Theory Of Seventeen Years (1949-1966) Of The People's Republic Of China Regional Prints In The Generation Of Color Difference

Emerging Chinese printmaking movement has occupied a prominent position with its glorious development in the history of Chinese Modern Fine Art. The developing history of20th century Modern Printmaking has experienced three creative peaks, namely,1930s-1940s, late1950s through early1960s, and after the1980s. Taking the first peak (1949-1966) after the establishment of New China as its research backdrop, this dissertation discusses the issue of colors in the Modern Printmaking. During this period, printmaking in the newly established PRC featured "massive emergence of landscape and colored woodcut". Before the founding of New China, modern prints in China have remained predominantly black and white and figures. The rapid development of landscape and colored woodcut has opened up new dimension in Chinese printmaking that equal importance has been attached to the black-and-white and the colored, as well as figures and landscapes. This is a major pattern transformation in the history of Modern Chinese Printmaking.In the matter of colored prints, three printmaking communities generally acknowledged as regionally characterized in mature styles have gradually developed during this period:Sichuan School, School of the Great Northern Wilderness and Jiangsu Woodblock School. Besides, there were another two printmaking groups seldom mentioned by the academic circle but both have enlivened practices of colored prints and exerted great influences, namely, Beijing Printmaking Group and Shanghai and Hangzhou Printmaking Group. Printmaking creations by these five regions respectively demonstrate their strong regional characteristics, differing from each other in appearance and color spectrum.This dissertation adopts the method of literature research and comparative study. Through synchronic horizontal comparison, it gives a comparative analysis of printmaking schools originated from different regions in the same period of history.The thesis is divided into five parts. After sorting out the general situation of printmaking creation against the background of these "seventeen years" and the overall creative ideas applied in chromatic prints in this period, several major printmaking schools as well as their presentation of the color characteristics are made concrete analysis separately. Finally, in-depth investigations into the factors contributing to the color diversity in several major regional printmaking have been conducted from four aspects.