"Batik, Another Intangible Cultural Heritage "Dragon Boat Festival""
The art of batik is a treasure of folk art in my country, which can be traced back to the Qin and Han Dynasties. With its fresh and elegant tones of blue background and white flowers and patterns with various themes, it is unique in my country's traditional dyeing and weaving techniques. However, as time goes by, traditional batik gradually fades out of people's lives due to its inherent shortcomings such as single color and easy fading. In modern times, people mostly use traditional batik fabrics as works of art or decorations, but rarely as clothing fabrics. However, in the 1980s, Liu Zilong invented the colorful batik process, breaking the limitations of traditional batik, using a variety of colors and fabrics, and the finished product has the characteristics of rich, vivid colors and non-fading, opening up a new era in the batik industry. New world.
A special issue on batik received a lot of feedback from readers, and also made the author aware of the existence of Liu Zilong, the "father of modern batik". In order to have a deeper understanding of batik, understand Liu Zilong’s batik art, and promote traditional Chinese craft culture, through the introduction of Teacher Huang Guoguang, the author had the honor to interview Teacher Liu Zilong (hereinafter referred to as Teacher Liu) on November 30. When I first met Mr. Liu, with his burly figure, stylish wide-rimmed glasses and shoulder-length black and white hair, the author could not feel the vicissitudes of Mr. Liu's 72-year-old age at all. Teacher Liu smiled kindly and shook hands with us enthusiastically to greet us, instantly shortening the distance between us. He was completely different from the image of an aloof old artist that the author imagined before the interview. Mrs. Liu Zilong - Teacher Chen Yiren also personally made tea for us. The tea was yellow-green in a porcelain cup as white as jade, and the air was instantly filled with fragrance. When you sip from the cup, the fragrance is refreshing. Under the afternoon sun, we wandered along the river of batik art with Teacher Liu in the mist of tea.
Based on history, it is the earliest batik in China
As a traditional handicraft, batik has been passed down for thousands of years. As for the origin of batik, Teacher Liu introduced: "According to relevant data, batik was the earliest to rise. There are currently four countries: China, Egypt, India, and Indonesia (Malay Islands). Who is the origin? It is still uncertain because the current conclusions are based on the cultural relics or burial objects excavated in the tombs. Strictly speaking, it is not possible to determine who is the earliest, but based on the things excavated so far, there is every reason to infer that China is the earliest. According to relevant archaeological records, the earliest batik in China can be dated to the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Of course, batik is truly confirmed. The real thing is from the Qin and Han Dynasties. The peak period of the development of batik in my country was in the Tang Dynasty. It began to decline after the Song Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had been basically replaced by blue calico, which can be said to be in a period of 'decline'."
Regarding the current situation of batik, Teacher Liu does not like the commonly used words of gradual extinction, and prefers to express it in terms of "decline". He believes that batik in China has a long history. Based on the existing historical data, it is obvious that China deserves to be the birthplace of batik. Although its development gradually declined in the later period, it did not end. Teacher Liu told us that the Chinese batik that he knows about is mainly distributed in Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan, Sichuan, Guangxi and Taiwan. Guizhou is the hometown of batik in China. According to current written statistics, there are 800,000 people making and using batik. These people who use and make batik have inherited the skills left by their ancestors and inherited the ancient batik culture.
Widely distributed, a global art language
Chinese batik is mainly distributed in the southwest, not just in the southwest. Regarding the development and distribution of batik in China, Teacher Liu said: "Battik has actually existed in the Central Plains since ancient times. Some scholars even believe that batik originally migrated south from the Central Plains. However, this is just speculation, and there is no clear record of data. What is clear is batik. It is mainly passed down by the Miao people. Of course, it is also passed down by Buyi, Gelao, Yao and other ethnic groups. "
Teacher Liu summarized three forms of batik for us. The first is the self-made period in ancient times, mainly used as clothing for women when they get married; the second is the period of mechanized mass production after the 17th and 18th centuries, which is the commercialization of entering the market. The reason was that the Netherlands invaded Java (now Indonesia, hereafter referred to as Indonesia) and brought their craftsmen to the Netherlands to make batik. From then on, mechanized batik production began. Therefore, the batik fabrics sold in Indonesia in the past were often called Dutch fabrics.
Although it started with occupation, it promoted the development of batik, and has since introduced batik to Western Europe and the world; the third type is a common handicraft we have today, which is both practical and ornamental; the fourth type is from the 1990s , the "batik fever" formed in the world. This batik craze refers to the batik painting craze. Its origin, Teacher Liu believes, is mainly due to the influence of modern art on it.
According to Teacher Liu, the three forms in the past did not form the pure painting form today. The worldwide batik craze that has formed now continues to this day. Countries where this form emerged include Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries. At that time, more than 30 countries were doing batik painting, which can be said to have formed a worldwide artistic language. Rather than our traditional Chinese painting, although it has a lofty status in China, it has not formed a global artistic language
Cultural values, rescue is urgent
As an ancient handicraft that has been passed down for thousands of years in China, batik It should be well-known at home and abroad. But in this regard, Teacher Liu was quite helpless. He sighed: "Now China's batik has actually reached its most critical moment. To save the culture, we must not ignore the Chinese batik culture. The voice of Chinese batik in the world is very weak, and most of the People don’t know.”
Teacher Liu gave a real example, “I held an art exhibition in Singapore in 1991. At that time, there was a female official from the Ministry of Culture of Singapore, who was the main figure in organizing world cultural activities in Singapore. , named Lin Xiuxiang. She was already a Singaporean batik artist. When she participated in my art exhibition discussion, she actually said, "Do you also have batik in China?" After hearing this, I told her that of course China has batik, not only. Batik was a thousand years older than the Malay Peninsula. Only then did she realize it and invited me to their international art festival.” Recalling this, Teacher Liu couldn’t help but sigh: “This is really sad. ! This not only shows that she does not have a comprehensive understanding of batik, but also reflects that the voice of Chinese batik in the world is too weak.”
You can know the whole thing at a glance, as Teacher Liu said, through this real example, at least. It can be seen that China’s batik status in the world has gradually declined and has even basically lost its voice. Therefore, it is the most critical moment to save Chinese batik culture at this time.
What is gratifying is that according to Teacher Liu, in order to promote batik, Dean Zhou Liqun of the Art School of Shenzhen Vocational and Technical College is working hard to promote this matter. Capital Creative R&D Center established the "Liu Zilong Batik Art Creative Studio"; the 2013 "Shenzhen Creative December" "Liu Zilong Batik Art Creative Studio Teachers and Students Work Report Exhibition" was held from December 18, 2013 to December 2013 It made its debut at the Art Museum of Shenzhen University on the 25th; Secretary Jing from the School of Art of the Central Academy of Cultural Management also attaches great importance to the inheritance and development of batik culture and art. October 18, 2013 - October 18, 2013 School of Art of the Central Academy of Cultural Administration The first "Liu Zilong Modern Batik Painting Advanced Training Class" was successfully concluded in Beijing; at the same time, the "Chinese Modern Batik Painting Invitational Exhibition" jointly sponsored by the Central Academy of Cultural Management and the School of Art and Design of Shenzhen Vocational and Technical College is also in full swing. Of course, Teacher Liu takes it very seriously personally. He said that as long as there is a need to promote batik, he will go all out regardless of personal gains and losses.
The debate over intangible cultural heritage, another "Dragon Boat Festival"
The "abacus" that has accompanied the Chinese people for more than 1,800 years has been officially included in the list of human intangible cultural heritage. When I saw the news, I was happy, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for batik, which has been passed down for more than two thousand years and is regarded as an intangible cultural heritage of China rather than a world heritage.
Talking about intangible cultural heritage, Teacher Liu lamented: "It is a pity that the United Nations approved Indonesian batik, which is at least five hundred years younger than ours. Nowadays, people all over the world know that there is batik in Indonesia, but they don't know that there are other batiks in Indonesia." There is also a country that is higher than Indonesia. Just like the Dragon Boat Festival intangible cultural heritage dispute, the real 'originator' has not been rectified. "Although after the intangible cultural heritage dispute, the government increased its attention and protected it. The economic benefits lost are inestimable. Regarding the economy of batik, Teacher Liu said bluntly: "It's very big. I once read a piece of information that recorded that Indonesia's annual export of textiles, including batik, and batik products reached 13 billion US dollars." The huge economic benefits of Indonesian batik , naturally cannot be separated from their emphasis on batik. Even our First Lady got to paint their batiks when she visited Indonesia.
In this regard, I can only lament that our own batik has been ignored!
Comparing ancient and modern times, the marginal similarities are gradually fading
Since the development of batik, it has been divided into two categories: traditional batik and modern batik. What is the most essential difference between the two, and what are the outstanding issues worthy of attention in the comparison of ancient and modern batik? Teacher Liu analyzed this from several aspects. The first is the pattern. Traditional batik is a precious treasure left by our ancestors. However, the batik produced by the ethnic minorities in southwest China still maintains the traditional pattern, and the awareness of inheritance is greater than the concept of development. Because they have deeply imprinted the things of their ancestors (batik patterns) in their minds under the influence of many years, when they need to make batik, they will subconsciously draw the inherited patterns, which forms a kind of "similarity". Maybe it’s not that they are unwilling to innovate, but if the traditional crafts and concepts are too deep and have deep skills, they will easily become “baggage” and they will be reluctant to throw them away.
The second is artistic concept and artistic quality. Batik was originally painted by farmers in the field of farming. There was no artist involved, and due to dye restrictions, it always remained blue and white. It was not until the 1990s that artists from around the world participated, forming batik painting, making it richer. For example, the United States, as a country without a history of batik, has pushed batik painting into the modern era because it is at the center of modern art in the world and is influenced by many art forms. Of course, in addition to patterns, artistic concepts and quality, there are also aspects such as painting ability, cultural quality, and art appreciation ability that are also the essential differences between traditional batik and modern batik.
As for inheritance and development, Teacher Liu said: "In the past, traditional batik makers always asked me how to prevent the color from fading, but I think that if the color does not fade, it is not traditional batik. My point of view is that traditional batik must be It must be inherited, and it must not be touched. Once it is changed, it will no longer be traditional. Therefore, two paths must be opened, one is the traditional faded blue and white batik, and the other is the modern multi-color non-fading batik, which must be continued and modernized. Multi-color batik should also be actively promoted and developed. After all, modern batik can be widely used in life. For example, modern batik paintings can be printed on fabrics through digital printing as daily practical products or derivatives of art.
Teacher Liu emphasized that traditional batik is a classic and an important part of Chinese culture. This is something that the country must protect, and the roots must not be lost until we learn the skills of our ancestors and understand its craftsmanship. In addition, according to Teacher Liu, some scholars once visited Egypt and found that traditional batik in Egypt has died out, and that traditional batik in our country is in decline due to its marginalization and homogeneity. stage. If people don’t use it, no one knows whether it will gradually disappear like the traditional batik in Egypt. So China’s batik is in danger.
What is the way out? Add value to make it popular
How can we find a way out for batik, which is constantly marginalized and declining? The teacher believes that on the one hand, we must increase the added value and increase the artistic language that can communicate with world brands.
Teacher Liu began to study batik in the 1970s. Recommended by Zhang Ding, the designer of my country’s national emblem, Teacher Liu moved to the main hall of the National Art Museum of China to hold a batik exhibition in 1984, becoming the first person in my country to hold a personal exhibition in this hall. The first modern young painter, Mr. Zhang Ding, personally proposed the title "Zilong Batik Art" for the exhibition, hoping that Liu Zilong could develop modern batik art. In fact, it was not only Mr. Zhang Ding, but also many artistic figures, such as Lian Xiao. Chun, Wu Zuoren, Zhang Daoyi, Li Tianxiang, etc. all gave him a lot of help. Teacher Liu admitted that it was not his personal charm, but the charm of art and batik.
1985, Shanghai. The Science and Education Film Studio filmed the film "Liu Zilong's Batik Painting", translated it into seven languages, and sent it to 157 Chinese embassies abroad for cultural exchanges. There is still a little guess about the film: there are many foreign batik paintings today. The artist wrote in the information that he has been engaged in batik painting art for more than 20 years, but our film was released 20 years ago. Could it be that our film promotion promoted the development of foreign batik art? Of course, this is just a conjecture, but the impact of this film? At that time, a businessman from Singapore came to my country to invest 3 million US dollars to build Zilong Batik Co., Ltd. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, this industrialization failed, and with the impact of reform and opening up, the art was ignored.
Teacher Liu said frankly: "We cannot promote this market. Only you, the younger generation, can understand it and explore it can it develop. Don't let traditional culture really die!"
How to popularize the combination of batik art and technology , successfully launched into the market? Teacher Liu has put a lot of effort into this. Due to dye limitations, traditional batik can only be dyed on cotton and is cold-dyed. Synthetic dyes can now be used to develop multi-color and enhanced color fastness, from cotton to chemical fiber, wool, linen, silk and other fabrics, and can even be dyed on leather. Even the colorful batik in Guizhou is his invention patent. Unfortunately, although he invented it, the teacher did not know how to market it.
Regarding Liu Zilong’s batik art, teacher Huang Guoguang who was observing could not help but said: “Zilong’s painting art has two characteristics: first, it is in line with current culture and art, and it is in line with the world’s painting trends. Second, his painting It can be turned into products. By combining painting art and batik technology, the products can be turned into textile products, especially suitable for clothing products. Any of his works is a suitable clothing pattern." Teacher Huang believes and hopes to turn Liu Zilong batik into a commodity. Culturalization and popular culture, so that more people can see and accept it, so that batik culture can be better promoted.
Looking forward to the future, eagerly awaiting the attention of all walks of life
As for the future of batik, Teacher Liu bluntly expressed his hope that it will attract the attention of the public. Teacher Liu said that in the printing and dyeing industry, batik is an important part and has unlimited market potential. The modern printing and dyeing industry should develop batik varieties; in the education sector, traditional printing and dyeing courses should be added to relevant colleges and universities for better continuation; in the painting industry, It is necessary to promote this world language painting type and form a national painting variety. Increase revival and publicity efforts to make the public aware; in the arts and crafts world, this traditional classic symbol should be added to arts and crafts; we also hope to establish the China Batik Art Association... Efforts in various fields will promote the formation of a Chinese nation powerful cultural symbol. (Source: Written by "Textile Printing" magazine/Lin Ying)
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