| Art textbooks for elementary schools are essential learning materials that enlighten our future generations by providing them with art and aesthetic education.Since the establishment of the standards and framework for textbook compilation and publishing,great progress has been made on the compilation of the art textbooks for Chinese elementary and secondary schools,in terms of text editing,overall knowledge framework and design skills.Yet still there are many problems that need to be defined and addressed.This paper reviews the history of and relevant materials regarding art textbook design for Chinese elementary schools in chronological order and sums them up in five historical periods: 1.the late Qing dynasty(the beginning stage)when the traditional format was integrated with other forms;2.Republic of China(the booming stage)when Chinese and Western artistic and humanistic thoughts met to spawn modern design ideas;3.the founding of New China till the1970s(the challenging stage);4.China’s reform and opening-up period(the renewing stage);5.nowadays(the systematic stage)when materials are reviewed and categorized,and design ideas are elaborated,under the guidance of technology and frameworks.With a specific focus on the changes,enabled by new policies,cultures,ideas and technologies,in the development of the Chinese elementary school art textbooks,in terms of the content,cover design,illustrations and typography design,the paper seeks to contribute value and useful information to the design of textbooks in art and other subjects. |
