Rural Art Reflects Modernity of Time

Paintings by Chinese amateur rural artists are a unique phenomenon in the world of art. These paintings portray the spirit of the rural population in modern China， as convincingly testified by National Exhibition of Paintings by Rural Artists held in Hangzhou in July 2010. The event took place at Zhejiang Art Museum and was jointly sponsored by China Federation of Literary and Art Circles， Chinese Artists Association， and Publicity Department of CPC Zhejiang Committee in conjunction with Zhejiang Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Zhejiang Artists Association.

The exhibition highlighted the accomplishments of the rural amateurs since the founding of the New China in 1949， with a focus on the social and economic changes in the life of rural population since 1979. Ninety paintings by Zhejiang rural artists were on display and fifteen of them won excellence awards， accounting for over one third of the national total of excellence awards.

The rural artists in Zhejiang show their true colors when they first pick up their paintbrushes. Most of them are farmers without professional art training. Some knew nothing about art when they first came to art. There are three salient characteristics in the paintings by Zhejiang rural residents.

First， their creations reflect subjects of their everyday life. Some paintings express hopes for clans to extend into future， some about hopes of harvest and hopes of keeping natural disasters at bay. These creations feature salient regional characteristics of rural life in Zhejiang as part of the Yangtze River Delta.

Second， their artworks speak artistically for an art of unspoiled innocence and ebullience. These artists simplify art and bring it back to their life， thus giving viewers including some professionals a unique aesthetics and art experience.

Third， these artworks show maturity and style. These farmers know what to paint and their observations are sharp and their skills mature. They put various elements such as seasons and venues and people together in a way which reminds viewers of postmodernism and surrealism in the west. However， these works of rural art also borrow painting skills from local folk art. Incredibly and perfectly， these creations depict our time.

Behind the flourishing rural art phenomenon are governments at various levels across the province. As early as 1988， the government honored eight regions in the province as home of rural artists. Today， governments have continued to put resources into this movement. Xiuzhou Art Gallery in Jiaxing in northern Zhejiang is a 15 million structure put up by the local government. The gallery will house a collection of rural artworks and will also serve as a center for exchanges， research， and creativity. Rural artists in Zhoushan Archipelago have turned the art into a flourishing industry. Their creations attract tourists.

The rural artists in Zhejiang have brought the art to a peak over past decades. Wu Tianxing， an official with Zhejiang League of Literary and Art Circles， believes that the rural artists in the province create artworks in the spirit of the time and satisfy their cultural and spiritual demands. The significance of the rural art lies in its traditional and folk art values and skills. Amateur artists will continue to play a central role in this movement and if possible， they should learn more from professional artists and should continue to convey their optimism and creativity in painting. The rural art truly reflects the Zhejiang Spirit and will continue to make contributions to the new rural reconstruction in modern China.□