The public has an essential difference in their views on them
In the West, stone carving practitioners are called stone carvers, and they are seen as being in the same group as painters and artists, while in China, stone carving practitioners are called craftsmen, and they have a low social status and are only called ordinary practitioners, or even rough workers. With the influx of Western stone carvings, these stone carving practitioners were recognized, stone carving was listed as an important part of fine arts, and the status of Chinese stone carvers was improved, which increased the public’s recognition of stone carvers. This is one of the reasons for the difference between Western stone carving and Chinese stone carving.
From a practical perspective
In modern times, although Chinese stone carving craftsmen and Western stone carvers are very similar in their creative forms, the social responsibilities they bear are very different. In China, stone carving personnel are still a member of the traditional division of labor, and their main responsibilities are to sculpt statues for temple buildings and carve stones for buildings. On the one hand, they do not have the freedom to create independently.
In terms of the objects of expression and the space in which the works are located, their works lack the ability to intervene in social reality. In the West, stone sculptures created freely in “studios” can express their observations on society through their works, and the power of their works is no less than that of contemporary painters. Western stone sculptures that accept orders from all parties and profit from them can enter various public spaces in modern society, such as squares, streets, and parks, and their works will naturally attract public attention. This is another reason why Western stone sculptures are different from Chinese stone sculptures.
