Lobster in a Bucket

China Art Factory

One of the big trends in 20th century history attempts to move beyond "national" histories into "transnational" more global history that emphasizes the interconnectedness of ideas and lived experiences across borders. Historians are doing this for a variety of reasons. One is that they think it'll tell a richer, more meaningful story. Another is to de-emphasize the sense in which national history can make an individual nation seem exceptional and unique in a way that degrades other nations and is itself an inaccurate understanding.

I think this approach for transnational history is promising. I also doubt that for a future generation studying our decade, there will be a different way to tell things. Take this brief example. In China we have a perfect example. Artists, working like factory machines, crank out copies, exact, perfect copies of classic oil paintings for consumption throughout the world. When asked to do their own self-portrait, the imprint of their job is unmistakable. These artists are hugely gifted, but their process of finding influences and identity is engulfed by the massive consumption and demand of global capitalism. This will be a transnational story.