The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China

From the 1980s, many Chinese artists have experimented with a range of unconventional materials. Their works—in plastic, paper, silk, ash, and tobacco—form a major trend in Chinese art. 

Accompanying an exhibition of the same name, The Allure of Matter offers the first serious consideration of these ground-breaking material explorations, coining the term Material Art to describe works that place “matter” itself as the primary vehicle of investigation and expression. The book contains four ground-breaking essays, profiles of twenty-five artists, and corresponding color images.

AUTHORS

Wu Hung and Orianna Cacchione with essays by Christine Mehring and Trevor Smith and additional entries by Susanna Ferrell, Wan Kong, Simone Levine, and Nancy P. Lin. 

PUBLICATION DATE

June 2019

DESCRIPTION

264 pages, 257 color plates, 9.5" x 12"

ISBN

9780935573602

PURCHASE THIS CATALOGUE

Available for $45 online through The University of Chicago Press.