Wang Qingsong

© Wang Qingsong

Wang Qingsong, "Thinker" (1998)

© Wang Qingsong

Wang Qingsong, "Incarnation 1" (2002)

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Gaudy art happened when a huge drive of consumerism intruded into China in the 1990s. Gaudy artists are more concerned about the impact and damage of consumer culture on Chinese traditional culture and its people. Obviously, such impact from consumerism is all-pervasive, touching upon traditions, ideas, fashion, architecture, design, etc. Gaudy artists use the kitschy art forms to satirize this gaudy life with an ironic and critical angle.

What do you think the influence of Gaudy art has been on today’s Chinese artists?

Looking back upon the last 10 years, I think that Gaudy art and its artists have influenced a lot of commercial artists in terms of working format and ideas. But gaudy art itself lost its critical role after 1995. Since 1995, I have lost interest in ideas of gaudy art. I became more focused on the interaction of consumerism in China and consumerism in the West, which I see as a mutually beneficial conspiracy. Such a mixture of Chinese and Western consumerism creates weird social phenomena which are neither Chinese nor Western.