In the 9th "Happy and Beautiful New Minqin" Calligraphy Art Photography Contest Exhibition, a work titled "Minqin Silhouette" stood out. With the delicate hollowing and smooth lines, many landmark buildings of Minqin leap onto the page. This smart paper-cut work is from the hand of Gan Zhengye, the representative inheritor of Minqin paper-cutting at the municipal level.
Paper-cut work "Minqin Silhouette" (photo provided by the interviewee)
Passionate driven, self-taught
Gan Zhengye, a native of Hongqiang Village, Datan Town, Minqin County, is 63 years old this year, and he has been engaged in paper-cutting for 43 years. Looking back at decades of perseverance, the word "love" runs throughout.
Gan Zhengye has loved painting since he was a child, and in the process of exploring and learning painting techniques, he has formed a solid art foundation and artistic literacy, and has gradually become interested in paper-cutting. When he first came into contact with paper-cutting, only some old people in Minqin would make simple and simple window grilles during the New Year's holidays, and there were few craftsmen who specialized in paper-cutting. At the beginning, Gan Zhengye imitated and learned from these old people, making paper-cuts with the theme of animals, flowers and plants and pasting them on the windows.
Gan Zhengye is introducing the paper-cut works at home Photo by Lu Qiantong
With the deepening of his study, he was no longer satisfied with the simple paper-cutting form of the local folk, and wanted to innovate on the basis of tradition. Without a master to teach, Gan Zhengye mainly studied on his own by consulting materials, among which the newspaper provided him with great help. "There are many authors who send their works to newspapers, and after I saw them, I felt that paper-cutting is indeed an art, and their works have also edified me." Gan Zhengye said.
Zhang Yuzhen, the inheritor of Qingyang paper-cutting, has a strong atmosphere of paper-cutting, and under the inspiration of her works, Gan Zhengye has improved Minqin paper-cutting. He added the "flavor" of printmaking to Minqin's traditional folk paper-cutting, and created Minqin's print-style paper-cutting, which enriched the expression and content of paper-cutting, strengthened the artistry, and formed a unique style.
Gan Zhengye's paper-cut works are photographed by Zhao Yunhan
Learning, exploring, and inheriting paper-cutting skills has not been smooth sailing for Gan Zhengye so far. Initially, most of the people around him did not understand his pursuit of art. "When I first learned paper-cutting, my family was financially difficult, but I often had to buy some paints and paper for painting and paper-cutting, and how to support my family after learning paper-cutting was also a problem," Gan Zhengye said. At that time, when the economy was relatively scarce, his family and friends were not very supportive of his efforts to study paper-cutting.
Now, after 43 years, Gan Zhengye's achievements in the field of paper-cutting have changed the attitudes of those around him, and these achievements are proof of his love and pursuit of art.
The local love is deep, and the paper-cut painting is today
In Gan Zhengye's view, appeal is the most important part of his paper-cut creation, which is well reflected in his conception and determination of the theme of paper-cut works.
Many of his works are related to his hometown Minqin, including the Minqin intangible cultural heritage series including felt skills, Suwu sheep herding, Minqin camel team and other themes, as well as works such as "Melon and Fruit Fragrance" and "Melon Fragrance Wanli" that incorporate Minqin's characteristic melon and fruit elements. Under Gan Zhengye's "polishing", the geographical and cultural landscapes with Minqin's signature characteristics leap onto the paper, and the past and present of this small city slowly unfold in the square inch paper-cutting, giving people a direct and powerful touch.
Gan Zhengye's paper-cut work "Melon Fragrance Ten Thousand Miles" (picture provided by the interviewee himself)
In addition to the hometown feelings wrapped in the works, the times are also the elements that Gan Zhengye attaches great importance to in the process of creating paper-cut works. "To create a work, you must focus on the era in which you live, so that such a work can be appealing and appreciated by the public." Gan Zhengye said. His work "Oasis Minqin" is a good example of this. Hongyashan Reservoir, Minqin Desert Sculpture International Creation Camp, and the sand control people who planted the Saxon trees...... With the integration of typical elements, the paper-cutting clearly conveys the theme of "Minqin must not be allowed to become the second Lop Nur", which has strong practical significance.
In addition to "Oasis Minqin", "Rhyme of Unity", "Silk Road Style", "Sand Sea Wind and Cloud", ...... Many of the works created by Gan Zhengye are both local and contemporary. He said: "Art is for people to appreciate, and I don't think about how much money I have to make, I didn't think about making money from this, and literature and art are responsible for the public." ”
In June 2006, Gan Zhengye was awarded the deputy senior paper-cutting artist. Up to now, more than 300 of Gan Zhengye's works have been published in well-known domestic newspapers and media, and have won many national, provincial, municipal and county awards.
Teaching and inheritance, keeping pace with the times
Gan Zhengye is a private teacher who has taught in primary and secondary schools. Last year, he was invited to work at the Minqin County Cultural Center and officially became a paper-cutting teacher. In his paper-cutting training class, there are both elementary school students of seven or eight years old, as well as women in their thirties and forties, and everyone can participate in the learning as long as they are interested. The Minqin County Cultural Center hopes to make intangible cultural heritage, including Minqin paper-cutting, "younger" and "popular" by carrying out activities such as intangible cultural heritage into the campus and public welfare intangible cultural heritage training classes. In Gan Zhengye's view, it is a good thing to be "responsible for the public" to be invited by the Cultural Center to carry forward the art of paper-cutting, and it is his honor and pride.
Also last year, Gan Zhengye began to post short videos showing paper-cut works on Douyin and Kuaishou. At first, he just posted his own paper-cut works out of curiosity after seeing other people's paper-cutting videos, but he unexpectedly gained the attention and love of paper-cutting enthusiasts, and many people even wanted to "learn from teachers". Gan Zhengye, who is the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, is very encouraged. Now, as long as he has free time, he will publish videos of his works on the short video platform for paper-cutting enthusiasts to learn and reference, and also better spread the paper-cutting culture of Minqin.
Paper-cut works created by Gan Zhengye Photo by Zhao Yunhan
From reading newspapers to publishing short videos for others to learn, Gan Zhengye has witnessed the progress of the times in the 43 years that he has been with Minqin paper-cutting, and he has also used paper-cutting to record the development of society and the changes in his hometown. When it comes to the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage in Minqin County, Gan Zhengye is both excited and gratified, and his work in the cultural center makes him feel the importance of Minqin local intangible cultural heritage. As an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, Gan Zhengye said about the development prospects of Minqin's paper-cutting art: "We must not only inherit it well, but also carry it forward."
(The authors are Zhao Yunhan and Lu Qiantong, 2022 undergraduate students of the School of Journalism and Communication, Lanzhou University; Instructors Guo Cuiling and Xiao Mingshan are teachers at the School of Journalism and Communication, Lanzhou University.
Source: China Gansu Net