The Role and Significance of Chinese Folk Paintings by Nunminhua in Propaganda and Education

Syao Syao Postgraduate student, Department of Art History and Pedagogy of Art, Herzen State Pedagogical University 191186, Russia, Saint Petersburg, nab. Sinks, 48, room 6, office 51 arist0va-ek@yandex.ru

Chinese folk paintings are a kind of Chinese popular fine art, a category of works that are created and intended directly for Chinese peasants. They are distinguished by a unique style of execution and the use of hyperbolized techniques. The subject scope of folk paintings includes paintings of door panels, images of deities, drawings with favorable omens pasted on the headboards of beds, stoves, walls and cornices. The Chinese painting of Nunminhu evolved from the early folk art of China, whose main subjects of creativity were farmers, shepherds and fishermen. In addition, in the process of continuous development, Nunminhua integrated the traditional technique of cutting patterns from jianzhi paper, embroidery, shadow theater, engraving, New Year's pictures of Nianhua, wall painting and other methods of artistic expression of ancient folk art ^[1].  

Nunminhua folk paintings originate in rural China, and their authorship belongs mainly to peasants who describe in their works what they saw and heard in everyday life, reflect the conditions of life and work, express aspirations and hopes for a better world. Starting from the creation of the sketch and ending with painting, all stages are carried out by peasants manually in their free time from agricultural work. The process of the origin and development of Chinese folk splint paintings, from small to large-scale, simple and coarse to fine and elegant, is closely related to the formation of Chinese society. Chinese masters of splint painting accurately and vividly capture the historical changes taking place in rural China. Their works are characterized by the use of realistic pictorial language, an abundance of bright colors, hyperbolized descriptions, concise and lively stylistics, deep storylines.

The leading theme of Chinese folk paintings by Nunminhua is a reflection of rural life with characteristic traditions and customs. As a rule, the subjects of the works are scenes from the daily life of artists, objects and phenomena of the surrounding space observed by them day by day. For example, the image of beautiful rural landscapes, a realistic description of the living conditions of peasant families, inspiring and lively scenes from working life, festive ceremonies filled with joy and fun, expressing the desire of the peasant people for a better life.

Chinese folk paintings are simple and uncomplicated, they are not characterized by the desire for realistic images. The composition of the paintings is not limited by the laws of perspective construction, that is, a combination of a flat view and a view from above. The compositional structure is built arbitrarily, in accordance with the author's imagination, hyperbole and distortion of forms are actively used, hiding the author's skill behind deliberate clumsiness and rudeness. Folk works of Nunminhua, as a rule, differ in brightness and variety of colors, sharp contrasts, great importance is attached to the decor. At the same time, the depth and colorfulness of the rustic style, conciseness and simplicity are preserved.

Simple and clear images, rich and bold colors of Chinese folk paintings make them understandable and accessible to the masses. Their propaganda and educational function is an effective tool for political agitation and improving the cultural literacy of the peasant population of China. In the process of using Chinese folk paintings by Nunminhua for propaganda purposes and their wide popularization, they not only retained their inherent provincial flavor, but also adapted to the artistic taste of the public and the needs of the current political situation ^[2].

Since the outbreak of the epidemic of a new coronavirus infection, workers in the field of literature and art, through words, painting brushes, music – that is, art in general, have shared their feelings and experiences, raised the morale of society, preserved the names of heroes in history, thus joining the front of the "fight" against the epidemic. The role of the creativity of Chinese peasants and Chinese folk paintings by Nunminhua in the large-scale campaign to combat the new coronavirus infection should not be underestimated. A series of folk works on anti-epidemic themes appeared, performing the role of "light cavalry" in literary and artistic propaganda. In this regard, the issue of the propaganda role of Chinese folk paintings during the epidemic definitely deserves attention.

Masters of folk art, following the theme of combating, preventing and controlling the epidemic in their works, reflect their own views, thoughts and reasoning in their paintings so that residents of rural regions can truly realize the danger of the virus, increase their awareness of prevention methods and take measures to prevent and control the epidemic. From a substantive point of view, the works cover the topics of the national fight against the epidemic, measures taken to prevent the epidemic, prevent the epidemic, make material donations and others. The works are distinguished by the richness of content and the fascination of the plot, fully reflecting the situation of the fight against the epidemic in all sectors of society, as well as expressing respect for the people fighting on the front line. 

Liu Xiumei, a master of Chinese folk painting, said ^[1]: "The first thing I do when I open my eyes in the morning is to check up–to-date information about the epidemiological situation and, at the same time, pay special attention to taking my own measures to prevent and combat the epidemic. Everything I witnessed inspired me to take up a brush and write about the exploits of people fighting against the epidemic, about their enthusiasm and bravery. I strive to present in my works majestic and at the same time touching scenes of the events taking place, to glorify the exploits of the fighters fighting on the front line, to promote the dissemination of positive information about measures to prevent and control the epidemic. 

On New Year's Eve, when thousands of families are reunited together, the People's Army of China, medical workers and many others, despite the danger, rushed to Wuhan to provide the necessary assistance to the sick. Therefore, in my paintings I expressed admiration for the courage of doctors, sang the feat of medical workers who went to Wuhan. I depicted the figures of doctors who, with the national flag draped over their shoulders, go to Wuhan on New Year's Eve, and also embodied the image of a doctor clinging to his wife and children, being unable to part with them."

Fig. 1. Liu Xiumei. Going against the current. 60*60 cm, 2020.

The composition of the folk painting "Going against the Current" (Fig. 1) is distinguished by "content", "veiled" and "integrity", focusing specifically on subjective feelings and experiences, striving to emphasize the simplicity and naturalness of folk splint painting. From the point of view of the color gram, the use of thick ink and distinct contrasts are characteristic of the painting. The black background is the embodiment of the night, against which the figures of medical workers stand out like angels, and in the distance you can see the landmark buildings of Wuhan. As for the creation of images of characters, the skillful superimposition of the twin figures makes their images vivid, lively, creates a sense of form. They are wearing masks, their fists are clenched, and it seems as if they are shouting: "Come on, Dad! Dad has to come back safe and sound!". The scene of the doctor saying goodbye to his family before going to fight the epidemic is deeply admired: they are the cutest and most touching characters!

Fig. 2. Zhang Xinliang. Isolate the virus, but not love. 60*60. 2021.

"To isolate the virus, but not love" is the work of the master of folk painting Zhang Xinliang ^[2] (Fig. 2). Zhang Xinliang once said in an interview: "On that day, a state of emergency was introduced in our village – a regime of complete self–isolation. At that time, preparations were underway for the mass delivery of PCR tests, when suddenly the village leadership received news about the impossibility of early purchase of goods necessary for life, which could lead to a shortage of food among the population. After coordinating the actions of the staff of the property service center to complete the relevant activities, the isolated residents were provided with free vegetable delivery. All night long people were buying vegetables for the villagers. By noon the next day, a batch of disinfected, fresh vegetables was delivered to each door. Then there were severe frosts, and workers carried vegetables from one house to another, which certainly touched the locals to the depths of their hearts" ^{[2, p. 59]}.

Zhang Xinliang's works are distinguished by hyperbolized, attention-grabbing colors and rich decorativeness. The color processing is simple and artless, the main attention is paid to the beauty of the forms. Hyperbolization of colors and shapes give the picture completeness and colorfulness, enhance its fascination and the power of visual impact. Painting with colored dotted lines and bold mixing of natural colors allow you to achieve the perfect color effect.  

Agitation and propaganda role of folk paintings during the epidemicWith the widespread use of television and computers, the ways of transmitting and receiving information have become more diverse.

At the very beginning of the epidemic, the role of folk paintings was not taken seriously. However, with the appearance of anti-epidemic themes in the work, the art of folk paintings mobilized creative forces in a short period, the first results appeared. The release and distribution of paintings on the relevant topics were immediately organized, which played a positive role in the process of environmentally friendly formation of public opinion regarding the prevention and control of the epidemic.

The analysis of folk paintings on anti-epidemic themes allows us to identify the following general characteristics:

Firstly, the avant-garde role of folk paintings in agitation and propaganda activities at the most important and decisive moments. Carefully observing the needs and priorities of propaganda activities, the art of folk painting quickly mobilizes creative resources, creating a high-quality product at the output. Prevention and control of the epidemic is a race against time and the fight against the disease itself. For each time period, the characters have their own accents of activity. At the initial stage, the creativity of the masters of folk painting was devoted to the topic of protection and popularization of scientific knowledge, raising awareness of prevention and control measures, visual appeals about the need for isolation and ways to comply with it, conducting anti-epidemic policy through a graphic-text format, conducting propaganda work with calls to "get down to business with both hands" at the stage of work restoration and production, fixation and reflection of the touching biographies and strong spirit of the workers who found themselves on the front line. It can be said that folk splint paintings through the language of visual communication affect the audience, bringing it under their influence (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3. Zhang Xinliang. Go to the guests less and do not gather in groups. 60*60. 2021.

Secondly, the people's paintings of Nunminhua are adapting to the new format and speed of transmitting and receiving information in the electronic era. In comparison with written language, which has a certain volume, visual works are more visual and understandable; in comparison with fine art in its purest form, folk paintings representing the ratio of "text and image", as a rule, have more understandable semantics and a clear focus, have a greater chance to attract the attention of the audience in conditions of rapid distribution and consumption information on the Internet. For example, folk paintings on an anti-epidemic theme caused the appearance of a certain amount of dynamic advertising, that is, the display of personalized advertising in video format with relevant content on the Internet ^[3]. 

Thirdly, the emergence of new creative forces and points of view in the art of the folk painting of Nunminhua, the diversification of content and styles. For example, numerous propaganda posters created by young teachers of art institutes of the "era of the nineties" and students of the "zero" go beyond the generally accepted stereotypes, do not correspond to the "bottom-up" perspective. Moreover, these works have never claimed to enter the ranks of pure art, did not participate in the pursuit of uniqueness or even abstraction. Nunminhua folk paintings, born from sincere feelings and the depths of the authors' hearts, illustrate the extremely difficult realities of life in the fight against the epidemic, depict the heroes of modernity in the vision of ordinary people, and present infographic materials understandable to ordinary people. All this testifies to the influence and persuasive power possessed by folk splint paintings (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4. Zhao Min. We'll be back home soon. 80*80 cm. 2022.

The authors of folk paintings on anti-epidemic themes combine in their works a lot of creative perspectives and various elements of artistic language. The works include both images of collective images of heroes who found themselves on the front line of the fight against the epidemic, and touching scenes of healing, avoiding overloading the population with information that causes a sense of fear and numbness. In addition, the works contain allegorical symbols of joining hands and hearts, mutual help and support, inspiring illustrations of Wuhan's victory in a fierce battle. It should be noted the variety of creative methods and techniques used in the creation of folk paintings. They are completely different from other forms of art, they do not have a sense of plasticity and an emphasis on monumentality. On the contrary, in a simple and artless manner, they reflect the path of the people's struggle in this continuous struggle, the steadfastness and beauty of the fighters, thus symbolizing the hope of the Chinese nation for a bright future.

Nunminhua folk paintings and their role in propagandaIn fact, the history of the art of folk splint painting has a number of excellent works created for the purposes of agitation and propaganda.

"Lamentations of the Old Bull" is the first universally recognized work of folk art in China (Fig. 5). The painting was painted in 1955, becoming a precedent for the subsequent creation of folk paintings in the era of agricultural cooperation^[3]. Currently, rural clubs as a mechanism for the practical implementation of amateur art in rural areas are responsible for communicating the concept of agricultural cooperation to rural residents and strengthening the socialist consciousness of cooperative members.

In 1955, a peasant Zhang Yuzhong, after completing a year of study, was accepted into the village club of the village of Xinshexiang, Pisyan County, as a wall newspaper decorator. Recalling the history of the creation of the painting "Lamentations of the Old Bull", he said: "One day I discovered that the cowmen of the 14th production brigade had cut the amount of feed to cattle, which made him very thin. Most of my colleagues at the club asked me: “Yuzhun, you paint all day long, can't you paint a picture?”. My heart was already filled with anger even then. After hearing these words, I returned home and spent the whole night by the light of an oil lamp creating a caricature of the “Lamentations of the Old Bull”..... When the work was finished, I again froze in indecision, doubting whether it was worth putting it on public display. Wasn't I angry at the cowmen? Wang Zhishu, as if reading my thoughts, said: “It's not enough for you to take a leading role in painting, you must have the courage to fight against bad manifestations. This picture is excellent!”.

Fig. 5. Zhang Yuzhong. The lamentations of the old bull. 1955.

Then I plucked up the courage and hung it on the front door of the club where I worked. Since no one had ever done this before, the sudden appearance of this picture caused a stir among the villagers, and everyone rushed to look at it. A mass discussion began, everyone expressed their indignation at the act of a stockman stealing feed. As a result, the cowman confessed everything to the head of the brigade and decided to correct his act. Everyone was discussing what had happened, ideological work stirred up mass discussions. It was completely unexpected for me that the picture would have such an effect" ^{[4, p. 124]}.

The painting "Lamentations of the Old Bull" in the form of a personalized image and a ballad-free text criticizes and highlights the problems that arise in the process of agricultural cooperation. At the same time, the subjects of Nunminhua folk paintings are often borrowed by artists from observations of everyday life, express their independence conceptually, corresponding to the ideological attitudes of the state regarding the issue of cooperation, as well as focusing on the propaganda of socialism and collectivism as opposed to the individualism of small farmers, increasing the socialist consciousness of peasants. The value of folk splint paintings in political propaganda, culture and education of rural regions is obvious. It also testifies to the unique social and artistic role of painting in a difficult historical period. All these factors determine the unprecedented flourishing of the art of folk splint paintings in the era of agricultural cooperation in Pisyan County, Jiangsu Province.

Nunminhua folk paintings are a means of transmitting a large amount of information to the masses. These paintings are characterized by the immediacy and conciseness of images, and even the most illiterate segments of the population can easily understand the meaning inherent in them. The purpose of the information conveyed through the pictures is to motivate people to come closer, to create a harmonious socialist society. Folk splint paintings are also used as a propaganda tool, putting the idea of striving for a better life and the need for social progress into images and putting them into the minds of the peasant population. 

In the early 1950s, in order to solve the problem of agricultural production in China, a policy of mechanization of agriculture was proclaimed, a transition from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture was carried out. Therefore, the mechanization of agriculture was important for agricultural production and the life of peasants. The study of agricultural technologies made it possible to continuously improve the working conditions of peasants, reduce labor intensity and increase the level of income, thus motivating peasant society to work for the benefit of technological progress. The development of advanced agricultural scientific technologies by peasants inevitably leads to changes in their way of thinking and behavior, reorientation of the traditional system of values and everyday habits.

The plot of the painting "Peasants and a Tractor" (Fig. 6) is relatively new for China in the 1950s. It shows a group of peasants crowding around a tractor. 

In the foreground of the composition is a specialist who talks about the principles of operation and control of the machine, at the same time, allowing onlookers watching from the side to sit on the tractor and personally experience the progress achieved through mechanization of agriculture and industry. It is obvious that Chinese farmers are actively contributing to the mechanization process. The image of the tractor in the picture is very realistic: a bright red body, massive wheels and a huge size - all this conveys the massiveness and texture of the mechanism. Special attention is drawn to the place where the tractor is passing. The peasants want to understand the device and the principle of operation of each part of this machine. Despite the fact that the tractor is right in front of them, they do not believe their eyes, they strive to touch it with their hands in order to feel the authenticity of its existence. This towing vehicle is endowed with a new meaning, embodying not only the acceleration of the pace of mechanization of China's agriculture, but also the expectations and hopes of Chinese peasants regarding the development of mechanization.

Fig. 6. Li Qi. Peasants and a tractor. 69* 91 cm. 1956.

After the 1950s, the propaganda model of Nunminhua folk paintings gradually expanded the boundaries of its distribution to rural areas in other regions of the country and attracted the attention of local authorities. Peasant art associations were created everywhere, the purpose of which, as a rule, was to coordinate the leading form of national consciousness and regional policy with the daily life of rural residents through wall drawings, paper paintings and other forms of art ^[5].

The painting "The Movement to Destroy the "Four Evils"" (Fig. 7) depicts a lively company of children in intricate headdresses and masks in the form of mice, mosquitoes, flies and sparrows. Some play the role of the "four evils", which they fight, while others, holding weapons in the form of spades with red tassels on the ends, firecrackers, miniature cleavers and nets, fight with the "four pests". There is a fierce struggle, and at the moment of defeat, the "pests" take off their masks and raise their hands up, while the rest of the children begin to laugh loudly.

The distinctive features of this painting are the uniqueness of the plot material, expressiveness of the form, expressiveness of images, children's fascination. After the 1950s, according to the implementation of the policy of combining sanitary work and mass popular movements, the patriotic movement for hygiene and sanitation, aimed at the destruction of the "four pests", was included in the cause of socialist construction. "The movement to destroy the "four evils"" instantly became widespread from cities to villages, involving an increasing number of people, where everyone for almost ten years contributed to the task of destroying rats, mosquitoes, flies and sparrows.

Fig. 7. Fan Ling. The movement to destroy the “four evils". 120*90 cm. 1956.

Chinese folk splint paintings were created by artists who became such as a result of long and hard work on their skills, who went through a long journey of trial and error. Striving for a better life, they based their works on feelings and emotions experienced in everyday life, used local materials, mostly recreating real people and events in the works. Only then did the folk picture become a visual form with a powerful force of social influence, and its flexible and diverse forms of organization allowed it to perform the function of propaganda of socialist ideology in production activities ^[6].

ConclusionFrom the first days of the founding of the People's Republic of China to the present, folk splint paintings have played a significant role in the popularization of science, demonstrating to us the enormous potential of folk art in the promotion of scientific knowledge.

When it comes to major events, a wide range of timely, effective, accurate in content and expressiveness of publicity tools is needed. Nunminhua folk paintings are a visual transformation and visual communication of key messages, implemented in a short period of time due to simple and concise slogans, witty and appropriate to modern aesthetics names, harmonious or contrasting colors, as well as images that have the power of visual impact and are able to instantly convey the necessary information ^[7].

At the same time, the distinctive features of Nunminhua folk paintings are their suitability for printing, ease of pasting and high speed of distribution by online media, which allows you to effectively promote relevant information, achieve the goals of spreading knowledge, raising morale, stabilizing the mood of the masses, etc. Some of the advantages of the propaganda role of the people's paintings of Nunminhua are listed below:

1.                 Temporary nature

Folk painting is the most sensitive form of art to social phenomena, events and ideas. At a deeper level, it covers the entire spectrum of areas of public life, and the content of folk paintings can more clearly and convincingly convey the essence of the information being disseminated.

2. Propaganda nature

The content of folk splint paintings is based on morality, which plays the role of an inspirer and mobilizer of people's fighting spirit. This type of incentive differs from agitation and advertising in the usual sense of these concepts. This is a form of complex artistic expression combining symbolic lyrics and philosophical reflections, which has in its arsenal methods of initiative stimulation aimed at gaining the trust of the audience and expanding the coverage of propaganda and propaganda activities. The pictorial language of a folk work with a clearly defined theme, rich expression and illustrativeness, as well as features of mass art with a tendency to widespread dissemination, distinguish it from other forms of art. All these differences inevitably become the reason for a completely different, unique force of social impact of the folk paintings of Nunminhua.

3. Artistry

Folk paintings are distinguished by the choice of precise and most relevant themes, have an extraordinary power of visual impact, originality of design and content that meets the social needs of the era. They differ significantly from other types of fine art, striving for the expression of individuality and formal style.

4. A variety of creative ways and channels of distribution

Advanced technologies of creative activity and dissemination allowed the folk paintings to acquire new expressive forms and ways of dissemination. Looking at the paintings created in order to popularize the fight against the epidemic, it becomes obvious that they are inseparable from modern science and technology. Moreover, during the period of epidemic trouble, the dissemination of digital information in the era of the Internet has become the norm of life. Mass computerization in the early 1990s again allowed the creators, in connection with the rapid progress of civilization, to carry out a technical revolution, presenting ample opportunities for the development of the art of folk painting of Nunminhua, opening a new chapter of epochal significance.

Mastery of the expressiveness of any work of art is one of the important ways to determine whether it is able to accurately reflect the theme of the work. The continuous progress of civilization forces artists to constantly improve their ingenuity, ideological ideas and creative techniques. Modern folk paintings of Nunminhua run counter to the traditional concept, representing the embodiment of a completely different form and content from the previous ones. With the advent of the 5G era, the popularity of portable digital technology, such as smartphones and tablet computers, provided an expansion of channels for the distribution of folk splint paintings, gave a powerful impetus to creative activity in the field of creating propaganda posters in the context of a new era.

^[1] Liu Xumei was born in 1965 in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, China. In 1987, he became interested in painting folk paintings. His works have won gold, silver and bronze awards at national and provincial competitions. Currently, he is a member of the Union of Artists of Fujian Province and the head of the Institute of Folk Painting of Zhangping City County. ^[2]Zhang Xinliang was born in 1966 in Luohe, Henan Province, China.

He is a member of the Union of Folk Artists of Henan Province, a member of the board of the Union of Folk Artists of Luohe City and chairman of the Union of Folk Artists of Ouyang County.

^[3]Agricultural cooperation is the process of transformation through various forms of mutual assistance and cooperation of an individual agricultural economy based on private ownership of the means of production into an agricultural cooperative economy based on public ownership of the means of production, carried out under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, also known as agricultural collectivization.