Lacquer as a skin: contemporary Chinese textile art
Guo, Jing (2024) Lacquer as a skin: contemporary Chinese textile art. PhD thesis, University for the Creative Arts.
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This practice-based research evaluates the role of traditional lacquer culture in Chinese contemporary textile art, foregrounding the redefinition and reinvigoration of lacquer's cultural and artistic value. Drawing upon Jules David Prown's theory of material culture, this research seeks to offer a novel interpretation of lacquer as both skin and cloth, shedding light on its significance in contemporary artistic practices.
This practice-based research further evaluates the relations of traditional Chinese lacquer methods and contemporary textile art, proposing a novel approach that unites historical craftsmanship with conceptual textile art. Key questions guiding this research are: How does the application of traditional lacquer art to contemporary textile art in China redefine the contemporary lacquer language through the concept of lacquer as cloth/skin? Additionally, can a new Asian understanding of lacquer as a skin/cloth be constructed by illuminating Jules David Prown’s theory of material culture According to Professor Lishan Jin (2020), in China, lacquer is often referred to as an 'earliest cloth', signifying the initial skin of an object, and enjoys extensive use, particularly in mahogany furniture. China is the birthplace of lacquer art. However, lacquer, as a traditional Chinese craft, appears somewhat unfamiliar to contemporary youth, becoming a largely forsaken tradition and a waning craft eclipsed by contemporary art. Contemporary lacquerware remains significantly affected by the traditional art of lacquer, with its material constraints and conservative function and form. This practice-based research will advocate for a redefinition of the language of traditional lacquer by utilising the characteristics of cultural specificity, applying lacquer to contemporary Chinese textile art. This innovative practice of combining lacquer and Chinese contemporary textile art will explore conceptual artistic thinking unbounded by established tradition. The study seeks to combine lacquer with contemporary textile art, exploring the self representation of 'who I am' when lacquer acts as the first layer of skin on an object, and how lacquer, when representing the second layer of skin, represents 'who I want to be'.
Thesis submitted in partial requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University for the Creative Arts, Farnham.
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