In this book; leading art experts; art historians; and critics review the life; career; and artistic development of New York based Chinese artist Zhang Hongtu. A pioneer in contemporary Chinese art; Zhang created the first example of "China Pop" art; and his oeuvre is as diverse; intellectually complex; and engaging as it is entertaining. From painting and sculpture to computer generated works and multimedia projects; Zhangs art is equally rich in terms of Chinas history and its current events; containing profound reflections on Chinas oldest cultural habits and contemporary preoccupations. He provides a model of cross-cultural interaction designed to make Asian and Western audiences look more closely at each other and at themselves to recognize the beliefs they hold and the unexamined values they adhere to. From his early work in China during the Cultural Revolution to his decades as an artist in New York; Zhang reflects the complex attitudes of a scholar-artist toward modernity; as well as toward Asian and Western societies and himself. Placing Zhang in the context of his cultural milieu both in China and in the Chinese immigrant artist community in America; this volumes contributors examine his adaptations of classic art to reflect a contemporary sensibility; his relation to Cubism and Social Realism; his collaboration with the celebrated fashion designer Vivienne Tam; and his visual critique of Chinas current environmental crisis. Zhangs work will be on display at the Queens Museum in New York City from October 17; 2015 to March 6; 2016. Contributors: Julia F. Andrews; Alexandra Chang; Tom Finkelpearl; Michael Fitzgerald; Wu Hung; Luchia Meihua Lee; Morgan Perkins; Kui Yi Shen; Jerome Silbergeld; Eugenie Tsai; Thuy Linh Nguyen Tu; Lilly Wei Co-published by the Queens Museum and Duke University Press.
#596068 in eBooks 2016-03-01 2016-03-01File Name: B01ARL3GF2
Review
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Also for fiction writersBy Jeffery CottonWill Dunnes The Dramatic Writers Companion: Tools to Develop Characters; Cause Scenes; and Build Stories is one of several books Ive read that target playwrights and screenwriters. In this case I think thats a shame; as the exercises in this book; especially for character development; are useful to anyone who creates fictional worlds.Like Roy Peter Clarks Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer; this book has you apply the exercises to your work in progress; rather than to synthetic prompts.For that reason; this is my go-to book for those moments when nothing is working.The Dramatic Writers Companion stands out because of the way it is organized. Many chapters are only a few pages long; and discuss the development of your story or characters out of a particular need you have. For example; take the chapter "Finding the Characters Voice." As in every chapter; Dunne provides a description at the top to let you know what its about:FINDING THE CHARACTERS VOICETHE QUICK VERSION: Hone and contrast the unique voices of two charactersBEST TIME FOR THIS: Any time you need to know a character betterThese "Best time for this" tags are invaluable. Here are some others:During early story development or any time you add a new characterAfter you are well into the storyAfter you have a working sense of the main characterWhen a character seems like nothing more than an evildoerDuring scene planningetc...In fact; these "best time for this" descriptions are so useful; I hope there will be an index of them in a future edition.For my writer friends fond of using the Dramatica Theory of Story to build story structure and characterizations; I have found that Dramatica maps easily into these exercises; which provide intense focus on relationship.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent; highly recommendBy mcernerI have been writing an amateur for years. I didnt put pen to paper until I studied up on all the techniques and methods for writing; including a good many books on characterization. Years later; I came across this one; and it is the best Ive read. Thorough and well organized; easy to read but also really gets you thinking about the basis of short stories and novels; the characters within them. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to write fiction of all genres.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. I used to get stuck in Grad School; stuck ...By CustomerI used to get stuck in Grad School; stuck in deadlines; or just stuck anytime anywhere and when I took the time to sit down; and do a couple of these writing exercises; it opened up so much character and story to explore. At the very least; it puts the writer behind the steering wheel of momentum. Thats not to say i dont use it for several other facets of writing; because it literally generates entire worlds within which your characters and stories can operate.
