Research on the Current Situation of Zigong Folk Paper-cutting Heirs | Paper-cutting Culture
At present, there are four generations of Zigong paper-cutting inheritance. The main pillars are the second and third generation inheritors. They have been engaged in paper-cutting for decades and shoulder the mission of inheriting paper-cutting. However, most of them Most of them have their own profession and are not just paper-cutting workers. So from this perspective, Zigong paper-cutting may be experiencing a bottleneck period in its development and inheritance. In the 1950s, 1960s and 1980s and 1990s, Zigong paper-cutting had two glorious periods. The export and sales of paper-cutting could bring considerable profits, thereby meeting the living expenses of paper-cutting artists, so there was a certain scale at that time. ation, more people are willing to engage in paper-cutting. Times have changed, and in the mid-to-late 1990s, the practicality of Zigong paper-cutting has become weaker and weaker.
The main purpose of paper-cutting is decoration, but now almost no units use paper-cutting for wall reporting, and newspapers rarely use paper-cutting for decoration. There are also very few citizens who use it to decorate their homes. Lantern festivals are also gradually using high-tech, new technologies. Light source, dependence on paper cutting gradually decreases. Nowadays, no one will put paper-cut works on clothing. The lack of practicality and the collection value are relatively small in the collection, which has led to the current paper-cut market to begin to shrink. As the fourth generation inheritors who want to continue to engage in paper-cutting, economic value will definitely become one of the important factors they need to consider. Nowadays, the fourth generation of inheritors in Zigong mainly exists among teachers and students. The teachers are mainly art teachers in primary and secondary schools. The most representative one is Yang Shanglu, an art teacher at Longtan Primary School in Zigong. He has compiled paper-cutting into a school-based curriculum. Teach paper-cutting skills in class. Among the student groups, interest cultivation is the main focus. Such groups lack creativity and can master simple and difficult paper-cutting skills and make paper-cuts. Only a few students can stand out. The inheritance of Zigong paper-cutting has faced unprecedented challenges.
