“People Are Artists”:Research On The People’s Views On Art By William Morris

The "people’s nature" of literature and art is the core category of Marxist literature and art theory,so it is of great practical significance to explore the relationship between literature and art and people.When we trace the history of art thought,we find that,in fact,William Morris,a British scholar in the 19 th century,also had a profound reflection on the relationship between art and people.He took the lead in reflecting on the art view of "genius theory" and emphasized that art belongs to the collective undertaking.In fact,artists are the people,and the people are artists.In the history of art development,many works are created by the people,and "the people’s art" is created by and for the people.The introduction of Morris’ s view of people’s art,combined with the realistic context of the development of literature and art in China,will further reflect on the relationship between literature and art and people in the Chinese context,which may provide new theoretical resources for domestic scholars to study people’s literature and art thought.The first part introduces the ideological background of the formation of William Morris’ s people’s art view.This paper analyzes the influence of three major ideological trends on Morris in the 19 th century,which are: the emergence of social transformation and cultural criticism,the emergence and development of art labor theory,and the formation of art socialism thought.The second part explains the core content of William Morris’ s people’s art view.This part collates and translates Morris’ s important works explaining the relationship between art and people,and then explains the core content of his view of people’s art.In the subject construction,Morris rethinks the traditional concept of "artist genius",emphasizing that artists are the people,art is a collective enterprise and enjoyed by the people;In the form of construction,"people’s art" is both popular,artistic and aesthetic,and it embodies the ideal of the interaction between elegance and vulgarity.In terms of content construction,art is not an activity that is far from society.Artists should actively intervene in reality and stimulate people’s realistic speculation and aesthetic imagination through their works.In terms of audience construction,"Art for the people" shapes the ideal audience and enhances the aesthetic taste of the public.The second part sort out and translate William Morris’ s important works on the relationship between art and people,and then explain the core content of his view of people’s art.In the subject construction,Morris rethinks the traditional concept of artist genius,emphasizing that artists are the people,art is a collective enterprise and enjoyed by the people;In the form of construction,"people’s art" is both popular,artistic and aesthetic,and it embodies the ideal of the interaction between elegance and vulgarity.In terms of content construction,art is not an activity that is far from society.Artists should actively intervene in reality and stimulate people’s realistic speculation and aesthetic imagination through their works.In terms of audience construction,"Art for the people" shapes the ideal audience and enhances the aesthetic taste of the public.The third part,from the theoretical level to the practical level of analysis,mainly combined with Morris’ s art design,poetry,novels and other related works,analyzes the practice path of people’s art view and its specific representation,trying to explore the tension between Morris’ s art theory and practice.The fourth part reflects on William Morris’ s view of people’s art.On the basis of the previous part,this chapter further reflects on the practical problems of Morris’ s view of people’s art,and combs the acceptance of Morris in China,trying to supplement the ideological connotation that domestic scholars have omitted in the interpretation of his view of people’s art.At the same time,combining with the realistic context of the development of Chinese literature and art,it tries to explore the enlightenment of Morris’ s people’s art viewpoint to the study of Chinese people’s literature and art thought.