of something that you could prove. 3. This year’s theme is “Innovation”  What is your topic?_________________________________________  What do you think the title of your paper going to be? What is your topic sentence going to be? (usually the first sentence of your paper)

8. The Art Group That Twice Took Beijing By Storm Katie Zhao History often repeats itself with dictator’s who lead revolutions where many people are killed, culture is destroyed and the survivors are left in despair. In China, these events describe the period from 1966 to 1976 known as the Cultural Revolution. Art during and before the Cultural Revolution was very traditional and often used for propaganda. Under Mao Zedong’s Communist reign, the government only allowed certain kinds of art to be displayed and taught in the art schools, such as ink landscapes. Art that had nothing to do with the government and Communism was put down or destroyed. Most artists appeased Mao Zedong and his rules even after his death. There was a sense of hopelessness and hardly any progression was made in the arts. However, there were many young artists who had small voices in their community but they were ambitious and had big ideas and used the terror of the Cultural Revolution as inspiration. In the late 1970’s one of the most famous art groups called "Xing Xing," also known as the Stars Group, helped bring a change into the art scene in China. The Stars Group of artists was inspired by western art movements to take an artistic and political stand during a time of censorship and restriction. The Stars group was the beginning of contemporary ‘avant-garde’ art in China and helped to create change in the art scene and to inspire future artists. Communist leader Mao Zedong launched the Cultural Revolution in August 1966. Mao originally made a failed attempt at a revolution with his “Great Leap Forward,” which was his attempt to bring China to the future. However in his second attempt in 1966 he was successful and had a huge impact on China. Mao wanted to get rid of impure elements remaining in China through the nation’s youth, who Mao organized into a mini army known as the Red Guards.1 Mao wanted to get rid of the old and bring in the new, and a tremendous amount of Chinese tradition was destroyed during his reign. The Red Guards harassed the elderly and intellectual populations and were told by Mao to turn them in to the government to be punished.2 Anyone believed to be conspiring against the government were tortured and imprisoned. Many people had their property seized. The Red Guards turned in teachers, doctors, and often their own parents. These adults were ridiculed and humiliated publicly. During this time, the Chinese government reported that thousands of people were killed. But now it is estimated that 1.5 million people were killed during Mao’s reign of terror.3 In 1969 Mao lost his power and his successor Lin Biao took over. However Biao died and a new leader, Zhou Enlai, took over and attempted to stabilize China, but Mao’s damage had been done and people continued to suffer. They had lost faith in their government and little progression was being made. In 1976 Zhou and Mao died, and a new leader Deng Xiaoping, took over in 1977, officially ending the Cultural Revolution. While a lot of Chinese tradition was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, art had not been completely lost. However the development of Chinese art lacked the creativity that was seen in 1 “Cultural Revolution” on History.com, accessed December 18, 2013. http://www.history.com/topics/cultural-revolutionthe West. Before and during the Cultural Revolution art was mainly used for propaganda and

9. 2 “Art and China’s Revolution Exhibition Introduction” The Asia Society, September 5, 2008 to January 11, 2009. http://sites.asiasociety.org/chinarevo/?p=10 3http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/timelines/modern_art_timeline.htm 4 Central Academy of Fine Arts website. http://www.cafa.edu.cn/aboutcafa/lan/?c=1101 5 Zhao Gang, telephone interview by Katie Zhao, Beijing and New York, December 8, 2013 6 Zhao Gang, telephone interview by Katie Zhao, Beijing and New York, December 8, 2013

10. Works Cited 1. History.com Staff. "Cultural Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. Winter 2014. 2. "Introduction." Http://sites.asiasociety.org/chinarevo/?p=10. Asia Society and Museum, n.d. Web. Winter 2014. 3. "Modern Art Timeline Part 1 (1870-1930)." Modern Art Timeline. Art Factory, n.d. Web. Winter 2014. 4. Murray, Michael. "Materials of the Future: Documenting Contemporary Chinese Art From 1980-1990." Interview by Jane DeBevoise. Materials of the Future: Documenting Contemporary Chinese Art From 1980-1990. Asia Art Archive, 31 Oct. 2009. Web. Winter 2014. <http://www.china1980s.org/en/interview_detail.aspx?interview_id=81>. 5. "About CAFAAbout." About CAFAAbout. CAFA, n.d. Web. Winter 2014. 6. Sullivan, Michael. Art and Artists of Twentieth-century China. Berkeley: University of California, 1996. Print.ILLUSTRATION Image 1 Ai Weiwei’s Mao Triptych10 (Image 1), which was exhibited at The Stars Show in New York City in 1983. The current location of the piece is unknown.

12. art history in 10 minutes