Li Jinfa 李金髮: The Present Situation and the Future of Art Education in China 吾國藝術教育之現狀與將來

Generally speaking, Western culture can be described as comprising of the culture of science and art. The basic reason why the West has succeeded is because of its society’s education in science and art. These two trends can be found since the early days of mankind. These days, the less developed nations also display such trends. In short, the reason for science education is for overcoming challenges in everyday life and conquering the environment. The reason for art education is due to the needs of the senses. One needs to create some actions to satiate one’s mind and body so that one’s temperament can be cultivated. Even the most barbaric nation will teach children how to shoot arrows, swim, hunt beasts and forage for fruit from trees. When the need to survive is satisfied, the old and the young will gather around the campfire and dance, playing drums made from tiles and animal hide to create rhythm. Some of them may have tattoos on their body, gems embedded in their noses or pierced through their lips. They hang the fangs or bones of animals on their bodies as decoration. This proves that all nations need science, art and an artistic life.

現代歐美各國文化之成分，可概言之為科學與藝術之文化。其成功的根原，是由社會上之科學教育與藝術教育。這兩個趨勢，就在原始人類，亦已有之，現在猶在野蠻時期之民族亦如之。簡言之，科學教育之原因於，要解決生活，戰勝環境。藝術教育原因於官能的需要，而創造出一些動作來，去快慰身心，而至於陶冶性情。譬如最野蠻的民族，他們亦要使子弟如何挽弓泅水獵獸探取菓屬，生機工作稍寬時，便老老少少圍着火堆，婀婀娜娜的舞起來。拍着瓦器或獸皮製的鼓以資節奏。他們有些是文身的，或以寶石鑲在鼻邊唇上。獸類的牙或骨掛在身上作裝飾。這是可證明凡是民族，都需科學和藝術和藝術生活的。

We are all well aware of how science and art have been promoted in ancient and modern Western countries, so there is no need here for a detailed explanation. Science in China dates to an early age too. Things such as the compass were invented during the Yellow Emperor’s reign (2695–2589 BC). With respect to art, traditional musical instruments – qin (琴) and se (瑟)^[1] – and rock carvings (shike 石刻) already existed in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. According to Book of Rites (Liji 禮記), 13-year-old children learned literary dance (wushao 舞勺), and when they reached 15 years of age they learned the valiant dance (wuxiang 舞象).^[2] And yet, why did Western culture develop so rapidly after inheriting Greek culture? Chinese culture was also founded over four thousand years ago, and yet today, we are still using notations such as fan (凡), shang (上) and che (尺)^[3] to compose music. We still drink water from the river and well, and heavy loads are carried by humans instead of oxen and horses. Now, we must thank the Westerners for giving us the mortars for war, the radio for communication and kettles and woolen clothes for use in daily life. Chinese and Western culture began to develop around the same time, but why have they ended up so differently? The answer is education. For instance, when a new medicine is invented in China, it becomes a secret prescription and is only passed on from generation to generation within the same family. How can we progress if we do not systematically study inventions? There is occasionally a work of genius, but that is only of value to a certain period; it does not last forever. Besides, there are no scientific methods developed for Chinese students to follow.

西洋古代與現在科學和藝術之發揚光大，是盡人皆知，無庸贅述。中國之科學亦發明得很早，黃帝時已有指南針。藝術方面，則商周時代，已有琴瑟石刻等。禮記有十三舞勺，成童舞象的語。但何以西洋人承了希臘文化，更日進千里。而中國則同樣跑了四千餘年歷史，而至今仍是用凡上尺去做樂譜，飲的是河水井水，載物則以人代牛馬。現在戰爭有迫擊炮，交通有無線電，日用有熱水壺，羊毛衣還是受歐美人之賜。中西文化有同樣的發源，結果何以如此其懸殊? 就是一個有教育，一個無教育的緣故。比方中國醫學上有所發明，就成為秘方。成為某家世代相傳的秘制。因之凡什麼發明，都不為有系統的研究，那能得到進步? 藝術上偶然有天才的創作，亦不過有時代的價值，而無永久性。一方因為研究出來的，無科學方法，不能給後學者以門徑。

Owing to this, education has become the key to a culture’s future.

由此可見教育是成了文化興衰的關鍵了。

In recent years, our country has understood what science education is by looking at the material civilization of the West. Those at the top advocate science education. For example, Mr. Cai Jiemin established Academia Sinica.^[4] Students enjoy learning at this institution. Although there are no inventors yet, neither young nor great, standing up to make contributions, it will surely serve to provide underdeveloped China with a better scientific basis. However, would not art education in China be outshone by science education?

吾國近年來鑒於歐美的物質文明，已知道科學教育是什麼一回事。在上者頂力提倡——如蔡孑民先生之創立中央研究院——在學小子，亦津津有味。現在雖然還沒有大發明或小發明家出來貢獻，但將來科學基礎好了，誠然是可以救中國之貧弱的。但是中國的藝術教育，怎麼樣不是相形見絀嗎？

It is certainly good that the Chinese posses the innate quality to love art. In the past, literati (wenren 文人) should at least have knowledge of the four arts – the stringed instrument (qin 琴), the strategy game of Go (qi 棋), Chinese calligraphy (shu 書) and Chinese paintings (hua 畫) – and should know how to write in the four forms of poetry; verses (shi 詩), ditties (ci 詞), songs (ge 歌) and odes (fu 賦). Unfortunately, their skills were all developed in the same way by “appreciating, learning and diligently and carefully imitating the styles from the past without innovation.”^[5] When people write calligraphy nowadays, they will imitate the stele style from the Wei dynasty (386-534) (weibei 魏碑) or the Song typeface (songti 宋體). They only appreciate the painting of Tang Bohu^[6] and Wu Daozi.^[7]What’s more, modern artists are never trusted, a major reason for the sluggish development of Chinese New Art. A few calligraphers and painters in China are still respected, mostly because they “write in the styles similar to those of the Six Dynasties”^[8] (bijin liuchao 筆近六朝) and “paint in the styles similar to those of the Han and Wei dynasties” (shenhu hanwei 神乎漢魏). They do so in a way that these styles are contrasted with Western art movements, in which each movement emerged within several years. I cannot help but laugh at such opinions. Apart from that, most Chinese have no aesthetic judgment. To think that the old is always good and the new is always to be regarded with  suspiciousness is a huge misunderstanding on their part. Take the works from the Moyen Âge (also known as the “Middle Ages”) as a contrasting example; most of them are eyesores. It would be risky for Western artists to “diligently and carefully imitate the styles from the past” as we did. I am often told that there exist some vivid ancient stone carvings (shike 石刻) that are praised as uncanny craftsmanship in some temple somewhere. I often laugh in my sleeve, because I know that it might be nothing more than a statue of qielan (the monastery’s tutelary deity 茄藍) or Bodhisattva. I have never been fond of Chinese carvings, since none of them can lead to the prosperity of art.

中國人的愛好藝術，確是一種好天性。從前的文人起碼要懂琴、棋、書、畫、詩、詞、歌、賦。只可惜都是“好古敏以求之”。千載一例，毫無演進。至今寫字要仿魏碑，宋體。圖畫只要唐伯虎吳道子才是好的，絕對不肯信任現代的作家，亦是中國新藝術不振之一大原因。現在國內幾位中國書畫家，尚得他們的信仰，多系因為“筆近六朝”，“神乎漢魏”以視西洋之數年新興一派，真不禁啞然。此外大多數人，自己無藝術之審查力，總以為凡古代的總是好的，新的就是可懷疑的。這是很大的錯誤。猶之乎西洋中古（Moyen-age或稱黑暗時代）時代的作品，很多是不堪入目的。若一樣的“敏以求之”豈不是發生危險。常有人很高興的對我說，某地某廟有很古的石刻，栩栩如生，神工鬼斧。我不禁掩口作葫蘆笑，我知道橫豎不過是一座茄藍或菩薩——原來我是最不喜歡中國雕刻的，因為沒有一坐雕刻能給我們興盛。

Art education in China today could have been school-based. Observing the current situation, it is indeed a very disappointing one, and one that is a crisis for the future of literature and art.

現在中國的藝術教育，可以學校為中心。但以我的觀察所得，實是一個失望的現象，和前途的危機。

It goes without saying that the highest institutions for art education are the art schools and universities. Looking around (in China), none of them appear to make the cut. This is probably because there are too many factions, decentralizing the force of renaissance. However, the leading teachers must recognize their responsibilities, and be wary of allowing classes of immature students to graduate, who will continue to teach other students as their mission. If we pass on knowledge in this way, it will cause endless harm to the future.

最高的藝術教育機關，當然是各藝術大學，視環視一周，沒有一個是可滿人意的。或許他們派別太多，把文藝復興運動的勢力分散了。但做領導的教師，不能不認明自己的責任，時自警惕，方不致教出一班一班的不成熟的學生，又帶着使命去教另一般的生徒。如此傳遞下去，豈不是貽毒無窮。

In the field of painting, Asian-oriented Western paintings are now in vogue. Students studying at schools for three or four years learn nothing about painting the human figure; they only draw still objects or landscapes. Then, they stop their study and graduate to raise their family on painting. In this way, will there be great masters in the future? Therefore, the educators should focus on fundamental works and cultivate specialized painters of “human figure drawing” rather than providing a crash course for training teachers. Then, in the field of dancing, there has been few specialized talents. However, the widespread dance music “Drizzle” (maomaoyu 毛毛雨) and “The Poor Qiu Xiang” (kelian de qiuxiang 可憐的秋香) are incredibly popular among the common people.^[9] This situation is discomforting for people who are particular about aesthetic appreciation. It would have been acceptable if they dance wearing Chinese traditional clothes with robes and long sleeves. However, people persist in learning the Western way of dancing. They decorate themselves with three little lights on their foreheads and dance like a sparrow. How infuriating! The same thing happens in the music field. Because of the lack of guiding talents, people play Chinese classical music like “Three Variations On Plum Blossom” (Meihua Sannong 梅花三弄) using Western instruments which are made and meant for Western music. It is such a killjoy. If we are to solve this, we should make every single student develop the ability to read music scores and to play Western instruments. In this way, it will be easy for us to have men of talent come out in succession in the future.

圖畫方面，現在則有東洋式的西洋畫流行宇內。學生在校三四年，除學些寫靜物及風景之外，不會畫一頭一腳，就此收手糊口去了。將來歷史上那裡會有天才出現呢。故辦學者以後應注重基本工作，——人體描寫——養成專門作家，不應側重速成的學校教員。在舞蹈方面，差不多沒有過專門人才。但遍地的“毛毛雨”，“可憐的秋香”，居然很受庸眾的歡迎。但在有害美性的人看來，真有些難過。假使她們老老實實穿着中國古衣，長袍大袖，婆娑一下也好了。奈偏要學西洋舞法，額上還加上三盞小電燈，如麻雀般東西亂跳，真使人氣塞啊。在音樂方面，有同樣的現象。原因於指導人才太少，好好的一個西洋樂器，他們奏上一個“梅花三弄”，真大殺風景了。補救之道，要使學生能個個看譜，能使用樂器，則將來不難人才輩出。

The public are even more uncultivated. Most of them are so rude and uneducated, even abandoning their morality. They dress in rags without any sense of pittoresque. People’s morality and their inclination for aesthetic appreciation are closely related to the national culture. Hence, I am pessimistic about culture to a higher degree.

民眾更毫無的陶冶，蠻野無文而至於道德喪亂者多，衣服襤褸，連pittoresque性都沒有。民眾之有無道德與害美性，是與一個民族文化與俱來的。吾以是更對文化抱悲觀。

We can only hope that the universities will play the dominant role in the future of art education. In doing so, we should supervise and correct errors and provide substantial subsidies to the art institutions. For art universities and museums, we should manage to give speeches about their constructions as early as possible and gradually expand their number. We should send special talents abroad to study and investigate art so as to integrate its advantages. This can be the original motivation of the literary and artistic movement. Also, we should assist poor artists, and help them to succeed in this way.

今後之藝術教育，惟有希望大學院居領導之地位。對於錯誤的時加以監察矯正及給藝術教育機關於物質上相當之補助。所籌備之藝術大學，博物館，設法早日演說，由單數而及多數。派遣專門人才出國研究考察庶可集其大成，為文藝運動之原動力。貧苦之藝術家，時加以供養，以期造就。

Importantly, we should organize the antiques of our country’s successive dynasties, preventing their leaving China. Such an outflow of antiques will cause an incalculable loss for our country.

國內歷代的古物，要加以整理，限制再流入外人之手，為國家無窮之損失。

Also, we should try our best to advocate art education to the people so that they can find spiritual solace in the fatigue of living. We need to make sure there are theatres for them to enjoy dramas, parks for them to walk through, museums for them to reverently observe, statues for them to commemorate, schools for their children to learn in, annual exhibitions for them to study…In doing this, in ten years’ time, we will have undoubtedly made significant progress. As all proposals about constructing art education should already have their formed plans, it is unnecessary to say anything more about it.

對於民眾要儘力鼓吹藝術教育，使他們於生計疲乏之餘，得到精神的慰籍。有戲院給他們看戲，有公園給他們散步，有博物館給他們瞻仰，有銅像給他們紀念，有學校給子弟學習，每年有展覽會以資研究……如此則十年以後，必大有可觀。一切設施想當局早有成主，故不贅述了。