The Research Of Cantonese Artists At The Beginning Of 20^th Century (1912-1937)in Shanghai

The aim of this thesis is to give insight into a group of active Cantonese (Yue) Artists at the beginning of 20th century in Shanghai from 1912 to 1937, regarding the establishment and contribution that they made to the Modern Art Movements. This article focuses on the influence of "multiculturalism". The background of the thesis combines the art of Chinese and Western cultures together with cultures of Shanghai and Lingnan. The thesis studies how these artists show their modernity in Shanghai in a specific historical time and spread the avant-garde culture and art all over the country through their artwork. Their artwork made them pioneers of the Modern Art Movements. This thesis hopes to uncover the authentic history of these artists. The revelation of the history of these artists can empower Chinese modern art. It can be a source of inspiration and a source of reference for today's artists.This thesis consists of four sections: introduction, literature and historical background, activities of Cantonese artists in Shanghai during Modern Art Movements, conclusion and revelation.First, this thesis defines the scope of the study from the perspective of cross-cultural research methods, multi-cultures and art with the emphasis on sociological principles in relationship to geography, culture and art. Secondly, the article demonstrates a group of Cantonese artists who promoted a wave of innovation in art through the True Record in establishment of a new art form in 1910s. I analyze the important document written by Chen Baoyi in order to better understand the role of the Cantonese artists in Shanghai and the role they played in the Chinese Western-style Painting Movement. Third, the article discusses the Cantonese artist's roles in the Modern Woodcut Movement. The article also discusses the roles other Cantonese artists played in various modern art fields, such as sculpting, painting, cartoons, art magazines, etc., from 1912 to 1937. Lastly, by studying the Cantonese artist's cultural identity, the article shows their existence in the vanguard of the Modern Art Movements. By studying their network, we understand how their artworks were formed. In addition, the impact of foreign arts in 1912-1937 during early period of modern art will also be considered from a macro point of view.There are two innovative aspects of the thesis. First, it is to reveal a period that was obscure from art history. Based on analyzing the thoughts of"learning from Europe is better than that of Japan", this thesis refers Taine's three-pronged approach (race, milieu, and moment) to the contextual study of arts. It puts the art in the time it first appeared, and treasures the impact and contribution of the Cantonese artist to today's Chinese and Western modern art culture. This thesis attempts to analyze the relationships of the Cantonese artist in Shanghai and how they were influenced by western art education. I accomplish this by comparing the creative theme, art activities and ideas of these artists, with how the influence of Western-style painting spread from Paris or Tokyo to Shanghai. I also explore the process of how they combined the multi-arts by comparing the painting styles of those who studied arts in Japan and France. This article shows how multi-cultures influence these artists. The article also reveals how cultural exchanging between East and West in the early 20th century gave birth to the Modern Art Movements.Second innovation lays in raising doubts on the existence of the Cantonese artists in Shanghai as a group. The thesis will also present evidence that shows that they really existed. Based on the textural research of previous studies, using artistic style, I analyze the Aesthetics and cross-cultural research method and reveals how similar these artists really were. I used the combination of the artist literature and their artworks to make the comparison. Although these artists created different themes with different forms, they were committed to a common goal to form a network of activities and spread modern art through art education. They achieved this through self-realization. Based on the research of the artist, it was revealed that the artists were very courageous and they had a pioneering spirit. They were also forward-thinking and influenced by the Lingnan Culture. The Cantonese artist uses Lingnan culture as a form of artistic cultural identity and made them pioneers of Modern Art Movements in the early 20th century.In an era of urban modernization of the arts, when it lacks literary criticism, the study of Cantonese artists and their activities in Shanghai at the beginning of the 20th century had tremendous meanings for the city. The study of Cantonese artist will help us better understand Shanghai art culture. We should view the study of Cantonese artist in Shanghai in a deeper level in order to better integrate contemporary art and culture.