Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.2, 2024

Imagery and Simulacrum

(Abstract)

Xu Hui

Imagery is the core concept of classical Chinese aesthetics, and modern imagery aesthetics stands at the theoretical forefront of Chinese aesthetics. “Imagery” itself has universality and can be called “simulacrum” in Western philosophy of art, as the imagery theory in China and the simulacrum theory in the West (Dilles Deleuze) have the same connotation, namely the “eternal mystery” of the origin of all things in the universe. With the intellectual resources of Western simulacrum theory, we can more richly and perfectly elucidate China’s indigenous imagery theory, so that imagery can be transformed into a modern aesthetic concept with modern significance.