In her book Between State and Market: Chinese Contemporary Art in the Post-Mao Era, Jane DeBevoise presents a descriptive account of the Chinese contemporary art scene in 1978–93. This thorough, painstakingly researched overview is the first systematic study of how the Chinese art world developed in the first 15 years of economic reforms. The author convincingly shows the gradual shift of the scene from complete state control towards the market. The focus, as the title suggests, is mainly on the in-between grey zone, which, the book argues, was productive as it facilitated emergence and provided support of non-official experimental art.

The book is structured chronologically and concentrates first on the changing role of the state and the market reforms in the arts, then on the hybrid space and its productivity, ending with the focus on the market. The idea that there was a shift from state to market in the period between the late 1970s and early 1990s in China is hardly original. Neither is the idea that in the Chinese context the two are not in opposition but coexist and are interwoven in various ways. DeBevoise's original contribution lies rather in showing how this happened for high art and in demonstrating how this coexistence was fertile and contributed to diversity in art world practices. The state–market transition works well as a means to organize the narrative.

Although the book is positioned as art historical (and it does devote attention to artworks of major artists such as Luo Zhongli and Wang Guangyi), it differs from existing contributions in several respects. Before this book the focus was mainly on artworks and artistic movements, rather than on the context of artistic production and distribution. Unusually for an art history and more in line with China studies accounts, DeBevoise focuses on the socio-economic context. She writes about the market from a relatively distanced position and shows how it was beneficial and productive, rather than referring to it in derogatory or dismissive terms. The book also paints a more comprehensive picture of the Chinese art world than most existing writings. Unlike the majority of art historical accounts of Chinese contemporary art published outside China, DeBevoise has an inclusive definition of contemporary. The scope is not limited to the so-called “avant-garde” art that started developing in the late 1970s and drew from the “Western” tradition. She also includes more traditional art forms such as ink art, socialist realist oil paintings and sculpture, and even murals, which are usually ignored by art historians active outside China. By focusing on events and actors seen as important in China, but not necessarily acknowledged in English-language literature, the book balances out the existing image of Chinese art produced in the post-Mao period. Unusually for an art historian, DeBevoise does not pass judgment about artistic quality, but rather integrates different types of art and shows how they were interconnected in the art world, for example, shown in the same venues. In the second half of the book, however, traditional and realist art get abandoned in favour of contemporary art. Although the author admits the need for further research here, the book now seems to suggest that more conservative art has been replaced, whereas it in fact remains highly valued in China. The argument about the influence of the market on the arts would have benefitted from including more traditional art: to what extent has this scene been influenced by market development? Finally, in contrast with existing accounts of Chinese art, DeBevoise integrates the temporal development by connecting the 1980s with the 1990s. She convincingly demonstrates continuity of developments pre- and post-Tiananmen. The important strength of the book thus lies in showing connections and complicating the dichotomies of contemporary and official art, the 1980s and the 1990s, market and the state.

Another important contribution is that DeBevoise meticulously delineates the shift from the state to the market for high art. Such copious amounts of factual detail about the first decades of the post-Mao era were previously simply unavailable in English. This is possible thanks to the high quality and quantity of data used by the author. These include archival materials, such as Chinese art magazines and catalogues, and also interviews that she conducted with art world participants. Some of the data – photos of exhibition venues, print publications, artworks – are included in the book as illustrations, and help bring this important era to life. As chair of the board of directors of Asia Art Archive in Hong Kong, probably the most comprehensive archive of research materials on Asian art, DeBevoise had unrivaled access to such data.

There are, however, some limitations. DeBevoise could have been more explicit about her methods of data analysis, especially where it concerns interviews, where narratives about past events are constructed a posteriori and therefore may be influenced by the present-day situation. Another limitation is that the book is largely descriptive: it simply narrates and recounts discourses and facts, without offering clear explanations of the processes and developments. Why did the market have the effects it had? Would contemporary art have been able to develop if not for market reforms? The book does not engage with theory; the author only situates her research briefly among several existing China studies and art historical studies of Chinese art.

Between State and Market is nevertheless a valuable contribution and will be of interest to China scholars, as well as art historians and sociologists of art interested in China and its art under changing socio-economic conditions. Knowledge of history of the context in which Chinese art was produced is important to understand the origins of the Chinese art market, which is currently one of the world's most dynamic. Well written, comprehensive and very rich in detail, the book is not only highly valuable in itself, but provides an excellent foundation for further research of the Chinese art, art scene and market.