Modern Chinese Art Education With Marginal Intellectuals

The abolishment of imperial examination system is an important factor that leads to the disintegration of traditional Chinese social structure.The new educational system has cultivated a wealth of educated people with certain knowledge level in the society.Among them,there is large number of people who are beyond the road of elite owing to various subjective or objective reasons,making them the"marginal intellectuals".Liu Haisu had experienced the transition of imperial examination system to school system in his early education stage.He and many other peers of art education circle chose the road of art education,thus joining the group of marginal intellectuals.After the middle of the ¹⁹th century,the so-called"Offshore Painting Group"was of outstanding commercial characteristics in the art circle of Shanghai.The painters from"Offshore Painting Group"in the early stage were mostly from the middle and lower class of the society.After the revolution of 1911,many old adherents of Qing Dynasty who immigrated to Shanghai occupied the top positions among the Offshore Painting Group.Wu Shiguang and Liu Haisu negotiated with each other to establish Art School of Painting on Nov.1912.At the preliminary stage of modem art education,the existence environment was rather difficult.Art was not paid enough attention by the general society.Moreover,the school was lack of students'source.The management was poor at the beginning of the Art School of Painting with incomplete educational system,curriculum and facilities.At the 1920s,modern Chinese art education faced two major development opportunities.The first one was the transition of social concepts before and after the May Fourth Movement.The social position of western aesthetics and art was greatly improved.The second one was that a large number of oversea students returned and engaged in art education.As the promoter and the main force,they significantly raised the practical level of modern Chinese art education.While the improvement of the social position and social influence of art education attracted more marginal intellectuals to contribute their efforts.The aesthetic education advocated by Cai Yuanpei was of profound social significance.The establishment of the position of aesthetics as a system exerted great and positive influence on the development of artistic education field.Liu Haisu started substantive communication with Cai Yuanpei on 1919.Many directors in the Shanghai College of Fine Arts were introduced by Cai Yuanpei.Most of them were the celebrities from all circles.The advocating of aesthetic education also influenced the concept of the value concerning Chinese paintings and western paintings.Under the context of science,democracy and radicalism during the May Fourth Movement, the western art with scientific mark was also perceived as an effective dose to save the traditional Chinese art.Liu Haisu claimed that"secrete of western art"is to save the populace and society of China.For Shanghai College of Art and Liu Haisu,to find a conceptual standpoint in the radical social thought of May Fourth Movement was an important turning point spiritually speaking.The function of the May Fourth Enlightenment Movement was quite limited to the lower class of the society,yet the marginal intellectuals in the middle of the society were those most influenced.The communication between Liu Haisu and Cai Yuanpei was just the typical orientation of marginal intellectuals in the power transition process of the modern Chinese society.The marginal intellectuals were generally active and brave compared with the upper elites.The lower populace took an obvious social advantage.Therefore,they were subjected to achieve success. For example,though Liu Haisu once induced multiple disputes when he first established school,Shanghai College of Art achieved great success.It is certainly related to the outstanding personal character and the social activity ability of Liu Haisu.However,he was attributed to the remarkable personality and development ability due to his identity of marginal intellectual.In the 1920s,numberless of returned oversea students engaged in the art education field,which was of great significance.Firstly,the returned oversea students greatly promoted the level of Chinese art education.Secondly,the concept of the oversea students was rather original among the marginal intellectuals.Their choice could stimulate more marginal intellectuals to engage in this field.The art education became the active choice in pursuing the social changes.The large scale participation of marginal intellectuals led to the overall active atmosphere in each aspect of Chinese art.The interference and influence of marginal intellectuals on the social affaires were often through the interaction between the public area and the society.Due to the publicity,their activities seemed pretty active and enthusiasm.The artistic concept of Liu Haisu showed the publication orientation of art.He did not satisfy with the development within the scope of school.He tried to relate art with public life. Nevertheless,the trial of art publication could not avoid various crises when stepping out of the campus.The use of manikin by Liu Haisu and Shanghai College of Art once induced enormous social disputes.When investigating the description of manikin by Liu Haisu,he tried to explain this problem as a moral conflict.He tended to resort to social support by pushing it into the society.He did not doubt or hesitate in the rationality of morality.Seeing from the result,the fact that Liu Haisu tied to drew support from media did not get the permission of manikin.Yet,this event aroused the general attention and sympathy of the public area to Shanghai College of Art.