［See also: part one of “Reading Gao Minglu,” 1997－2008
请参考：高名潞书目：第一部 （1997－2008年）］

2008 主编《’85美术运动》“The ’85 Movement” （上下卷）[Chinese]

Gao Minglu’s “’85 Movement” gives an inclusive perspective and presents the most moving and utopian, most filled with youthful rebelliousness and broadly germinal movement in contemporary Chinese art history. The book is separated into two volumes, the first, “the avant-garde humanities in the 80s” is an updated version of “A History of Chinese Contemporary Art: 1985-1986,” written by Gao Minglu, Zhou Yan, Shu Qun, Wang Xiaochang, Wang Mingxian, Tong Dian, etc. (published by Shanghai People’s Press, 1991). The second half, “Historical Documents,” is a collection of documents edited by Gao and organized both chronologically and thematically. The two volumes equal more than one thousand pages, with photos and text that mutually enhance each other, the voluminous weight of these books attest to the importance of this history.

Gao Minglu was an active participant and the theoretical bannerman for the ’85 Movement, using “85” as the name of the new wave, it is his intention to echo the May Fourth new culture movement that happened earlier in the century. Therefore, the ’85 Movement is not only a contemporary art movement, but even more is a thought movement, a cultural movement. In Gao’s opinion, the achievements of the ’85 Movement are not the production of a few masters, but is in this trend’s process of development of a lifestyle.

From the perspective of how much time it took to compile this book, it has been twenty years in the making. In between the recollections of eye-witnesses and historians, Gao Minglu’s idealism and consciousness of the common man was consistently there. Idealism endowed historians with a critical perspective, and the consciousness of the common man caused historians to turn their attention from the masters to the “art plebeians.” Gao stresses the “collective” character of the New Wave, and its lack of representative figures. Thus, in the “Historical Documents” section, he preserves such a great amount of artist collectives and movements that might seem insignificant from today’s point of view. However, this is the reality of history. “We don’t regret for the disappearance, not recording the vanished is in fact our shame.” This statement, written by Gao Minglu in the 80s, still affirms his beliefs two decades later.

This publication follows the successive exhibitions of New Wave artists at UCCA and another on the origins of the Stars, but its value is far greater. The art historian Wu Hung has said that this collection of primary sources will eventually lay a foundation for future historians. The artist Xu Bing believes that this book reflects and advocates a kind of complete attitude, an authenticity that Chinese intellectuals are gradually losing. (translation mine)

TOC
’85 Art Movement (volume I): The Enlightenment of Chinese Avant-Garde

Gao Minglu, Forward to the Re-edited Version
Gao Minglu, Forward to the First Edition
Introduction: A History of Contemporary Art as A General Historiography
Chapter I: A General Picture of the Art in the New Period (1976-1984
)
Chapter II: Confronting with ’85 Avant-Garde – Academician Art and Traditional Art in the 1980s
Chapter III: the Wave of Rationalism
Chapter IV: the Current of Life
Chapter V: Transcendence and Return – New Wave Art after ’85 Avant-Garde
Chapter VI: Architecture of the 1980s
Chapter VII: Modern Art and Culture
Chronology of Chinese Contemporary Art: 1977-1989
List of Foreign Names (bilingual)
Gao Minglu: Afterward of the First Edition
Liu Dong: Postscript

’85 Art Movement (volume II): An Anthology of Historical Sources
Gao Minglu, Preface
Chapter I: Non-official Art Societies and Exhibitions after the Cultural Revolution
Chapter II: Summary and Review of ’85 Art Movement
Chapter III: the Wave of Rationalism
Chapter IV: the Current of Life
Chapter V: Conceptual Art, Action and Anti-Art
Chapter VI: Script of TV Documentary “Today’s New Wave Art”

2008《中国公寓艺术1970－1990：后文革的边缘艺术生态》“China Apartment Art 1970-1990: The Ecology of Marginalized Art After the Revolution” [Chinese Only]

This title is the accompanying catalog to an exhibition of the same name held in 798’s Shuimu space. The book touches upon the phenomenon Gao calls “apartment art,” art practices that transpired in private spaces during the late 70s and through the 90s. In the historical context of the avant-garde’s development in China, apartment art played an important role. This catalog focuses on primarily the Wuming painters and abstract paintings from artists such as Wang Luyan and Qin Yufen (F), although Gao’s definition of the term extends well beyond these groups into the work of artists in the East Village, they are not included here (although it seems that a ‘volume 2’ has been planned). The book has plenty of great historical photographs, including one of Robert Rauschenberg’s historic appearance at a Wuming painters’ gathering. Preface: What is “Apartment Art” / Gao Minglu
Case Studies:
1.“Self-proclaimed avant-garde: loitering between family and society”/ Zhang Runjuan / Zhou Maiyou / Peng Gang / Zhu Jinshi / Ma Kelu / Liu Weixing
2. “Family Salon: the shelter of abstract art” / Zhang Runjuan
Zhang Wei / Ma Kelu / Zhu Jinshi / Li Shan / Zhao Gang / Wang Luyan / Qin Yufen / Feng Guodong / Tang Pinggang
3. “Apartment art in the Courtyards” / Zhang Min / Guan Wei / Long Niannan / Zhao Baiwei / Song Hong / Li Wei / Guan Naixin / Wei Jia

2009《意派论: 一个颠覆再现的理论》“Yi Pai: A Synthetic Theory Against Representation” [Chinese]
The author of this book demonstrates an investigation and critique of Western theories of classicism, modernism and postmodernism from a broad view of comparative studies. He argues that no theory from Western art history can be defined without reference to the notion of representation, which regards art as a substitute for human reality, concept and logic. It is this notion of representation that has set the foundation for realism, conceptual art as well as abstract art, three vital domains in the recent history of Western art. The theory of representation attempts to reveal certain portions of the world in terms of fragmentation, extremity as well as isolation in the visual arts.

The Chinese art of the last hundred years has never detached itself from the concept of representation, or from the influence of Marxism or modernism. This phenomenon has challenged the establishment of a constructive discourse for Chinese modernity or culture.

The Yi Pai theory proposed by Gao Minglu is therefore one of the first attempts to establish a sophisticated framework for the field of the visual arts, which can be differentiated from Western art theory rooted in representation. Yi Pai is intended to serve as a methodology for both the practice of art-making as well as art history and criticism.
Inspired by an ancient theory of Li, Shi and Xing, or “principle, concept and likeness” from the 9th century Tang Dynasty, the author constructs his Yi Pai theory by combining a number of Western modern philosophies. Yi Pai is formulated in a pluralized structure rather than a dichotomous perspective. Furthermore, Yi Pai theory demonstrates a world view continuous from the ancient period which valued synthesis rather than fragmentation.  From the methodological perspective, Yi Pai favors yizai yanwai or “meaning beyond language” rather than a dogmatic or logical reflection of reality.
Yi Pai, therefore, calls for a return of originality in humanity, a re-establishment of intellectual critique advocating cultural values that can transcend individual and environmental limits, in hope for a departure from the Western theory of representation that has dominated the field for centuries. (GMLARC web)

TOC
Introduction
Chapter 1: Yi Pai is not a Theory about Abstraction  
1. Abstraction is the Product of Western Modernism 
2. The Contradiction of Western Representational Theory

Chapter 2: Yi Pai is not a Theory about Representation
1. The Principle of Yi Pai
2. Yi Pai: a Theory about Synthesis
3. The View at Thing: Comparison with Minimalism and Mono-ha

Chapter 3: Yi Pai and Semiotics
1. Li, Shi, Xing vs. Icon, Sign, and Symbol
2. Yi Pai：Making a Departure from Symbol Model

Chapter 4:  Contemplation and Note on Yi Pai
1. Abstract, Conceptual and Realistic as the Pattern of Metaphysics
2. Heidegger’s Three Worlds and Li, shi, Xing
3. Synthesis is Nothing to Do with Wholeness
4. Li, Shi, Xing and Rituality

2009年12月 《意派：世纪思维》“Yi Pai: The Century Mentality” [sic] (Chinese)

Following the exhibition “Yi Pai––Century Mentality” in May 2009, the official catalog will be released. This catalog has four sections, the first is Gao Minglu’s “‘The triangle of Cultural Supremacy, East-West structures, integral existence’: looking at ‘Yipai’ from Chinese modernity”; the second portion is “Yipai chronicles,” which introduces the formation of Yipai theory and the process of organizing the exhibition; the third portion is “Yipai––Century Mentality [sic]” exhibition works; the fourth include the information on the works and artists participating in the exhibition. This catalog transcends the average exhibition catalog editorial format, it not only uses images to introduce the works to readers, but is also documentation of Yipai theory and the Yipai exhibition. The catalog also includes two discs, one is documentary footage from the exhibition filmed by Shanghai University professor Liu Jia, the second is a 3D portrait of Gao Minglu’s “Yipai” theory. This book uses both two dimensional and film format to allow readers to fully understand the theory of Yipai and its process of production. (translation mine)

TOC
1.Preface, Gao Minglu, “The triangle of Cultural Supremacy, East-West structures, integral existence”: looking at ‘Yipai’ from Chinese modernity
2. Yipai chronicles
3. Yipai––Century Mentality plates
4. Exhibition participants and works information
(translation mine)

2009年12月 高名潞、赵璕 主编 《现代性与抽象》“Modernity and Abstraction”

In the first few years of this new century, with the enhanced domination of the global art market and popular culture on contemporary art, Chinese arts have fallen into the trap and predicament of systematized “localization.” How to reconstruct the  “autonomy” of Chinese arts while remaining linked to Western art history has become a matter of priority. In the past thirty years, no small amount of scholars have tried to introduce Western art history and theorists to Chinese readers, and their efforts are respectable, regrettably this systematization remains defective, and their academic progress rarely proceeds forward. Thus, we hope that at the same time this journal translates the classics, we pay more attention to the interpretation of Western scholarship, and increase our depth of understanding on the Western traditional forms.
Even more importantly, we hope that the thinking on issues surrounding Chinese contemporary art will import the ideas of “modernity.” In fact, since the 1980s, the dialectical synthesis of “Modernity” and “Modernizing” is reopening the case for historical experiences of modern art and sparked some vigor into modern art, already becoming a trend in research of arts and humanities. For various reasons, the valuable efforts of Chinese art have not been accorded the importance deserved for creating Chinese culture. This not only put us in danger of being located in a subordinate position within the structure of “Global modernity”, it also causes Chinese arts to lose its necessary foundation of self-awareness. Therefore, how we might use a serious attitude to research the “modernity” in Chinese art history and theory of the last century has become a greatly anticipated matter.
(translation mine)

TOC
1. The Chinese sphere of Modernity
Gao Minglu: The Chinese logic of modernity: integral modernity
Wang Jun, Pan Gongkai: “events” and “self-awareness”: the historical development of Chinese Modernity
Gao Quanxi: The Question of Modernity: social and cultural

2.  Modernity and the Abstract
Jiang Ying “Modernity and Abstraction” a forum summary
“Modernity and Abstraction” forum documentation

3. Art research in translation
Zhao Xun: Synopsis of selections
Greenberg’s Avant Garde and Kitsch
Gao Minglu: Baudelaire’s modernity and Romantic thought (in translation)
(translation mine)

[…] see also: “READING GAO MINGLU” PART TWO, 2008-2010 […]

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