China's New Cultural Scene: A Handbook of Changes - Tapa dura

"Remarkable. An erudite and entertaining whirlwind tour of China's high culture, pop culture, and subculture at the turn of the century-from world-famous film directors to a `mad calligrapher' who has never sold a work."-Richard King, University of Victoria "Claire Huot's readable and engaging book is rich in specifics and subtle in its theorizing, an unequaled and up-to-date account of culture in contemporary China. From sitcoms to street-slang, the marketing of the avant-garde to the cultural politics of heavy metal, it is a work of importance to all interested in modern China, in cultural studies, and in the formation of transnational audiences and cultural identities at the century's end."-Craig Clunas, University of Sussex

The Cultural Revolution of China's Maoist era has come and gone, yet another cultural revolution of a different sort has been sweeping through China in the 1990s. Although recently much interest has been focused on China's economy, few Westerners are aware of the remarkable transformations occurring in the culture of ordinary people's daily lives. In China's New Cultural Scene Claire Huot surveys the wide spectrum of art produced by Chinese musicians, painters, writers, performers, and filmmakers today, portraying an ongoing cultural revolution that has significantly altered life in the People's Republic. Western observers who were impressed by the bravery of the demonstrators in Tiananmen Square-and stunned at the harshness of their suppression-will learn from this book how that political movement led to changes in cultural conditions and production. Attending to all the major elements of this vast nation's high and low culture at the end of a landmark decade, Huot's discussion ranges from the cinematic works of Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and others to emerging musical forms such as rock, punk, and rap. Other topics include television, theater, and avant-garde art, the new electronic media, and subversive trends in both literature and the visual arts. With a comprehensive index of artists and works, as well as a glossary of Chinese words, China's New Cultural Scene will enlighten students of Chinese culture and general readers interested in contemporary Asia.