http://landaishu.zhongwenlink.com/home/upload20083/2008102554543790.jpg
Link:2008 “Five-Colored Soil” China Original Picture Book Annual Forum (September-November, Beihang University)
Last night (November 7th), I was delighted to hear Xiong Lei’s lecture on “The Contemporaneity of Folk Tales” at Beihang University. Xiong Lei’s speaking style is quite free-flowing, like a free-flowing conversation, speaking freely and freely. First-time listeners might struggle to grasp the flow, but if you listen patiently and gradually become accustomed to his style, you’ll benefit greatly. Overall, I felt that while some of his perspectives may appear a bit biased on the surface, upon closer examination, they are quite novel, though their expression is sharp and their intentions are pragmatic.
It’s not easy to take notes while listening to Xiong Lei’s lecture :) I just casually wrote down some things that interested me and added some associations.
At the beginning of the lecture, we all enjoyed Yang Peng’s production of “Little Stone Lion”, which was very good and can be seen online:
http://flash.17173.com/flashfile/2008–10-29/20081029142541244.shtml
Topic 1: How does one start creating their first picture book?
(This topic is mainly for students, discussing with them how to start creating their first picture book. The original intention of Wu Se Tu is to encourage and help students to start creating picture books on campus and cooperate with teachers’ courses.)
☆
The creation of picture books is related to everyone’s own life.
☆
Let’s start with a book by a friend who grew up growing cotton. I created a story based on his life experiences, told through paper-cuts. It’s called “The Giant and the Cotton Boll.” At the end, the giant climbs onto the clouds. (Seeing this part reminded me of the British fairy tale “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Of course, this paper-cut story is something else entirely, more like a psychological journey.)
“Family Tree,” by Tan Jun. Life experience: Living in the mountains, father a carpenter. Born in the 1970s, migrating from a small town to a big city—a common experience for this group of people. The perspective shifts, from looking down from above to looking up from below.
(Through these three books, Xiong Lei hopes that students will understand how personal experiences influenced these three painters in creating their first picture books.)
☆
How did you begin creating picture books? Some poets born in the 1960s told us, “Your lives lack typical events, so how do you create?” People of every generation share certain commonalities. These three books are their first. Generally speaking, first books are often genuine and written from the heart. People of the same generation share a commonality when recalling their childhoods: a sense of nostalgia.
☆
Students can create works in three ways: one that comes from the heart, one that demonstrates their creative ability, and one that reflects their concern for society. The first book is usually one that fits your life and speaks to your own story.
For example, Cai Gao’s “Peach Blossom Spring” contains some insights into society. People in agricultural and industrialized societies have different emotions, and emotions vary from era to era. For example, the story of “The Big Bear in the Forest” depicts the alienation of people in industrialized society.
☆ Talk about works that reflect social concerns. For example, “My Little Pony” depicts a conversation between Xiong Liang and a child during his visit to Tibet. The dog depicted is a Tibetan Mastiff. It’s a documentary, a creative experiment.
☆
Why choose folk tales? There are many folk tales to choose from. It’s a ready-made story, but how do you express your own point of view? For example, why did Teacher Cai Gao choose Peach Blossom Spring? He had his own point of view.
☆
The choice of material itself is a point of view. What stories still resonate with readers today? This is primarily the author’s choice, the author’s point of view.
☆
We create folk tales out of a desire to express ourselves. Crying when we want to cry, laughing when we want to laugh, isn’t creation. Singing a lament when we’re sad is creation.
☆
There was nothing really worth saying; he was just repeating it.
☆
When we create, we need to know who our audience is and what they need.
☆
What do Chinese children need now? China today is actually two different countries: As far as picture books are concerned, 300 million of the 1.3 billion people can afford them, while 1 billion cannot. The needs of urban and rural children are different.
☆
Only when you care about everyone will your work be spread.
☆
Traditional Chinese culture is more feminine, and perhaps we need something more powerful now.
☆
Picture books are a comprehensive art form. Creators care about children and parents. We have much to learn. In contemporary art, is there no longer a definition of what is beautiful and what is not? Art is no longer simply about beauty or ugliness. Some explain that contemporary art helps people face life healthier and more courageously. There are many explanations. Different times call for different works of art.
☆
Why should we help rural children? It’s truly terrifying for a person to lack a moral compass. The biggest problem today is educational inequality. Rural children don’t need sympathy; they need a good education, training, and the development of their abilities. A moral compass must be established.
☆
Let’s talk about the third type of writing: the display of creativity. In this type of book, we can remove the heavy stuff. Take Xiong Liang’s “A Garden of Green Vegetables Becomes Spirits” as an example.
☆
Students can choose what type of picture book to make based on their own circumstances: creative, authentic, or thoughtful.
There are many ways to create, but not many of them are suitable for you.
Second Topic: The Standards of Picture Books in China and the West Are Different
☆
There’s a Japanese picture book master I really like. He said the lightbulb was invented by Westerners and has been bad for the Japanese. This is because Japanese (and Chinese, too) aesthetically pleasing interiors emphasize the play of light and shadow, but lightbulbs are too bright to create that atmosphere. Under full illumination, anyone standing in a room looks silly.
☆
Standards must be set before good creation can be achieved.
☆
For example, “Where the Wild Things Are” was written when Western psychology was flourishing, but Chinese psychology is not so developed now.
☆
There is one kind of artist who speaks the truth, but there are no more than 50 of them in the world; but there is another kind of artist who spreads the truth in various ways.
☆
How do we create picture books that stand out from foreign ones? The fundamental thing is the support of our own culture. What exactly are the characteristics of Chinese picture books? We ourselves are not quite clear yet and are still exploring.
☆
When a nation is strong and confident, foreign cultures flourish, as during the heyday of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, we must cultivate a strong mindset when creating something. The Chinese flavor is primarily a matter of confidence, not necessarily one particular style or another.
☆
While still a student, you should publish your work and earn royalties. Success or failure in life is determined by habits. I hope these habits will persist. Why study art? To find something that makes life more meaningful. Creative work can provide greater rewards. Maintain a lifelong creative habit.
☆
When we’re looking for artists to collaborate with, we need to assess their life situation: Are you vulnerable to life’s defeat? Only after publishing a book and receiving royalties can we have the confidence to continue. The first book can lay the foundation.
☆
The most important aspect of folk tales is the choice of text. I’m currently working on a book called “Du Zichun.” It’s a Buddhist theme, and it features visions arising from an empty room. This structure is similar to the dreamlike illusions of “Dream of the Red Chamber.” This story was chosen for two reasons: first, its aesthetic elements—a style of speaking, a Zen aesthetic—which is a technical choice; and second, its connotations, reflecting the contemporary human condition: anxiety, never having enough money, and habitual poverty.
☆
For example, some students chose “Gudong Lai Le” (Gudong Lai Le), perhaps to demonstrate control, ability, and creativity, and to put their own stamp on the story. They also expressed their feelings through the story.
☆
Folk tales can also speak for you. They can be rewritten and given new meaning. The best stories are those that add something personal to them.
☆
Why is the 360-degree horizon in “Sukh’s White Horse” so appealing to Japanese people? In a repressed space, this kind of painting can bring new breakthroughs. We need to think about what we lack and what we should add.
Why was “Peking Opera Cats: Changbanpo” created? How can we integrate cat patterns with facial makeup and introduce the art of facial makeup to children? Even if you don’t understand facial makeup, you can still tell who is good, who is evil, and who is brave when you watch it.
☆
Take the imagery of Peking Opera Cats as an example: How do we create a sense of instability? The hallmark of Chinese art is a sense of dance. I hope to express something aesthetically, as an experiment. Peking Opera is a form of dance. What are the artistic characteristics of this book? How do we incorporate a sense of dance? How do we incorporate the rhythms of Peking Opera?
“The Invisible Horse” explores Chinese art and wine, the characteristics of wine culture, and the lyrical art of singing with abandon. This includes the characters’ expressions and movements, blending the real and the imaginary. This artistic medium tells new stories and new concepts.
☆
The first two are both Peking Opera Cats. The first is quite Westernized, while the second utilizes Chinese art. This section discusses how movements convey spirit. There are many differences in expression between the East and the West.
☆
Some people say that the moon in foreign countries is rounder than that in China. In fact, the moon in China is the roundest, because no other country has so many writers and artists who have given so much meaning to the moon.
☆
Regarding student creations, I have more indirect experience. When I look at students’ work, I see what they see in the book, not what they see in life.
☆
The exhibition features Xiong Liang’s early picture books, whose gouache application and expression are very Westernized. We looked at numerous picture books, films, and materials, observing their creations and then creating our own works. This kind of creation is not original. We no longer do that in our current work. We should read a lot of Western and Japanese picture books, and then try to forget them all. We can learn, but we shouldn’t imitate.
(Hearing this brought back a lot of memories. Back in 2003, a good friend sent me some illustrations by Qiyibao, saying they were a particularly good original studio at the time. To be honest, I was quite disappointed. I knew nothing about painting at the time, so I couldn’t discern technical merit. But I was still intuitively disappointed. The style felt too “Bologna”! The details and storytelling were weak, and there wasn’t much interest for children. That was my honest feeling at the time. Later, I got to know the brothers Xiong Lei and Xiong Liang. Year after year, every time I saw them, I felt their progress was astonishing. They were truly dedicated to learning and were also very good at self-reflection. In just a few years, I felt that they had begun to develop their own unique way of expression, and they were willing to move towards being relatable to readers, especially children. But it wasn’t to accommodate them; they simply found a unique joy in their work, a natural fit with their own lives. Congratulations!)
☆
A few years ago, I had no confidence in Chinese culture.
☆
Picture books are used to cultivate emotions and can inject emotions into children. If we do not cultivate emotions for inherent culture, we can make children love what we can see.
☆
The most important and difficult issue is that our entire education system is Western-style. But when it comes to creative writing, this doesn’t work. Readers have no obligation to support original work. When we create, we must leverage our strengths and avoid our weaknesses. We may have needs that foreigners don’t have, so when exporting our work abroad, we must develop our own unique way of speaking. Cultural differences are crucial. We must maintain our own unique characteristics.
☆
Nowadays, all students’ painting styles are Westernized, learned from books. We should learn Chinese elements, but we must constantly update and renew them. Simply imitating the West is a dead end. It has no value in international communication.
☆
The material is not important. Whether it is a brush painting or an oil painting is not important. The key is cultural literacy.
☆
Read more books on contemporary aesthetics. Read as many classic Western picture books as possible, but forget them after reading them. Japanese picture books must be studied carefully.
☆
When you learn to speak, you unlearn the language, but in the beginning, there is a long transition period.
☆
Original picture books are currently in their early stages of development. We may not need to say this anymore in the future, but we do need to emphasize Chinese cultural elements.
Finally, Teacher Zhuang Zhuang gave an excellent summary. She told the students that the forum activities had primarily featured excellent picture books from abroad, and that everyone was already planning to experiment with this or that style, such as “Hen Rose Goes for a Walk” or “Where the Wild Things Are.” Xiong Lei’s reminder during the lecture today was very timely, and she hoped that students would dedicate themselves to creating picture books that are truly Chinese. Xiong Lei’s statement that “China’s moon is the roundest” stems from the fact that Chinese writers and artists have imbued the moon with the most profound meaning and are the most moving. Zhuang Zhuang recalled meeting the Chinese-American painter Yang Zhicheng (creator of “Wolf Granny” and “Seven Blind Mice,” and a three-time Caldecott Medal winner) in Hong Kong this summer. Yang Zhicheng pointed to the moon in one of his new paintings and proudly said that the moon represents the Chinese concept of “leisure.” Chinese leisure differs from that of foreigners. Foreigners spend their leisure time sunbathing or surfing at the beach, while Chinese people truly enjoy leisure only when their minds are at ease, and only when they are at ease can they appreciate the moon.
Coincidentally, during the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, I happened to chat with Professor Yu Zhiying via email about the roundness of the Chinese moon. In the email, I wrote:
Regarding the roundness of the moon, a friend who went abroad told me,
There is actually some truth in the saying “The moon is rounder in foreign countries”.
Because of the serious urban pollution in the country, the moon cannot be seen clearly.
But I still believe that the moon in China is rounder.
Because only Chinese people are so keen on appreciating the moon,
According to the geometric principles invented by Westerners, the moon is not completely round after all.
The roundness of the Chinese moon lies in the heart.
I always feel that the “full moon” is just a beautiful mirror in the hearts of Chinese people.
There are always imperfections in life, so the moon in our hearts must always be round.
Overall impressions
In general, I understand that Xiong Lei’s main focus in her lecture was on the question of what to say and how to say it in picture book creation. Regarding what to say, she encouraged students to express themselves through the medium of what they are most familiar with and best excel at, starting with folk tales and using mature stories to express themselves. Regarding how to say it, she emphasized the importance of using uniquely Chinese expressions and avoiding simplistic imitations of classic Western picture books.
I think Xiong Lei offers excellent insights. However, when it comes to Western classics and excellent picture books, I believe we still need to learn more. The most important thing is to understand what picture books should say. The very birth of picture books is a crucial part of the “discovery of childhood.” What they say depends on our understanding of “children” and “childhood.” Traditional Eastern culture places far less emphasis on this aspect, and we still have much to learn from the West. A good student is never afraid of being “led astray” by their teacher.
Regarding the question of “how to express it,” I believe traditional art forms also have a long process of self-reflection and continuous renewal. Traditionally, there has always been a distinction between literati art and folk art. Art history was written by literati, and the discourse rested with them. Art seems to be something distant from the common people. While today’s picture book readers can’t be said to be “all common people,” the vast majority are certainly “common people,” especially children (no disparagement intended here). However, despite its low status and limited mention in official art history, folk art has truly nurtured generations of “common people.” I suspect that the artistic creations in picture books must primarily be authentic folk art. The phrase “Here comes the new folk—” is certainly a call for this kind of folk art, art that can resonate with the “common people,” especially children. When creating picture books, artists and art students, please humble yourself.
Reading Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and, my favorite, In That Faraway Place, I was struck by how Sendak was able to employ such a classic Western artistic style and a narrative technique reminiscent of Grimm’s fairy tales to tell such authentically fantastical stories, while actually examining the everyday lives and psychological worlds of children, thus captivating them deeply. Of course, we cannot imitate his authentic Western style, and imitation is futile. But his genuine concern for children and childhood, his observations about the real, psychological, and imaginary worlds of children, and his mastery of seamlessly integrating style and content are precisely what we need most. These are universal values, regardless of whether they are disguised as Eastern or Western.
I’ve been thinking about these questions recently, and I’m glad to have heard Xiong Lei’s lecture, which has inspired me to think further. I’m happy to continue communicating with you all, and welcome your comments :)
Argentine Primera División (November 8, 2008)
