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The cave house remade

the cave house

This project is to recreate the memory I have had of my aunt and uncle’s cave house during Chinese Spring Festival.

From age two to five, I lived with my aunt and uncle in their cave house in Shanbei – a very remote rural area north of Shaanxi Province. For many years, to visit my aunt and uncle from Xian, it took a day and a night on a bus to circle up and down endless mountains. In 2010 the train from Xi’an to Shanbei started working and the whole journey took only four hours. I was very happy to go back to visit finally. But soon I realized that due to rapid urbanization and large-scale migration, most cave houses were abandoned. When I was able to go back easily, the cave houses were empty getting into ruins under the lonely sunshine, telling stories of a past. My aunt and uncle had been long gone and their cave house was used as storage, but luckily it is still there.

In the long Chinese history when men were educated, women were largely illiterate. However, there was a tradition of paper cutting using scissors by women with no education. Scissors were women’s companion in cutting and sewing, but it was also used to create beauty and to transcend the reality, which was often very difficult. The scissors in women’s hands have been compared with the brushes in men’s. They indeed share similar subjects, themes, and Taoist aesthetics – the emphasis of Qi, and the oneness of human and Nature.

Cave houses have been one major traditional carrier of the paper cuts. When cave houses are abandoned, paper cuts are disappearing too. My nephew traveled over ten days around Shanbei during the Spring Festival of 2011 with his camera and he wasn’t able to find one cave house decorated with paper cuts.

It has been on my mind in the past few years as to how to keep the tradition alive, and how to make the paper cutting still relevant to the modern and post-modern world. I am wondering whether the very local art makes sense to non-local viewers.

And this is one of the trials, tests, and efforts.

the cave house in Carpenter Center designed by Corbusier

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Happy Valentines day!

I always think I don’t care about the Valentines day but the fact is I do. Usually it happens that I care less in the morning but as the day progresses, particularly when I don’t get any greeting, I realize my mood is progressing toward the heavier side. But I like to defy the gravity (because I have been determined to have fun in this life), so I called one of my best friends who is a female. Apparently the Valentines day serves very well in reminding her singleness as well. We decided to go out and have fun – who says that women must have men to enjoy the Valentines day.

We went to the Harvard Carpenter Center for an opening reception and I showed her my very first three screen prints I did this morning. We then went to have dinner and after dinner we saw a group of people playing music at Harvard Square. They set up a table with hot chocolates, chocolates and cookies. They were from the Justice House of Prayer. The young man Abe is studying at Harvard Dental school and will soon be graduating. He is a very nice guy of Indian ethnic but born in this country. He chatted with us and took our photos. Afterwards we walked to my place and picked up a watercolor pad and walked back to Harvard Square. There we parted. She went home and I went to my studio. The evening was fun. If Valentines day has a sensation, it was the sweet and smooth chocolate fudge we had at the reception, and it is less about roses.

The first male today who said “happy Valentines” to me is actually the filmmaker Robb Moss. I have always thought he is a very handsome man! Of course it’s nothing special but that we encountered each other at the reception. I took his film class before. Still it made me happy. Saying happy Valentines to a woman is equivalent to acknowledging her womanhood. It doesn’t make a woman take it as the man is interested but that he is a confident, big-hearted and yet sensitive man.

But again, if Valentines day has a spirit, the group from the Justice House of Prayer and Abe represent the spirit of sharing and giving. I have a sense of giving but I don’t give without expecting. We chatted with Abe for quite a long time, and we didn’t feel that he expected anything. I guess there is something I need to learn too.

By the way, I didn’t forget to have their hot chocolate either. :-) Sometimes taking is giving too. And one can take here and give it there.

withHuijuan_Valentine Photograph by Abe Itty

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clean my car

I just cleaned off the snow from my car using two scrapers. To open the car door i had to kick the snow away from it. All the while I was aware that the man in the plowing truck was watching – I looked like a lunatic and I knew! But I determined to finish the job by wavering two scrapers and by kicking. If i looked like a lunatic anyway why don’t make it obvious?! All the while I was humming a tone to go along with my actions. Suddenly I had an epiphany: i understood why the woman in Chantal Akerman’s Saute ma ville made the sound she made. Yes, that was the kind of sound I made! I still remember the first time I watched the short film, I thought how weird the woman was!

The man in the plowing truck finally asked me if I had a shovel. I said no. He asked me to wait and he would go to pick up one for me. I thanked him but told him there was no need.

I enjoyed the process. And it lent itself for a performance. Feel free to use it :-) when circumstance asks for it.

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为《民间安塞之二：母亲的艺术》做的序

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Fresh Pond on the last day of 2012
Fresh Pond on the last day of 2012

Finally, I have finished this preface for a book. It is a very productive year. I hope next year is even better! Happy new year if you are reading.

我的童年跟着大妈大伯在离延安二十里地的李家渠生活。当时我的做医生的母亲和一批“臭老九”被下放到延川县人民医院改造。大妈大伯的一院窑洞在半山腰，二伯的一院窑洞在山腰下从大伯家的界攀上就望得见。大妈大伯二伯是我生命记忆里最早爱上的人。

因为上小学的缘故，父亲接我回到西安。父亲单位有一座五层高的大楼，地处西郊是当时最高的建筑。每天下学回家就直接跑到大楼顶层，极目远眺，希望能看到陕北的窑洞和亲人。当然看不到，但每天放学第一件事无一例外仍是爬到顶层，想象着看到大妈在院子里喂鸡 看见腰扎橘色宽带的大伯，和头扎白色毛巾放羊归来的二伯。那是我人生记忆里的第一次“生离”。

2010年岁末我从美国回到西安探亲，其时，西安到延安的火车通了，只需四个小时。接待我的志东，在安塞县政府从事文化工作，是我二伯的外孙子。我从前回家探亲的时候看到过志东写地《安塞腰鼓》，从他的文字中感觉到他对故土的热爱，和对自己那方土地上民俗文化的激情。也看到过他有关黄土地和腰鼓的全景像片，感觉他在视觉艺术上也有相当天赋。果然，在安塞的三天，志东富有激情地给我介绍老一代剪纸艺人的生平，他对剪纸艺术的欣赏和领悟，同时带我采访了年轻艺人陈海莉，中年艺人侯雪昭，还去拜望了当时已经不能再剪纸了的白凤莲和高金爱老人。只有高金爱老人仍住在窑洞里，在窑洞的炕上与老人拉话的感觉对于我这个久别的离子是回到家的温暖。几天里，我们趁天没亮或日落时分，分次爬上县城俩边最高的山顶，拍摄日出和日落时分的县城，以及延绵不绝的黄土高原和黄土地上风中摇曳的野草。临走的时候，志东还让我带走了他收藏的一套安塞剪纸绘画线描册，陈三桥先生编辑出版的俩本民间剪纸技法，宋兆麟先生编著的《中国传统熏画与剪纸》，还有乔小光先生所著的剪纸研究与创作。

今年（2012年）五月再次回家探亲，又正好碰上安塞县民间剪纸、农民画传承人培训班。有幸见识了100多名民间艺人聚在一起创作学习的过程，参观了李秀芳老人的民间艺术馆，王西安家庭工作坊，以及年轻一代合作社性质的红窗花工作室（由陈海莉，陈莲莲，杜焕，郭搬转组成），也见识了中年艺人余泽林的传承团队。并且在这一时间阅读了志东的俩本书稿。一本是《陈山桥与安塞民间美术》，另一本就是《民间安塞之二：母亲的艺术》。

在《母亲的艺术》一书中，志东介绍了老一代和中年一代有特色的一群剪纸艺人。年轻一代的剪纸艺人除了樊晓梅（虽然年轻已经走出自己独特的道路）以外他有意留作将来去撰写。我想有这样几个原因，就是从老年一代到中年，青年一代，剪纸的载体，主题，出发点和终级目的都在发生突变。 老一代人手中的剪刀仿佛历史上文人手中的笔墨，首先是以实用为出发点，天天需要用，在不断地实践应用的过程中，因为人生的历练和对生活的体察对生命的感悟，女人手中的剪刀仿佛书法家手中的毛笔，在挥动中变成超越现实的精神之自然流动。 有如古人所言疾风知劲草，岁寒知松柏之后雕，老艺人其实是经过了疾风岁寒的摧残磨练而未折未雕超越生命之精华 － 所以她们的作品中体现了“璞”和“真”。即生命的原始冲动和精神超越并存一体的境界。她们的作品是心身意高度结合的产物。然而在她们的年代，虽然剪纸帮助她们精神超越，却基本不能帮助她们改变贫困的现实。

中年一代的几个有代表的剪纸艺人比如余泽林，侯雪昭，王西安等，她们是承前启后的一代，对传统有相当的继承，同时受过一些教育，并且赶上了社会变革的好时候，在政府和文化工作者推动的文化市场运作过程中，她们通过剪纸手艺直接改变着自己的生活和孩子们的前程。 她们的出发点和终极目的已经与前辈发生了变化。她们作品的载体也发生了变化， 目前最主要的载体是传统书的形式将剪纸夹在其中，也有将剪纸作为画一样镶在框中。然而她们剪纸的主题主要还是对传统的继承，与她们的生活经历仍然是一致的。她们也在尝试社会变迁中新的主题，比如与国家时事有关的题材，或历史政治人物的题材。

老一代剪纸艺人作品的主题受当时农耕生活影响，体现着几千年阴阳生万物以及道家天人合一的哲学积淀。但因为过去20年中国社会的急剧变迁，传统的载体诸如窗花，喜花，枕花，炕围花灯迅速消失。像志东在此书后记里所感慨的，他在2012年春节花了十天时间意图去捕捉童年记忆里窑洞上的窗花，竟然没有找到，他的失落也是我的失落，在终于能够回到这么多年思念的故土的时候，却发现窑洞不再温暖，一孔一孔在寂寞的阳关里坍塌。 志东以及许多关心民间艺术的人士的担心实际上是如果失去了传统的载体，传统思想的积淀，同时失去了生命的原始冲动，剪纸还能够成为一门艺术吗？在年轻的一代和将来，如何能够摆脱承传中流于模仿创新中受制于市场？

这是一个难题，经过认真地思考也不敢说想通了。只能提几点个人在现阶段的想法供大家思考和批评。

一．虽然载体变了，出发点仍然是要实用：今年五月在参观王西安家庭工作坊的时候，她的小女儿，中专（大学？）毕业回到家帮助母亲经营。她小小年级非常有想法地说“如果剪纸不能改变我们的生活，让我们这一代人像老一辈人那样受穷还剪，不可能。”她目前在帮助母亲运营家庭作坊，并且通过收购的方式鼓励小姐妹们剪纸，能否成功地以剪纸为生，我们还将拭目以待。然而青年女子陈海莉和她的三个姐妹们意识到自己个人的火候资历尚不敌优秀的中年艺人，于是联手经营一个合作社。因为采访过陈海莉知道她是一位勤奋而灵动的女子，懂得继承的重要因此大量临习过中老年艺人的作品，同时在寻找自己的特点，也知道她通过剪纸已经可以经济独立。余泽玲的团队是师徒形式不仅限于家庭成员，这种方式有利于剪纸向下的传授，也体现了余泽玲的远见和魄力，希望她的工作坊能够因为她的个人技艺既带出一辈新人又能立于市场竞争。此外，我同意陈三桥老师的建议，就是在小学初中开剪纸手工课。

二．关于剪纸的载体：我的想法是既然目前传统载体在消失，作为个人反转不了这个现实，不妨放开来，不用只限于剪纸夹书的形式。 比如说窑洞的窗花美的原因是借着红色在白色窗纸上通过光的投射而产生，窑洞虽然废弃了，光通过剪纸所产生的色影美不会消失，只是需要找到新的载体。同样思路可以探索剪纸与现代艺术的结合，以剪纸为出发点，媒体可以放开，比如书艺，三维空间装置。这因此可能要求做不同纸质的尝试，有可能对传统造纸的艺术也是一个推进。

三．在主题上，就我个人对艺术对哲学的粗浅认识，我想最传统的可以是最现代的，最乡土的可以是最普世的。世界艺术中心由巴黎转变到了纽约是美国历史真正强大的象征。在这个资本对自然豪取掠夺生态失衡的世界，我们传统道家哲学对文明进步的质疑，对“无为”的肯定，以及对“天人合一”的强调应该是我们对这个世界的独特贡献，希望我们在走西方道路的时候坚持道家审美中的反“朴”归“真”。但这是一个见仁见智的问题，也是志东这本书的意义，通过整理收集老一代人的作品，为后来的人提供了一个借鉴传统的窗口。至于后来者，我们还是要让她们放开个性，因为艺术必须是心身意高度结合的产物，我相信随着人们受教育程度的提高见识的广泛，只要对自己的传统不妄自菲薄，剪纸艺术会有顽强的生命力和再生能力。

我从西安高中毕业后考入北京大学攻读经济学，之后又到美国攻读社会学，统计学，再之后一直在哈佛大学做医疗健康政策评估和研究。以为自己渐行渐远，没想到生活是一个圈。在美国我自己也走上了一条艺术的道路，一直纳闷为什么学了那么多专业知识仍然不够，仿佛身体里有自己控制不了的生命冲动，一定需要找到艺术的形式表现出来。也是因为“知识”并不等同于“真”，仿佛只有艺术中才能寻到“真”。在读了志东写得安塞剪纸艺人之后，我明白了，虽然在人生的道路上走了很远，生命里埋藏着黄土地孕育的激情，我和她们共享着某种DNA （生命密码）。