Contemporary ceramic art of China: a look from the perspective of the art market

Van Xingqian Lecturer, Art Department, Anyang Normal University 191186, Russia, Saint Petersburg, nab. Sinks, 48, room 6, room 51 wangxingqian@rambler.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

The ceramic art of China is not only the greatest treasure of national culture, but also an integral part of the world cultural heritage. The distinctive character of this ancient form of Chinese artistic tradition has led to a constant interest in Chinese ceramics, both on the part of scientists and collectors. Collecting Chinese ceramic products has also become the subject of scientific research. The appeal to this problem allowed to shed light on the history of the development of ideas in European countries about China, culture and aesthetics of the country, to form an idea of the processes of integration of elements of Chinese art into the artistic space of Western countries, etc. Of particular interest is the fact that the main focus in the study of collecting Chinese ceramics is the history and principles of the formation of collections, based on the material of certain national traditions (^{[1],[2],[3],[4]} etc.). In the context of the development of the modern art market and museum collections, much attention is traditionally paid to the antique theme (^{[5],[6],[7],[8]} At the same time, unfortunately, on the periphery of scientific discourse there remains the problem of collecting objects that relate to the modern ceramic art of China. In Western science, there is an interest in the topic of the development of the global art market and the local market of China and the issues of market valuation of ancient Chinese ceramics ^{[9, 10]}. Chinese scientists were among the first to start studying the relationship between contemporary Chinese art and the art market, as well as collecting porcelain items. In this regard, it should be noted the value of a number of recent Chinese publications, which touch upon some aspects of the issues under consideration ^{[11, 12]}. The present study focuses on the problem of underestimation of modern ceramic art in China and demonstrates its potential from the standpoint of the art market, which many artists and collectors are currently focusing on.

Modern Chinese ceramics as a collectible

"Modern ceramic art" is a concept that refers to the work of ceramic artists using pottery or porcelain as a means of expressing individuality and emotions. The term "modern ceramic art" in China has a certain specificity. Such art differs from traditional ceramics. It appeared in China in the late 1970s. Due to the long history and deep foundation of China's ceramic culture, the pace of changing the concept of ceramic art is slow and difficult, and at the same time, there is still bias and misunderstanding. Ceramic art is usually divided into two categories: traditional ceramic art and modern ceramic art in terms of the form of work and the artistic concept conveyed by different means of expression.

Traditional ceramics are mainly practical and decorative. The external form of the works is associated with traditional culture. Modern ceramics convey the potter's vision. Its external form is free and effective, and at the same time emphasizing experiments and research with clays and glazes. Contemporary ceramic art is as diverse and open as contemporary art in general. Some potters engaged in traditional pottery also call themselves "modern potters", fearing that they will be left behind in modernity, and "modern ceramics" has become popular at home for some time.

In recent years, Chinese ceramics created by contemporary ceramic artists have become a favorite in the collectibles market. In fact, collectors, forming such collections, make a kind of investment in the future. Among the largest collections of modern porcelain are the collections of Pan Baoqing and Hong Kong collector Liu Luanxiong, who previously dealt exclusively with antiques, but then began to collect products created in our time. It is noteworthy that such porcelain began, first of all, to replenish the collections of previously exclusively antique products. This indicates that experts are aware of the artistic value produced by Chinese ceramists at the present time.

Contemporary Chinese art in the context of the latest trends in the development of the global and national art market

Over the past five years, China's art market has developed faster than the art markets of other countries. In 2004, the trading platforms "Sotheby's" and "Christie's" sold works of Asian contemporary art for a total of $ 22 million. Two years later, two auction houses sold works of contemporary Asian art already worth $ 190 million. The bulk of the works sold belonged to Chinese artists. If in 2005 only 2 Chinese artists were included in the world ranking of the 100 most successful artists in terms of sales of their works on trading platforms (according to information from auctions) ^{[13, p. 13-14]}, then in 2009 their number increased to 10, while the majority were contemporary artists ^{[14, p.. 26-27]}.

China is becoming increasingly important in the global art market. In 2007, China pushed France, taking third place after the United States and Great Britain in total auction turnover. Three of the world's largest trading platforms "Christie's", "Sotheby's" and "Bonhams" have opened offices in Hong Kong and held several auctions of contemporary art, both in Hong Kong and mainland China. The rapid growth of the Chinese art market creates favorable conditions for the entry of auction sites in mainland China – such as "China Guardian", "Poly International" and many others – to the international level. In 2007, the Chinese auction houses "Poly International" and "China Guardian" already accounted for 1.8% and 1% of the global turnover of auction sales ^[15]. In a global context, these figures are very significant.

The Chinese auction market consists of three main segments, which are formed around the following subject areas: 1) Chinese painting and calligraphy, 2) ceramics and antiques, 3) modern art. In the period from 2004 to 2008, there was a particularly sharp growth in China's domestic art market, in connection with which many works of contemporary Chinese art reached the world level and received international recognition. If we talk about the domestic market of China, its development was due to several factors. First of all, during this period, the idea of the value of national art as a financial investment was established. Unlike the Western world, where there are many different investment instruments, in China, investment instruments are limited to stocks, funds and real estate. Art began to be seen as an alternative to these assets after the Chinese government took strict control of speculation with stocks and real estate since 2004. As a result, Chinese contemporary art has become perceived as a reliable investment. The rapid rise in prices for contemporary art was probably due to a significant revaluation of the value of objects in conditions of active speculative trading.

Analysis of the most significant modern objects of Chinese ceramics presented on the art market

Connoisseurs of national decorative and applied art buy modern ceramic products, both from artists personally and through special auctions. So, at auctions in the country, products made of this material are valued higher and higher from year to year. For example, in 2007, the work "Inlay with high-temperature colored glaze", made by ceramic artist Li Jiusheng, was valued at more than a million yuan. Previously, the work of a modern ceramic artist has never been estimated at such an amount. It should be noted that Li Jiusheng's works are distinguished by artistic originality. He tends to lines reminiscent of the old blue-and-white painting techniques. His brush is bright and free, the strokes are smooth and precise. The author, who is inclined to oil painting, is also attentive to pure color and its nuances in the painting of ceramics. Each of his works is a composition written with high—temperature colored glaze. The record-breaking "Inlay with high-temperature colored glaze of the Cardamom era" is a diptych depicting a girl from northern tribes in a pasture and inspired young men from Xinjiang standing surrounded by girls. This work is a symbol of renewal, including the language of the art form of Chinese porcelain. The following year, 2008, when the colored glazed porcelain inlays "A real gentleman should be silent while watching a chess game" by the same master was sold for almost two million yuan.

At the International Ceramic Art Auction in Jingdezhen, the composition of the first in the history of New China "master of arts and crafts" Wang Xilian "Huangshan Mountains four thousand kilometers high" was sold for seven million yuan, becoming the most expensive work of modern ceramic art at public auction at that time. In the artist's work, attention is paid to the concept, the emphasis on decorativeness and the creation of an artistic effect of quietly flowing water. His brush strokes are simple, the colors are elegant and rich, and the composition is natural. The background is the color of a light glaze. This allows the wizard to show the outline of the overall composition (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Wang Xilian. The Huangshan Mountains are four thousand kilometers high.

At the beginning of the XXI century, large plates of the ceramic artist Zhang Songmao are constantly breaking records for value at auction among Chinese collectors. So, in 2010, "Many Generations" was estimated at 13 million yuan (Fig. 2), in 2011, the porcelain plate "National colors and Flavors" was estimated at 12 million yuan (Fig. 3).

Fig. 2. Zhang Songmao. Multiple generations

Fig. 3. Zhang Songmao. National colors and flavors

It is noticeable that the master feels great in art painting, drawing images and artistic language, mainly from Chinese painting and transferring them with the help of glazed pastels to a ceramic base in the form of flat plates. Note that the number of artists engaged in the creation of products from this material is small. Among them, there are very few artists who are valued among connoisseurs and collectors, and their works are represented in museum collections.

Conclusion

The attention and appreciation of collectors due to the lack of a source base related to the analysis of creative activity in the field of art at the beginning of the XXI century largely determines the value of modern works. Many collectors, when choosing a particular work, are guided by the fact whether the author has the specialty "ceramic artist", which has been introduced in the country since 1959, whether he won the national competition "Master of Chinese Arts and Crafts" or "Chinese Ceramics", whether he has the title of "master of arts" or "senior master ceramics". Thus, the criterion of the demand for modern porcelain is largely the institutional affiliation of the author. However, the main selection criterion at the moment is the artistic characteristics of the product: freshness of style, non—standard approach to shaping, as well as the individuality of the master that is clearly manifested (Fig. 13), which is poorly read in porcelain at earlier stages of art development. Highly appreciated are those products that do not imitate the ancients, but express the subjective view and individual style of the ceramist.

Fig. 4. Go Aihe. Sunrise. The work was recognized as the best at the "13th Chinese Exhibition of Masters of Decorative and applied Arts", awarded the "Cup of a hundred flowers", the "Golden Award of Chinese Art and Crafts". The 2000s.

Now there is a demand for works created in the spirit of "ceramic painting" and using modern technologies, coloring pigments that allow you to expand the expressive possibilities of painting on porcelain. The boom in collecting modern Chinese porcelain, which began in the XXI century, indicates that these works are excellent in terms of craftsmanship, choice of themes, and the combination of originality, academic and vivid visual effects create a sense of innovation and non-standard.