Art Reboot

15 1 hands on A key conclusion from the theory proposed here is that in China recognition of the importance of art to evolving consciousness brought it to full, and highly efficient, maturity long ago. By the recently established standards of modernity in western art, it has been ‘modern’ for more than two thousand years. I simply state this boldly at the outset, but I recognise that it is a radical and no doubt alarming claim to western ears. It is a position in need of justification as we progress, but it does provide us with a good place to start on our journey into the world of art and consciousness: the handscroll, one of Chinese art’s most remark- able artefacts and a format exemplifying many of the ideas in this book. A handscroll is a horizontal format that can be as long or short as the artist chooses. It is intended to be enjoyed as an intimate exchange between artist and viewer, rather than to be perma- nently displayed. As a format it embodies the sophisticated view of art process that has long governed in China, blurring the distinction between artist and audience. The viewer controls the speed of progress and direction, rolling and unrolling at will, continually choosing how much of the image is seen between