The Imperceptible Transformation:

A Further Discussion on Guangdong Art Activities in 1950s

Abstract: In the first half of 20th century, Guangdong province, as the birthplace of Chinese revolution, witnessed its art activities under the influences of two schools. The first one is “two Gao one Chen” (Gao Jianfu, Gao Qifeng and Chen Shuren) who brought Japanese painting style into China, in order to improve traditional Chinese Literati Painting, which connected Chinese painting with the social reality; the other group is the left-wing artists in Hong Kong who came back to Guangzhou after 1949 and made the Guangdong local artists comprehend the Yan’an Spirit much earlier than those in other regions of China. But in 1950s, all the artists in Guangdong, including professional artists and amateur propaganda painters, were requested to make self-censorship of their artistic attitudes and reshape their art forms. In the next 30 years, the artists in Guangdong adhered to their individuality in arts under the rigid circumstances. When the chaos finally ended in 1980s, the artistic heritage of the 1950s inspired young artists to make Guangdong once again the center of Chinese avant-garde art.

Key words: art transformation, propaganda art, grassroots art