The paper investigates the construction of Chinese youth identities in the photography work of Chinese artist Cao Fei. For this purpose, the author first offers an overview of the current debates on cultural globalization, to go on discussing local and global aspects of Cao Feis work.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Biography of Cao Fei
3 Life in a Changing China
3.1 Theories of cultural globalization
3.2 Negotiating Chinese youth identities
3.3 Chinese youth identities and Storage Box (2001) and Fresh (2002)
3.4 Escaping alienation into Utopia: The Cosplayers (2004) series
4 The local and the global
4.1 Chinese art discourse
4.2 Positioning Cao in a local and global art discourse
5 Conclusions
Research Objective and Core Themes
This paper investigates how the Chinese artist Cao Fei evaluates the lives of the contemporary youth generation through her photography and multimedia art, specifically examining how she navigates the tension between local Chinese traditions and global pop culture influences.
- Analysis of cultural globalization theories in the context of China
- Examination of the "lost generation" and the construction of identity among Chinese youth
- Evaluation of consumerism and escapism as responses to social alienation
- Assessment of Cao Fei's positioning within local and international art discourses
- Investigation of the "Cosplay" phenomenon as a performance of alternative identities
Excerpt from the Book
3.4 Escaping alienation into Utopia: The Cosplayers (2004) series
The photos of the series Cosplayers (2004) (ill. 6-14) were made as a side product to an art video with the same title, showing teenagers engaging in martial art combats, dressed up like Japanese manga characters, in deserted, drab public spaces and after the game, at home. The photographs are staged, showing the disguised teenagers in colourful costumes, riding wild plastic animals like zebras or jaguars (ill. 7) or combating, with a cow and a zebra standing next by (ill. 8-9). The pictures have a bizarre style, mixing elements which don’t seem to fit with each other at all. This clash of apparently unfitting elements (and worlds) is a central element of the Cosplayers (2004) series. Cosplay is a neologism coined by Nov Takahashi meaning “costume play”. It’s a performance art, usually held at special festivals or game conventions like the Rainbow Gala, the Comic World, the ACGHK or the Asia Game Show in Hong Kong. Participants dress up like characters from manga comics, cartoons, movies, computer games or novels. Most of them come from Japanese pop culture. The goal of the participants is to dress and act as similar as possible to the original character, copying it body-language and emotions (Wikipedia 2009).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the core focus on Cao Fei's photography as a means to explore the social and cultural upheavals in contemporary China and the alienation of the younger generation.
2 Biography of Cao Fei: This section details the background of the artist, her influences, and how her early career reflects the rapid economic and social changes in Guangzhou.
3 Life in a Changing China: This chapter contextualizes the youth experience through theories of globalization and analyzes how they negotiate identity between tradition and modernity via series like Storage Box, Fresh, and The Cosplayers.
4 The local and the global: This part examines the discourse of contemporary Chinese art and positions Cao Fei's work within this field, highlighting her rejection of rigid categorization.
5 Conclusions: The final chapter summarizes how Cao Fei uses a playful, theatrical vocabulary to depict the struggles of an alienated generation searching for identity in a rapidly transforming society.
Keywords
Cao Fei, Chinese youth, cultural globalization, contemporary art, identity, consumerism, alienation, escapism, photography, Cosplayers, modernity, pop culture, art discourse, performance, social transformation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how Chinese artist Cao Fei uses photography and art to represent and evaluate the identities of the young generation in contemporary China.
What are the main thematic areas covered?
Key areas include cultural globalization, the impact of economic reform on Chinese youth, the role of consumerism in identity construction, and the intersection of traditional values and global pop culture.
What is the central research question?
The study aims to investigate how Fei evaluates the lives of Chinese youth and how she situates herself and her subjects within the global art discourse.
Which scientific methods were applied?
The author uses a qualitative approach, combining media analysis, art theory, cultural studies (such as Appadurai’s "scapes" and Huizinga’s "homo ludens"), and sociophilosophical frameworks to interpret the artist's visual work.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the text?
The body chapters cover the biography of the artist, theoretical frameworks of globalization, the social "void" experienced by Chinese youth, and specific analyses of art series such as Storage Box, Fresh, and The Cosplayers.
Which keywords define this work?
Central terms include Chinese youth identities, Cao Fei, cultural globalization, consumerism, and contemporary art discourse.
How does the author interpret the "Cosplayers" series?
The author interprets the series as a form of "tragic escapism," where young people perform virtual identities in drab public spaces to counteract the alienation and boredom of their real-world lives.
What is the significance of "hybridity" in Cao Fei’s work?
Hybridity refers to the blurred lines between tradition, original culture, and modern pop influences, which the artist suggests is the defining state of mind for her generation.
How does the art market affect the reception of Cao Fei's work?
The paper notes that the contemporary Chinese art scene is often dominated by commercial interests and auction house evaluations, which contrast with the artist’s own intent to explore social realities.
- Quote paper
- Simon Meier (Author), 2009, Chinese youth identities in Cao Fei's contemporary photography, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/151888
