Author Du Xiyun 
 

Images of Zhao Shushi’s paintings are plain to the eyes: tilting of traditional Chinese folk objects from cultural classics. But when these images are detached from normal backgrounds, they carry symbolic meanings. No more visual element is present except for the titled objects and blank background. At this point, symbolic meanings are extensive and dependent as derived from current political, economic and cultural contexts. There are relationships that furnish the works with more specific, rich and vivid meanings. From another perspective, the extensiveness of the symbolic meanings provides the audience with greater freedom for conjecture and feeling. 
 

The Chinese cultural objects from a specific era convey ideological mindsets of that era. The traditional artifacts and classical books depicted in Zhao Shushi’s paintings are the products from a traditional China, often pointing to certain codes of behavior. These paintings therefore, embody the imbalance of the traditional codes and rituals in the present time, an imbalance which extends to even chaos and disorder. But it is a complex topic in the contemporary context of modern globalization to view such objects symbolizing imbalances, chaos, disorders and disintegration of the traditional Chinese ethics, codes, mores and values.

 

No fundamental change was brought into the traditional political system in China from 221 BC to the 19th Century. The society was upheld by an array of complicated philosophies and religions whose rituals and codes evolved into a permanent mindset of the nation, stabilizing Chinese society for over two thousand years. In the political context, the emperor was at the center of the network of power, appointing all levels of officials who governed all public affairs of local regions with the people organized in the system bonded by provincial and local administrations. The entire system found equilibrium only through a group of imperial officials who had the duty of detecting corruption and abuse of power and reporting it to the emperor.   The system gave the emperor and the bureaucrats supreme power over the people, who had no right to question affairs that concerned their own interest. To maintain the system unchallenged, the emperor and the gentry class formed a strong alliance, making the latter the ruling class. 

 

China adopted the system which evolved chosen civil officials who were selected through a mechanism of exam taking and then appointment by the emperor. Therefore, much significance was placed and still is placed on the role of education in the lives of the people. The sole purpose used to be to produce a “cadet class” whose ambition it was to serve the emperor. The education system was not only a means used for controlling minds, but more as a political game that effectively brainwashed all the capable and ambitious young men, turning them into loyal and passionate supporters of the state system. The courses in education were not science and technology, but the classics of Confucius teachings and political theories instead. History was also considered a key subject, as lessons learnt from the change in dynasties were studied for future officials. A well educated person was also expected to have calligraphy skills, and be able to show his outstanding talents and literary skills in creating couplets and poems. For the same purpose, an education in classical painting was also important. However, drama, music, sculpture, novel writing and other art forms were totally ignored as they were considered indecent.
 

Hidden yet overriding above these political ideas was the official ideology-Confucianism, which proposed that virtues, not laws, constituted the main stones of society. The society was supported by three pillars of relationships: the ruler and his subordinates, the father and son and the husband and wife. The wife, the son and the subordinates had to show unconditional obedience to the husband, the father and the ruler. Such a society was in fact an enlargement of the family with the head being the emperor, casting absolute power over his subordinates and citizens. On the other hand, all members of the society including the emperor had to continually strive to improve their own virtues, constraining themselves as much as possible so that their behaviors were in strict accordance with the expectations of their positions in the society and family. When the emperor, along with the fathers and husbands showed dignity, wisdom and kindness, as expected of a true emperor, father and husband, then the society would meet its ultimate goal of eternal harmony. This is what was sought after, not wealth or any material achievements. 

 

Based on this fundamental morality, the Confucius disciples developed a vast array of complicated moral standards and social rituals, whose core lay in the destruction of human desires and prevalence of heavenly orders. The scholar officials who were obstructed and frustrated by the system then resorted to Taoist philosophy as a way of evading the other realities. The Taoist believed that the uneducated were the most content and happy and that any desires were the root cause of all troubles. The more you wanted something, the less likely you would get it. They concluded that the best life is to find contentment and happiness in everyday life and search for tranquility in one’s heart with acceptance of what is. However, for all classes in society, Buddhism provided the eternal spiritual home. Those well educated scholar officials found indulgence in its exquisite and complex philosophy, whereas for the depressed and exploited commoners, the theory of reincarnation provided true consolation. 

 

The ancient Chinese managed to combine Confucian, Taoism and Buddhism, a fusion of which ideologies and beliefs formed the stability of traditional Chinese society. Dynasties rose and fell without changing the overall permanence of the Chinese mindset. Meanwhile, such a culture that was based on the denial of human nature, resulted in perverted ways for human nature to be presented, the necessity of double moral standards in life and hypocrisy became everyday reality. 

 

Obstructions were also posed in the development of science and technology. Up until the 14th century, china was far ahead of the European countries in its technological advancement. However, in ancient china, science and technology were never accepted in the cultural and philosophical mainstream. The gentry class despised the outlandish techniques and indecent skills as they bore no association with the improvement of virtues. Only those uneducated people and the eccentric intellectuals would be interested in such things. Most new inventions feared for their possibilities of stimulating human desires and leading to social upheaval, were neglected, suppressed and condemned by the main society after their inventions. Commerce and trade suffered the same fate, as they could not produce food and clothes and could only lure people into material indulgence. Among the four major social classes of scholar officials, peasants, workers and merchants, the merchants were the lowest of all and were frequently blackmailed and harassed by the corrupt officials and warlords. 

 

There was also the natural protection of the Chinese geographical environments, the deserts in the north, high mountains in the west, perils of the forests and beasts in the south and the sea on the east. China was located in the center of East Asia by itself and isolated by the Himalayas. This historically cultivated a strong belief among ancient Chinese that they were the center of all known civilizations. In both spiritual and material terms, traditional china survived for two thousand years on its own and the Chinese culture proved to be well suited to its land area and usually able to protect itself from outsiders.

 

The full scale entry of modern European cultures toppled the causes that ended the stable traditional Chinese life. Despite the previous invasions and rules of foreign nations and peoples that had never ended in the past, china was unable to assimilate the new invaders it found coming in the 19th century. Traditional China was tossed off its own road and it couldn’t find its way back. Like a bankrupt lord forced out of his mansion who couldn’t find a new place to live, the old values and previous preparation prevented him from adjusting and seeking new answers to these modern problems. Chinese wandered in the desert between two civilizations, tortured by the memory of their lost confidence and traditions. 

 

China has achieved remarkable economic development through reform and opening up over the past three decades, but the modern civilization that has emerged in the west cannot take root in Chinadirectly and comprehensively. This is because the evolution of culture and ideology has been long and arduous in which the differences between collectivism versus individualism, self interest versus moral virtues and explicit and open culture versus hidden culture causes clashes arising from the difficulty to integrate these cultures and ideologies. 

 

The visual works of Zhao Shushi provide a stimulus of thoughts for those who are concerned with such questions. Yet, Zhao Shushi’s own attitude toward such imbalance and disorder of traditional codes of behavior remains hidden in her works.

 

Problems can never be solved once and for all. The process of life is a process of continuous encounters with problems and questions. But an open mind allows for new possibilities. The largely blank background of Zhao Shushi’s works leaves people wordless as they are offered few specific elements, while at the same time it leaves people with possibilities of the unknown. From this perspective “what if” points to an open future. 

I-Artist | Link Art CopyRight 2011 All Rights Reserved Zhao Shushi