T e Philosophy and Art of Wang Guangyi 99781350019379_pi-280.indd781350019379_pi-280.indd i 007-Mar-197-Mar-19 33:00:46:00:46 PPMM Aesthetics and Contemporary Art Series Editors: Tiziana Andina and David Carrier Philosophers and cultural historians typically discuss works of art in abstract terms. But the true signif cance of art for philosophy, and philosophy for art, can only be established through close analysis of specif c examples. Art is increasingly being used to introduce and discuss problems in philosophy. And many works of art raise important philosophical issues of their own. But the resources available have been limited. Aesthetics and Contemporary Art , the f rst series of its kind, will provide a productive context for that indispensable enterprise. T e series promotes philosophy as a framework for understanding the study of contemporary arts and artists, showcasing research that exemplif es cutting- edge and socially engaged scholarship, bridging theory and practice, academic rigour and insight of the contemporary world. Editorial Board Alessandro Arbo (University of Strasbourg), Carla Bagnoli (University of Modena and Reggio), Leeza Chebotarev (Private Art Advisor), Paolo D’Angelo (University of Roma Tre), No ë l Carroll (CUNY), Diarmuid Costello (University of Warwick), Maurizio Ferraris (University of Turin), Cynthia Freeland (University of Houston), Peter Lamarque (University of York), Jonathan Gilmore (CUNY), Luca Illetterati (University of Padova), Gao Jianping (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences), Birte Kleemann (Michael Werner Gallery), Joachim Pissarro (CUNY), Sara Protasi (University of Puget Sound), Shen-yi Liao (University of Puget Sound), Ken-Ichi Sasaki (Nihon University), Elisabeth Schellekens (University of Uppsala), Vincenzo Trione (IULM, International University of Language and Communication, Milan). Forthcoming in the Series Aesthetics, Philosophy, and Martin Creed , edited by Elisabeth Schellekens and Davide Dal Sasso Art, Fashion, Popular Culture, and the Up-Ending of Tradition by Adam Geczy and Vicki Karaminas Contemporary Chinese Art, Aesthetic Modernity and Zhang Peili by Paul Gladston Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art and Analytic Philosophy by Mark Stall Brandl 99781350019379_pi-280.indd781350019379_pi-280.indd iiii 007-Mar-197-Mar-19 33:00:46:00:46 PPMM T e Philosophy and Art of Wang Guangyi Edited by Tiziana Andina and Erica Onnis 99781350019379_pi-280.indd781350019379_pi-280.indd iiiiii 007-Mar-197-Mar-19 33:00:46:00:46 PPMM BLOOMSBURY ACADEMIC Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK 1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, USA BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY ACADEMIC and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain 2019 Copyright © Tiziana Andina, Erica Onnis and Contributors, 2019 Tiziana Andina and Erica Onnis have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identifi ed as Editors of this work. For legal purposes the Acknowledgements on p. vii constitute an extension of this copyright page. Series Design: Irene Martinez Costa Cover image: Wang Guangyi, Delacroix Painting Covered with Quick-Drying Industrial Paint (1989), oil on canvas, 120x100cm All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN: HB: 978-1-3500-1937-9 ePDF: 978-1-3500-1938-6 eBook: 978-1-3500-1940-9 Series: Aesthetics and Contemporary Art Typeset by Newgen KnowledgeWorks Pvt. Ltd., Chennai, India Printed and bound in Great Britain To fi nd out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com and sign up for our newsletters. 99781350019379_pi-280.indd781350019379_pi-280.indd iivv 007-Mar-197-Mar-19 33:00:46:00:46 PPMM Contents List of Figures vii Notes on Contributors x Introduction Chinese Contemporary Art: Between Deconstruction and Construction Tiziana Andina and Erica Onnis 1 Part I Def ning the Human and Humanizing the Divine 1 Gratings, Barriers, and Boundaries: Wang Guangyi’s Transcendental Painting Luca Illetterati 17 2 Wang Guangyi: Popular Study on Anthropology Demetrio Paparoni 31 Part II Duplicating the Scene 3 Wang Guangyi ’ s “ Material Spirit ” : A Religion Embodied in Art Tiziana Andina 41 4 T e Tears of Pictures: Duplication and Inf ection in Wang Guangyi ’ s Oeuvre Enrico Terrone 51 Part III Bridging the Cultural Divide through Pop 5 On the Meanings of Propaganda Erica Onnis 71 6 A Critique of Wang Guangyi ’ s Great Criticism : Coca-Cola Xian Zhou 87 Part IV Words and Images: Two Instruments to Describe the World 7 Wang Guangyi: On Contemporary Pop Art, “ Covers, ” Remix, and Political T eology Babette Babich 111 8 T e Globalist Dimension of Art: Wang Guangyi and Transculturalism Davide Dal Sasso 147 99781350019379_pi-280.indd781350019379_pi-280.indd v 007-Mar-197-Mar-19 33:00:46:00:46 PPMM vi Contents Part V Erasing the Emotions 9 Grief and the Power of the Mind Carola Barbero 171 10 Reasoning with Idols: A Conversation with Wang Guangyi Andrew Cohen 181 Part VI T e Circle of Life: Presenting and Representing Food 11 Food Art, a Hymn to Nature Mary Bittner Wiseman 191 12 Food in Wang Guangyi ’ s Art Nicola Perullo 205 Part VII In Dialogue with Wang Guangyi 13 Nothingness, God, the Soul, and the World: A Conversation with Wang Guangyi Demetrio Paparoni 223 14 Dark Learning, Mysticism, and Art: A Conversation with Wang Guangyi Yan Shanchun 243 Index 281 99781350019379_pi-280.indd781350019379_pi-280.indd vvii 007-Mar-197-Mar-19 33:00:46:00:46 PPMM Figures Permission for use of these images has been granted by the respective artists listed below. Cover: Wang Guangyi, Famous Paintings Covered with Quick- Drying Industrial Paint — Delacroix (1989), oil on canvas, 120 × 100 cm 0.1 Tiziana Andina and Erica Onnis in the studio of Wang Guangyi. Beijing, August 2018 12 1.1 Wang Guangyi, Red Rationality — Revisions of Idols (1987), oil on canvas, 160 × 200 cm 20 1.2 Wang Guangyi, Frozen North Pole No. 24 (1984 – 85), oil on canvas, 68 × 86 cm 20 2.1 Wang Guangyi, Passport n. 2 (1995), oil on canvas, 150 × 120 cm 32 2.2 Wang Guangyi, VISA Project (1994), installation with artif cial fur, pictures, wooden boxes, screen printing, etc. 120 × 80 × 60 cm (33 pieces) 33 2.3 Wang Guangyi, Popular Study on Anthropology: Race and Aesthetics (2017) 33 3.1 Wang Guangyi, New Religion — T e Last Supper (2011), oil on canvas, 400 × 1600 cm 45 3.2 Wang Guangyi, Great Criticism — Marlboro (1992), oil on canvas, 175 × 175 cm 46 4.1 Wang Guangyi, Post-Classical — Death of Marat A (1987), oil on canvas, 116 × 166 cm 55 4.2 Wang Guangyi, Mao Zedong AO (1988), oil on canvas, 150 × 360 cm 57 4.3 Wang Guangyi, Chinese Tourist Map: Beijing (1989), oil on canvas, 120 × 150 cm 58 4.4 Wang Guangyi, Death of the Guide (2011), oil on canvas, 400 × 600 cm 62 4.5 Wang Guangyi, Holy Sindone (2013), oil on canvas, 100 × 70 cm 64 5.1 Maoist Era Posters. Above: P ò s ì ji ù (Destroying the “ four olds, ” 1966). Below: ; 99781350019379_pi-280.indd781350019379_pi-280.indd vviiii 007-Mar-197-Mar-19 33:00:46:00:46 PPMM viii Figures W ú ch ǎ nji ē j í w é nhu à d à g é m ì ng w à nsu ì (Long Live the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution) 74 6.1 Wang Guangyi, Great Criticism — Coca-Cola (a. 1990, oil on canvas, 200 × 200 cm; b. 1999, oil on canvas, 200 × 180 cm; c. 2002, oil on canvas, 200 × 200 cm; d. 2003, oil on canvas, 120 × 150 cm; e. 2006, oil on canvas, 200 × 300 cm) 97 6.2 Wang Guangyi, Great Criticism — Coca-Cola (a. 2005, oil on canvas, 150 × 120 cm; b. 2005, oil on canvas, 60 × 70 cm) 98 7.1 Andy Warhol, Mao (1974) 116 7.2 Andy Warhol, Marilyn Diptych (1962) 117 7.3 Wang Guangyi, on the right, Mao Zedong: Red Grid No. 2 (1988), oil on canvas, 150 × 130 cm.; on the lef , Mao Zedong: Red Grid No. 1 (1988), oil on canvas, 150 × 130 cm 120 7.4 Babette Babich, People Wash . February 22, 2000 122 7.5 Wang Guangyi, Great Criticism: Andy Warhol (2002), oil on canvas, 300 × 200 cm 124 7.6 Babette Babich, Denkerei . Berlin, Kreuzberg, May 14, 2012 126 7.7 Shi Xinning, Duchamp Retrospective Exhibition in China (2000–1) 132 7.8 Jef Koons, Made in Heaven (1989) 134 8.1 Wang Guangyi, Inf ammable and Explosive (1989), installation with cotton, plastic bags, etc. 50 × 60 × 35 cm/piece (3 pieces) 157 8.2 Wang Guangyi, T ings-in-T emselves (2012), installation with sacks of rice and rice bran, etc. Variable dimensions 165 10.1 Wang Guangyi, Water, East Wind, Golden Dragon (2007 – 8), installation (cast iron/f berglass, pictures, etc.), size of the car model: Size: 500 × 190 × 165 cm 186 11.1 Wang Guangyi, Small Criticisms — Banana (1992) oil on canvas, 150 × 120 cm; Danone (1993) oil on canvas, 100 × 100 cm; Mango (1992) oil on canvas, 100 × 100 cm; Tooth (1992) oil on canvas, 100 × 100 cm; Une Pomme (1993) oil on canvas, 100 × 100 cm 194 11.2 Wang Guangyi, 24-Hour Food Degeneration Process (1997), installation with Plexiglas, water, fruits, food, and photographs, etc.