The Useless Tree

Art

  • A Quick Question (that would likely require a long answer)

    What would Mao Dun have to say about 798? (Photos: an original manuscript of Mao Dun's "Midnight" at the Mao Dun Residence, Beijing; installation by Qin Yufen, at 798, Beijing) Continue reading

  • Confucian Art

    This slipped my attention last month: an exhibition at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena entitled, "Confucius: Shaping Values through Art." The museum's web page on the exhibit has a short video with various people talking about how Confucianism is… Continue reading

  • More on Dunhuang

         As some readers might remember, I am a fan of Dunhuang.  So, I was quite happy when I discovered today this article in tomorrow’s NYT that gives a nice description of the place.  An accompanying slide show is included. … Continue reading

  • “If It Ain’t Broke – Break It”

           We had our graduation here at Williams College yesterday and all the ceremonies went well.  The threatened rain never materialized and all the graduates were duly recognized.  The invited speaker was sculptor Richard Serra, the man who is famous… Continue reading

  • Calligraphy at the Met

         I disappeared for a couple of days; went into New York City with my family to see a show (Gypsy with Patty Lupone – brilliant), to see some friends, to see the St. Patrick’s Day parade, and to… Continue reading

  • Cai Guo-Qiang: Taoist?

          Cai Guo-Qiang, the China born but transplanted to New York artist, has been getting a lot of attention of late: the big Guggenheim show (I saw most of this a few weeks ago while they were still installing… Continue reading

  • Abstract Expressionism

         While we were in the city last week, we went to the Museum of Modern Art.  My daughter had expressed an interest in Andy Warhol (her seventh grade art teacher had brought his work to her attention) and… Continue reading

  • Confucians at the Ballet

         This may seem a bit odd, but, by now, regular readers should be used to my discoveries of Confucian sensibilities in all sorts of places…      The other night I was reading some shorter pieces in the… Continue reading

  • Zhang Huan’s “My Boston”

         I don’t know what is more interesting: this description of Zhang Huan’s performance art; or the fact that the Boston Globe story ran in the China Daily.  Here we have an officially sanctioned Chinese newspaper running commentary on… Continue reading

  • Chinese Performance Art and Chuang Tzu

        A story in today’s China Daily takes up the question of the use of the naked human body in performance art.  It is an earnest piece, dutifully interviewing the theory-laden practitioners of performance as well as the mildly… Continue reading