Chapter 17 The second part is a small record of cultural relics. Section 17 talks about the art of porcelain

In the past ten years, I have had the opportunity to visit every preview exhibition of ceramic handicrafts abroad. I am really lucky. I deeply feel that with the joint efforts of thousands of masters and comrades, Jingdezhen Porcelain Industry is moving forward at a great speed like a thousand-mile horse. Going forward, the results are getting better every year.After seeing the new products exhibited in the Forbidden City this time, I know that ceramic crafts have achieved a greater harvest.It is particularly remarkable that the colored glaze rouge water, which has been lost for two hundred years, has succeeded after malachite green, sacrificial red, Jiaohuang, and holly.These new varieties all have bright and well-proportioned glaze colors, reaching the highest level during the reign of Kang Yong, and there is no limit to their future development.The latest production of famille rose and underglaze color tea sets, combined with broken branches and elegant shapes, is both beautiful and practical. The development direction can be said to be completely correct, and it will definitely receive high praise from the international community.This kind of success is indeed worthy of the national ceramics industry's production method, and the pattern design of enamel production is also worth learning from this.In addition, there are many large and small bottles, which are also healthy and elegant in shape, stable and generous, and the decorative patterns can meet the requirements, and the artistic effect is extremely high.On the whole, it can be said that this exhibition gave me an extremely wonderful impression, too beautiful to behold.

However, I personally think that Jingdezhen porcelain should not be limited by these achievements.Since the production of various departments in China is developing at an unprecedented speed, new needs will increase day by day, and the application range of porcelain will inevitably expand day by day.That is to say, taking the capital of Beijing as an example, thousands of monumental new buildings, such as museums, theaters, auditoriums, subways, etc., all need new art decorations.Jingdezhen porcelain is made of good materials, easy to clean, and is not afraid of sunlight and rain. If an artist is good at combining needs and making new ceramic designs, he will be able to further develop the strengths of porcelain to create thousands of things and achieve extraordinary success.For medium-sized sculptures of individual working figures, or the design of group portraits of monuments, use ivory white porcelain or add colored glaze.Such as large-area screens, walls, lighting walls, and corridor decorations, inlaid with gorgeous and colorful porcelain in various glaze colors.Such as burning light-colored tiles, as door beams or interior decoration, instead of colored paintings.In addition, in the face of people's daily life requirements that are improving day by day, even if there are 50 Jingdezhens that produce daily-use porcelain, the supply may still exceed the demand, so it is necessary to develop modern porcelain firing industries in regions where conditions permit.However, if Jingdezhen production can pay attention to this practical problem in the future, it will invest some manpower early, try to take the lead in some production, and replace the high-end painted porcelain that is currently generally successful with blown flowers and appliqués, saving processing labor and becoming Comparing cheap daily necessities that most people can buy should also be regarded as a new direction worth striving for.And this kind of success can be said to be the real success of the new national porcelain industry.People's lives are constantly improving, and there are reasons to demand that this new product will be on the market in the near future!It's a matter of direction.Doing so will not hinder the production of high-grade porcelain.If this negligence continues, it is unreasonable for Ren Daily Porcelain to remain in the current situation.

As far as the current exhibits are concerned, some minor weaknesses can also be mentioned.For example, some bottle tires (especially the rim) seem to be slightly thicker, and the proportion is not suitable, which will inevitably affect the appearance.The shape is somewhat out of the ordinary, it looks awkward, and it can't be well combined with the decorative pattern. It seems that it is worth starting from the purpose of "serving the past for the present" and referring to more traditional excellent products. If there is a compromise, it can be improved.The shape is still restrained, there are conservative parts, or more generally, from Shang and Zhou copper, Tang pottery, Song porcelain, and the colored porcelain and monochromatic glazed porcelain that have achieved the highest achievements since Kang Yong, if you pay full attention to it, you can get more benefits. inspiration.Moreover, the chromaticity of blue and white materials is not stable enough at present. Some burn out well, while some are in a daze, and some turn into ocean blue, which is not very beautiful. results.Or do some experiments other than green materials, if you find other bright underglaze colors.Underglaze red, especially blue and white plus purple, and underglaze plain three-color are also to be made new efforts, and the current achievements are not very good.

Although these problems can be corrected by production experience, it is more important to further integrate with the chemical physics research department, just like the method of burning sacrificial red, it is much easier to solve it with the cooperation of the scientific research department.As for the decoration of landscape and figure paintings in color ink in the new products, the achievements in the exhibits are not particularly outstanding. The reason is generally due to the conservative drawing method, not due to technical limitations.Because ordinary painters are more accustomed to drawing methods from the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the color composition and composition are often more detailed and cumbersome.Compared with the simple landscape flowers and birds in the blue and white porcelain of the Ming Dynasty, and the Kangyong blue and white landscape figures, flowers and birds, it can be seen that although the current production and processing efforts are doubled, the effect is not as expected.Landscape painting uses more ink and color, which is oily and shiny, and it is not flexible to solidify when used on porcelain.In order to remedy this weak link, it is worth starting with data storage.Prepare some good drawings for the masters to observe, and enrich some nourishment from other than personal experience.If you can learn from both, you will surely achieve renewed success.In my personal opinion, you may wish to refer to the composition of paintings by famous painters of Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties, and do some experiments with inserting and hanging screens.For example, Cui Bai, Wang Yuan, Lu Ji, Lin Liang, Bian Jingzhao, Xu Qingteng, Chen Daofu, Yun Nantian for flowers and birds, Dong Yuan, Xia Gui, Wang Shen, Ma Yuan, Zhao Gan, Songxue, Yunlin, Cao Zhibai, Sheng Mao , Zhang Ling, Shen Zhou, Shi Tao, Bada, the characters Zhang Xuan, Zhou Wenju, Li Gonglin, Tang Yin... and even the painting of flowers and birds by Qi Baishi and Li Keran, who are close friends, will inevitably have greater development.Because the master master can be fine but not used to simplicity, once you get used to it, the situation will be very different.This problem is similar to that of Hunan embroidery and Beijing carved lacquer.To be rich and colorful, to be full of tricks, to expand themes, and to improve techniques.In addition, thousands of different decoration methods such as colored paint, gold-painted lacquer, Luodian, silk-cut, and embroidery can be used, combined with the characteristics of porcelain painting, and different processing methods such as plain three-color, hard five-color and bucket color can be used to reflect the new daily-use porcelain. Or art porcelain to achieve different effects.In short, we must not be limited by the current success, learn from the essence and use the macro, and make new breakthroughs, so that we can fully realize the potential, use the legacy, create new creations, and reap the effects of a hundred flowers blooming.Conservation is close to freezing, and it cannot meet the requirements of social development.

As for the three-dimensional statues, how to improve them from a playful theme to a conscious expression of real life, especially for a group of statues with an area of ​​three to five feet, is also worthy of attention.Because this kind of works should not just stop at the achievements of clay figurine Zhang Mian Ren Lang, there is a greater future.However, only when it is combined with social reality can the new sculpture porcelain have a brighter future.In this work, Yangjiang Kiln Artists in Guangdong and Woodcarving Artists in Zhejiang have already taken a step ahead and made many meaningful attempts, which are worth catching up.

In addition, such as the sculpture figure lamp holder, the current method is influenced by the foreign porcelain firing method in the 19th century, and does not meet modern requirements.Qingtian stone lanterns in Zhejiang took a detour, making more thin flowers and thin leaves, which made users feel anxious all the time, and Jingde porcelain was even more unsuitable for learning to walk.Because there are a lot of fine carvings in practical products, or it is not suitable for practical use, it is better to use ivory porcelain to make a special mallet bottle or double land bottle, or plain porcelain with emerald green or carmine carved dark flowers as lamp holders. It gives people a sense of stability and happiness, and it can be called a real new variety because it has a future.Lamp holders are practical objects. Modern daily necessities, no matter they are made of plastic, glass, alloy, wood, etc., inevitably develop into simplicity, simplicity, cleanliness, and neatness, which is exactly what porcelain can easily do.When making a new lamp base, it should be easy to move, not afraid of tripping and not easy to be damaged. Excessive decoration is not suitable.

As for the decorative processing, the method of picking and stacking flowers, the current products such as a few sky-blue hanging powder plates, are made with modern Western sculpture methods. Although they have achieved certain success, it is worth experimenting in more aspects.It can be used as a reference for master craftsmen and young artists in Jingdezhen, or Song Yao Kiln, Dangyangyu, Cizhou, and Dingzhou kilns for various processing and carving methods, as well as the lacquer carving method of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, Jiading bamboo carving method, and Yongzheng and Qianlong. Porcelain-bodied porcelain embroidery carving, embossing, and Kangxi three-color shallow engraving and stacking glaze, as well as hundreds of different treatments, are all worth preserving and making full use of. It would be a pity not to use them.Among the new products, there are not many new patterns and few new developments for the pattern string branches and brocade consecration.In this excellent tradition, there are also many things worth inheriting and worthy of reference.For example, in recent years, there have been a lot of splendor patterns, ancient lacquerware, and modern ethnic minority dyeing and weaving patterns. If some of them can be transferred to new electro-optical porcelain patterns and used as belt decorations, they will all have good results.

Based on all research and study, the focus is on ideas that are helpful to the improvement of new production. If a layman sees it, there may be many mistakes. Write it down as a suggestion for experts to refer to.And I hope that I will have the opportunity to discuss with the masters in person in the future. Written in October 1959 (Originally published in Guangming Daily, November 8, 1959)