The Dilemma Of Artists In China’s Consumer Society Since The 1990s

In China’s consumer society since the 1990 s,artists have been faced with the dichotomy of artistic ideals and the logic of a mechanical consumer society,and are at a loss as to what strategic choices to make.It also uses the artist Xu Zhen as an example to analyse how he maintains the academic nature of his art while engaging in various commercial practices,and uses commerce as a means to realise his artistic validity and ideals,in order to break down the innate moral prejudices and contradictions in the minds of many artists towards the market,and provide new perspectives and strategies for action.With the wave of the marketisation of art in China since the 1990 s,art has long been inescapable in the midst of the strong wrapping of consumer society,and artists have had to confront the ideals of art and the temptations of the market.In the face of this dichotomy,there are four types of strategies or states of affairs from the artist’s point of view.There are artists who choose only one side,such as following the logic of the market as a strategy,and’avoiding’ or criticising consumer society as a strategy;there are also artists who combine the dichotomy,such as those who are torn between the two,sometimes throwing themselves at the market and sometimes abandoning it.There are also artists who combine these two contradictions,such as those who are torn between the market and the art world,and those who focus on their artistic ideals and use commerce as a means to achieve them.This article takes Xu Zhen,a representative Chinese artist with ’commercial attributes’,as an example.By analysing Xu Zhen’s commercial behaviour and artworks,it demonstrates that Xu Zhen,as an entrepreneur,still holds the ideals and sentiments of an artist,and that his commercial behaviour has effectively enhanced the initiative and effectiveness of his artistic practice,even bringing challenges to the art system It is clear that art and commerce are not necessarily incompatible.Through these studies,personal advice is given to artists who feel torn between the art market and their artistic ideals: to become a new organic intellectual artist,to adapt to the transformation of multiple identities,to maintain the pursuit of academic values in art while actively and deeply participating in consumer society,to understand the art system,and to use rules or shake up the system as much as possible to achieve artistic influence.