Going To The People:Chinese Artists And Folk Art,1919-1945

Present studies on Chinese art history in early 20 th century mainly focus on the influence of the Western Art and the multifarious responses of the Chinese traditional literati art.As to the relation between newly burgeoning art and folk tradition,the researches in that period did not break through the scope of anti-war art and did not diverge from the political perspective.When May4 th Movement and New Culture Movement directed its sights to the folk,the Vernacular movement,the Folk Literature Movement and the Folklore Movement took their lead in bringing the folk culture into the academic field of vision.Under this condition,the folk art thereupon changed its marginal status,entered into the academic view and integrated itself with the art practice.As revaluing the folk art is a very important and latent clue in the history of Chinese Modern art,it is of great necessities for us to meticulously sort out the historical materials in the aspects of social thought,academic view and art practice etc to present its specific process,diverse appearance and historical influence.The idea that science,life and politics were closely integrated in May 4th Movement,is the important basis for revaluing the value of folk art.The presence of CaiYuanpei "replace the religion with aesthetic education " thought,Lu Xun’s“Broadcast art Opinion to the world” and the Slogan “Go to the folk” at Beijing 1927 art conference indicated the changes of social function of the art and the revaluation of traditional aesthetic standards.Contrary to our common sense,it was not the artists but the litterateurs and folklorists who brought the folk art into the academic views,due to the effect of the traditional elegant and vulgar concepts and also the shocks of western art thoughts.From then on,the whole academic atmosphere and visual environment had been greatly changed,which had unconsciously affected the artists’ attitudes towards the folk art and prompted them to discover the value of the folk art.Although there were no special research groups for folk art studies and also no art camps who inherited the folk traditions,there were many artists who not only paid great attention to the art but also integrated the folk art with their creations,which sincerely existed in the efforts of many artists.For example,Lin Fengmian,Pang Xunqin,and Zhang Guangyu were the excellent artists ‘representatives.Their efforts and achievements not only indicated that the artists had paid attention to folk art,but also presented that the artists had explored different forms of integrating the modern art ant folk art at that time.With the full-scale breakout of the Anti-Japan War in 1937,artists not only had the opportunities to get the close contact with the folk art,but also developed their consciousness towards the folk art due to the political appeal of the anti-war art.They also initiated the big discussions on absorbing folk art.Until late in the Anti Japanese War,absorbing folk art had become very popular in art creation.The art appeals as "populism" and "nationalization" were the internal motive force for artists to absorb folk tradition.From the May4 th Movement to the period of Anti Japanese War,the ideological trend of "going to the people" led artists to discover the long neglected folk tradition,which not only made the folk tradition get its entry,but also made the artists realize their artistic ideals as “going to the people”.The consciousness on the folk tradition was an important characteristic of Chinese art history in the 20 th Century.