Although China has a long tradition of ink painting, the medium was branded as feudal elitist during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), shunned in favor of Western-style Social Realist oil painting techniques. But champions of the ink art form are experiencing a renewed interest in the tradition, with a variety of contemporary examples on display during Asia Week New York in exhibitions at Sotheby's and Christie's, and in "Chinese Abstraction Now," an exhibition at M. Sutherland Fine Arts gallery.