Page 189 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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ceramics exhibition noticed that the union of ancient and Modern aesthetics made Song

ceramics appeal to a growing number of contemporary collectors of Western art, and the

“modernization” of ancient Chinese art renewed the early interest in Chinese antiquities

in America. The report observed, “Such harmony, at once classic in its poise and modern

in its abstract aspect, is now beginning to attract new enthusiasts. Although the epoch of

the great U.S. collectors of Oriental ceramics-the days of Freer and Altman-are gradually

passing, more and more devotees of Western art are beginning to juxtapose objects such

as these Sung porcelains with the art of other times and places. ” (A.B.L. 1947, 35)

It is important to note that the contact between ancient Chinese art and Modern

American art was a two-way street. While Modern Western aesthetics had a marked

bearing on the reception of Chinese antiquities, Chinese art, in turn, influenced Modern

art practices in the West. Chinese art was perceived as an inspiration for American

contemporary designers and artists. The Art News review of the 1947 Song ceramic

show, for example, noted, “Here over seven hundred years ago, function, form, and

material are met in a unity which is the goal of contemporary designers.” (A.B.L. 1947,

35) The New York Times review of Loo’s 1947 Song mural exhibition, titled “Old-

Abstract-New: Chinese Frescoes with Lesson for Today-Recent Work by

Contemporaries”, stated, “The reflective figures and abstracted natural forms of these

Sung paintings are surely provocative for the modern artist” (Devree 1949a).

Chinese art in America, however, was largely appreciated as a significant form, which

was to be appropriated and transformed into American art with modern ideas. The

American artist Beniamino Bufano’s encounter with Chinese art offered a good example.