民间艺术雅化的历史逻辑及其当代审美取向

The Historical Logic of Folk Art Becoming Elegance and Its Contemporary Aesthetic Orientation

在历史上,诸多民间艺术都曾自觉地向雅文化靠拢,不断追求审美性,趋向文人审美趣味。从两宋时期的瓷器、画绣到明清时期的紫砂壶、竹刻、铜香炉及昆曲等,都出现过雅化的历史现象。传统民间艺术的雅化有其历史逻辑,一是民间艺术发生了分化,部分脱离了日用,转化为一种商业化的文化产业形态,不得不“上进”;二是文人阶层“眼光向下”,其审美意识渗透到民间艺术与艺人群体之中,艺人无力阐述、坚守民间艺术自身的美学精神,理性地迎合了文人阶层的文化需求。在当代社会,民间艺术的仿古及其“中式美学”似乎延续了雅化的历史逻辑,其实不然,失去传统文化精神支撑的“古意”与“中式美学”只能成为一种身份消费的标签。面向当代艺术精神,真诚地表达当下生命经验,是当代民间艺术雅化该走的新路。

Historically, a lot of folk arts have consciously been close to the elegant culture. They pursue aesthetic constantly and tend to the literati aesthetic taste. There has been a historical phenomenon of becoming elegance from the porcelain and painting embroidery in the Song Dynasty to the Yixing clay?teapots, bamboo carvings, bronze incense burners and Kunqu opera in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The traditional folk art that has become elegance has its own historical logic. First, folk art has separated from daily activities. Part of them transformed into a commercial form of cultural industry. Second, the literati class has a “downward vision”, and its aesthetic consciousness permeates into the folk art and craftsman group. The craftsman group are unable to elaborate and stick to the aesthetic spirit of folk art themselves, then rationally meet the cultural needs of the literati class. In the contemporary society, the “antique style” of folk art and its “Chinese aesthetics style” seem to continue the historical logic becoming elegant. In fact, the “antique style” and “Chinese aesthetics style” without the support of traditional cultural spirit can only become a label of identity consumption. To face the spirit of contemporary art and sincerely express the present life experience is a new way for contemporary folk art to become elegant.