Paint by Numbers: China's Art Factory from Mao to Now

Chinese contemporary art reveals much of the country's character during its recent history of dramatic transformation; some even say that this art is more social commentary than art. For many like me who have followed the emergence of Chinese art over the past twenty years, the experience has been a mixture of fascination and confusion, irritation and amusement. These paintings, sculptures, video performances and installations seemed to have come out of nowhere in a country that changed from having no galleries at all to the springing of veritable art cities; art that could be bold or bland, highly original or mimicking, rooted in tradition or completely detached from it; and art that shifted from being affordable to reaching mind-boggling prices.