Break The Invariability Of The Rongchangpottery Industry

The Rongchang pottery technique made the China Intangible Cultural Heritage List in2011.The protection of intangible cultural heritages provides an opportunity for traditional craftsmanship to prevail and develop.While ensuring the inheritance and survival of the craft itself,it's worth discussing how Rongchang Pottery,while keeping up with the times,can fully explore its resources for recreation and also produce artifacts that are both modern and traditional.It is because of this question that the author conducted on-site design practices for two years in Rongchang.In May 2018,the author participated in the graduate supervisor program 2018 Chongqing Graduate Students Education and Teaching Reform Research Program-Establishment and Practice of Applied Professional Degree Postgraduate Cultivation System Based on Intangible Heritages Craftsmanship “On-Site Design” and,for the first time,conducted a field research in Rongchang.After discussing with local folk artists,the author found out that the Rongchang pottery industry has been gradually losing its vitality because of the economic structure transformation,the decline of related industries,and the invasion of other pottery cultures.Not enough diversity is present among the industry,the pottery workshops,and the pottery product itself.And it is this invariability of the industry that has hindered the development of Rongchang pottery.In the meantime,pottery making techniques are on the verge of extinction due to being abandoned by local workshops that prioritize efficiency.Therefore,using“break the invariability of the Rongchang pottery industry” as the purpose of this research,and through case studies and on-site design practices,the author discovers that the key to break the invariability is if university graduates bring themselves out to the world and establish independent pottery workshops.This thesis first sorts out various research papers regarding Rongchang pottery,and then introduces unsolved problems by analyzing the current industry.Finally,this thesis attempts to break the invariability of the Rongchang pottery through the “on-sitedesign” method.The most important parts of this thesis include three case studies: the first one is the Xishanyu pottery workshop established in 2015 in Rongchang by husband Guan Yongshuang and wife Li Yunshan,both of whom graduated from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in 2014.On the basis of local mud treatment,and using ash glaze research and firewood burning skills for product development,the duo successfully introduced the “Xishanyu” brand.The second case is the “Two Clouds-Old Tea House” workshop established in 2017.The founders,another husband and wife duo,Li Zhipeng and Song Wei,both graduated from the Sculpture Department of Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute.Based on the “Bahua” pottery technique,and by creatively introducing sculpture techniques to Rongchang pottery making,the couple created the“Two Clouds-Old Tea House” brand.The third case is the author's on-site design practices started in October 2018.By studying the local “hit-and-make” technique,and through preserving the hitting marks generated in the making process,and observing the changes to the fire marks on the experiment saggers,as well as viewing the scenery of Mt.Yayu,where the author stayed,and using the nine-boundary imagery artistic technique,the author explored the temporality and presence of “imagery aesthetics”.This thesis shows that,using different ways of inheriting and innovating intangible heritages,the practitioners of Rongchang pottery provided new methods for achieving the sustainable development of Rongchang pottery,and these new methods in turn stimulate the vitality of the pottery industry in Rongchang and break the invariability.It is hoped that there will be many college graduates enter the development of Rongchang pottery by way of on-site design.This will not only infuse new blood into the Rongchang pottery industry,but provide employment for pottery majors.