The Realistic Expression Of Chinese Printmaking And The Root Of Luyi Spirit

In the history of modern Chinese art,block printing art is the pioneer of revolutionary art.It is an art form that expresses the core of Chinese revolution and battle.It is also the most artistic form full of the spirit of the times that expresses people’s pleasure,anger,sorrow,joy,vicissitudes of life,and ideal pursuits in a realistic way.The development of this art form has always been accompanied by the process of Chinese society and has always transmitted a kind of spiritual power in this art form.The power has grown from the budding form into a guidance,a national will and a revolutionary spirit,which are deeply rooted in the artistic creation of Chinese block printing,highlighting the social value,historical significance and style of the times.Following the footprints of history,the study thoroughly connects Lu Xun and his contribution to art,the establishment of Lu Xun Academy of Arts and Literature in Yan’an and the formation of Lu Xun Academy spirit with the way in which Chinese block printing responds to reality.This has far-reaching significance and value for exploring how Chinese block printing adheres to the creative road of realistic expression.The study employs the methods of documentary study,interview,work analysis and historical approach to analyze and sort out a large number of texts and works,and gradually clarify the deep connection between the realistic expression of Chinese block printing and the spirit of Lu Xun Academy.From the five aspects of the realistic expression of Chinese block printing,namely“root”,“source”,“education”,“spirit” and “inheritance”,this paper seeks to find out its relationship with the budding,condensation and promotion of national culture,emerging woodcut and the spirit of Lu Xun Academy.At the same time,it constructs the bridge between the realistic expression of Chinese block printing and the rooting of Lu Xun Art spirit,embeds Chinese block printing into the context of China’s social development,and displays the ideological guidance of the spirit of Lu Xun Academy on the development of Chinese block printing.The framework of the study is divided into six parts.The introduction mainly discusses the background,significance,research status and methods of the topic.This paper combs the literature of the research status from three perspectives: Chinese block printing,the spirit of Lu Xun Academy and the relationship between Chinese block printing and the spirit.After that,a visual analysis is made to provide rich literature support for the follow-up researches.The first chapter explores the “root” of the realistic expression of Chinese block printing from the perspective of national culture.As a form of block printing,New Year pictures are closely related to people’s life from the early times,and their content has strong national characteristics.Lu Xun’s preference and collection of New Year pictures since childhood,his love for them,and his childhood experience established his artistic concept of the national stand.Lu Xun,therefore,found advantages of New Year pictures in expression as a form of woodcut,which planted seeds for block printing to serve the needs of revolution in the future.The second chapter seeks the “source” of the realistic expression of Chinese block printing from the rise of emerging woodcut.As the initiator and mentor of emerging woodcut,Lu Xun was deeply aware that the vigilance of a nation needs spiritual support,and found a spiritual weapon to enlighten the public in European block printing and former Soviet block printing.On the basis of investigation on the art movement and current situation at home and abroad,and combined with China’s national conditions,Lu Xun put forward that “block printing is most widely used in the revolution in a hasty but instant way”.It gave block printing the most appropriate historical position and cautioned the art youth to become “the foresight guiding the way”.The emerging woodcut movement initiated by Lu Xun determines that Chinese block printing is bound to support revolution,and its art thought is gradually formed in the art practice that guides the youth to make and publish woodcut work albums.This has become an inexhaustible source of the development of woodcut in the direction of revolution.The third chapter,from the budding of the spirit of Lu Xun Academy,appreciates the“education” function of the realistic expression of Chinese block printing.At a time of national crisis,Lu Xun placed high hopes on the block printing to “go home” again: it should become a weapon of battle.The realistic expression concept and method of art should be deeply rooted in the Chinese block printing art.Lu Xun gave various guidance and help to youth artists on how to reflect the reality and improve the performance.He has cultivated a strong block printing team in the national revolution,which has played a great artistic power in the war of resistance against Japan and the war of liberation.The fourth chapter,from the condensation of the spirit of Lu Xun Academy,demonstrates the “soul” of the realistic expression of Chinese block printing.Mao Tse-tung praised Lu Xun as “the sage of China”.The first red Art Academy in China,Luyi for short,was named after him.Since its birth,it has been closely connected with the Chinese revolution and the leadership of the Communist Party of China.Lu Xun Academy has become the spiritual position of Chinese revolutionary art,and block printing has also become an important part of the Academy,which played an irreplaceable role in propaganda in the national revolution and the war of liberation.In the ideological cleansing and baptism of the war,the Academy also formed the school-running characteristics of rooting in practice and serving the people and the society.Mao Tse-tung’s speech at the Yan’an Symposium on Literature and Art set up the development direction for Chinese literature and art and solved the problems of the position,attitude and service object of literature and art.The spirit of Lu Xun Academy was thereafter established.Under its guidance,the realistic creative style of Chinese block printing was gradually formed and expressed in many excellent works.The fifth chapter,from the advancement of the spirit of Lu Xun Academy,discusses the“inheritance” of the realistic expression of Chinese block printing.With the victory of the national revolution and the birth of new China,block printing art has also moved from serving the needs of wartime to praising a peaceful and beautiful life.The connotation of the spirit of the Academy has also been continuously promoted.From Lu Xun’s “young artists as guiding foresight” to Mao Tse-tung’s “small Academy”to “great Academy”,then to Xi Jinping’s “becoming a forerunner,pioneer and advocator of the trend of the times”,all these thoughts emphasize the responsibility and guidance of art to the times.Block printing art,as a form of artistic expression with Chinese gene of revolution,adheres to the expression of real life and national spirit,emphasizes its roots in practice,and advocates innovative development in any era.The vitality of the spirit will also be integrated into the deep expression of reality in block printing.