Between Crafts And Fine Arts: Zheng Ke And The Binding Design Of Modern Prints

In the autumn of 1934,the modern artist Zheng Ke（1906-1987）returned to Guangzhou after studying in Paris.In early 1935,at the invitation of the oil painter Li Hua（1907-1994）,he assisted the Guangzhou Modern Print Society in the binding design of the magazine Modern Prints（episodes 4-10）.Under the guidance of Lu Xun（1881-1936）,this set of magazines born in the era of industrial technology not only bind by hand,but also show strong folk art characteristics and decorative interest in design style and material use.Zheng Ke’s design behavior is not only an active assimilation of European modern art styles and Japanese folk art thinking,but also a reflection on Chinese cultural traditions.This is a modern experiment of Zheng Ke and the printmakers on the local folk art tradition in the international perspective and the trend of the times.At the same time,the binding and design of this modern art publication is also a useful attempt by this artist who stayed in France to explore the development path of modern Chinese arts and crafts.