The Lily In "Huancheng"

Aestheticism, thriving in19th century with Oscar Wilde as the representative,advocates “Aesthetic salvation”, praises the life attitude of “Live for Art’s Sake” andthe art outlook of “Art for Art’s Sake”. Facing the commodity economy and materialsociety that increasingly impact their life, on one hand, the they show great contempt,and try to achieve their art ideal and aesthetic pursuit in the ivory tower of“belles-lettres” in their heart; On the other hand they compromise and flatter so as topursue the “supreme aesthetic instant” in the outside world. In the world oftemptations they enjoy a very luxurious life. This contradiction and paradox, thoughmaking their life and works suffer severe criticism, at the same time also providesthem the unique artistic value and literature status.Every era and society with economic and political transformation always givesbirth to some struggling and compromising “aesthetic people”. Since1990s, thehotbed of the emerging post-aesthetic bearing Chinese characters has graduallyformed. In the tide of reform and opening up and the flood of commodity economy,the post-80generation has grown up. In the face of the rich material society, on onehand they happily enjoy the luxurious material life; on the other hand, they disregardvulgarity and create a refined literary world. And the “post-aesthetic” quality has thuscome into being as a result of innate quality and postnatal environment. The pursuit ofmaterial life and spirit world helps mould a group of young writers as the perfectcombination of literary genius and business genius represented by Guo jingming, whoare both praised and criticized by critics and scholars.The representing post-80generation writer Guo Jingming was born in1980s,growing up in the nineties and becomes mature and famous in the new century. Hisprotest, compromise, talent and rebellion are all under the influence of politics,culture, education,“the only generation” thought, network science development andthe increasingly-popular subculture. He went to university in the long-dreamedmetropolis Shanghai. The vogue and luxury of material life there and the sorrow and aestheticism of literature altogether formed his “post-aesthetic” temperament. On life,he advocates the post-aesthetic life attitude of “Live for Art’s sake”. Leading anunrestrained, free, affluent and luxurious life becomes “the wind wane of fashion”which has been modeled by the young; on art, he praises highly the post-aesthetic artoutlook “Art for Art’s Sake”. His works are exquisite, beautiful, magnificent and sad.His writing style was honored as the “pure and extreme beauty” among the post-80s,post-90s, and even the post-00s. Guo has been a “forever-flourishing” youth legendamong the contemporary writers in China.In the multi-value era,“Guo Jingming has become a culture phenomenon morethan an individual, which evokes heated discussion on “life and literature” and lead toinvestigation and reflection in literary circle. Thus we may say his “post-aesthetic”temperament has once again brought back the tide of “aestheticism”.