Tracing the Origin of National Day: From the "Founding Ceremony" to the "National Celebration" Festival Settlement
The word "National Day" originally refers to the celebration of the country. "On the Five Classes of Princes" was written by the Western Jin Dynasty writer Lu Ji. In this book, there is a record such as "National Day only benefits from it, and the main concern is not to harm it." This is where "National Day" was first seen.
However, National Day, which means commemorating the birth of a modern country, specifically refers to October 1, 1949, the great day when the People's Republic of China was founded.
On this day, a solemn declaration was made on the Tiananmen Gate Tower. This declaration not only ushered in a new era in history, but also established the core visual symbol in the art creation with the theme of "National Day" after that.
In the art works, the waving national flags, red lanterns, colorful balloons and fireworks, as well as the singing and dancing people that appear many times, together form a visual meta-narrative of the National Day celebrations in New China.
This image mode combines grand historical moments with the folk aesthetic of universal celebration. It originated from "The Founding Ceremony" created by Dong Xiwen in 1952. Since then, it has gradually established itself as a visual model with dual attributes of national ceremony and national celebration, providing a steady stream of inspirational motifs and material library for the subsequent National Day-themed art creations for more than seventy years.
Painting History: The Classic Genealogy of the "Founding Ceremony" in Thematic Art Creation
"The Founding Ceremony" has always been a hot topic on National Day. The entire process of presenting art seems to be a condensed history of the development of new Chinese art.
Starting from Dong Xiwen's use of a blend of realism and romanticism to skillfully handle the spatial composition on the Tiananmen Gate Tower, and then to Tang Yongli's giant Chinese painting "The Birth of New China" completed in 2009, which took three years to complete, and then generations of painters continue to look back and reconstruct this sacred moment.
The key problem that Tang Yongli encountered during his creative process was exactly how to find a new creative path that was different from Dong Xiwen's extremely high creative standards.
He established a principle that respected history and emphasized the artistry of painting. He included all the members of the first Central People's Government in the painting. He relied on the delicacy and magnificence of Chinese meticulous painting to complete what he wanted to tell about the historical scene.
This kind of repeated interpretation and in-depth exploration based on the same theme is not a simple repetition, but a personalized writing of national memory by painters from different eras. It faithfully presents the true face of history and expresses emotions through objects. In the tension of adhering to tradition and exploring innovation, it has left a rich and diverse artistic wealth to the Chinese cultural treasure house.
Vientiane Update: Symbolic Expression of National Day Folklore Elements in Art Works
In addition to directly depicting the historic moment on the Tiananmen Gate Tower, more painters have turned their attention to the folk scenes of people's joyful celebration during the National Day.
A large number of folk symbols with profound cultural heritage are cleverly integrated into these works, giving the festival images a rich texture.
The big red lantern has been a symbol of joy and reunion since ancient times. In paintings related to National Day, it hangs high from the Tiananmen Gate Tower to the streets and alleys, successfully completing the seamless integration of royal etiquette and folk traditions.
"Ode to the Motherland", presented in the form of New Year pictures, particularly directly inherits the inheritance of popular art. With its symmetrical composition, neat lines and flat shapes, it fully embodies the cheerful atmosphere of National Day.
Furthermore, Qi Baishi painted dieffenbachia into the painting and wrote the inscription "Long Live the Motherland". Although there were no celebrating crowds, he highly integrated the tradition of literati painting and patriotic feelings with his expressive technique of borrowing objects, so that the numerous red fruits became an auspicious metaphor for the longevity of the prosperous age.
The use of these elements gives the solemn National Day theme a profound folk flavor.
The mark of the times: Emotional evolution from "longing for peace" to "long live the people"
If you want to deeply analyze the National Day-themed creations of the older generation of painters, it is not difficult to find that behind the paintings, there are deep hidden complexes and desires of a specific era.
The painting "The Chinese People Have Standing Up" by Jiang Zhaohe does not directly depict the scene of the celebration. Instead, it relies on a painstaking composition to sublimate the image of the war-torn "refugees" into the image of the "people" who are already the masters of the country. It has vivid human body postures and facial expressions, thus conveying a deep desire for peace and stability.
The mark left by this emotion is the inner joy that comes from experiencing a new life after experiencing many hardships. It gives the work the power to travel through time.
In "Founding Ceremony·Long Live the People" created by Li Chengmin in 2014, the accumulation of color blocks was used to create enthusiasm and celebration in a purely visual sense. Its artistic technique is more abstract and expressionistic, but its core is still a celebration of the people.
From a concrete depiction of characters to an abstract carnival of color blocks, the artist's interpretation of the key concept of "people" from a contemporary perspective and emotional expression are presented as the country undergoes a process of standing up, becoming rich, and then becoming strong.
Keeping integrity and innovating: contemporary issues and cultural contributions of contemporary National Day-themed art creations
Entering the new century, a number of national-level large-scale art creation projects have been launched. For example, such as the "Chinese Civilization Historical Theme Art Creation Project." After entering this stage, the National Day-themed art creation has reached a new peak. At the same time, it has also encountered new issues of the times: How to further establish the style of Chinese oil painting, and the contemporary transformation of Chinese painting? Both are indispensable.
Under this tone, creative ideas take on a new look.
Zhang Minjie's "1949 AD", with its highly formal composition, pushed the crowds in Tiananmen Square to the extreme. "United One", a collaboration with Shang Ke and others, focuses on the moment of the flag raising, conveying a universal vision through the combination of the national flag and the dove of peace.
These works are no longer simply historical reproductions, but while inheriting the classic artistic nutrients of the 20th century, they have the performance of penetrating into real life with a sincere and sincere attitude, and interpret the same theme from different angles.
They not only enrich and complement the country's cultural palace, but also continuously demonstrate the cultural confidence and spirit of the times of the Chinese nation through artistic chapters with strong colors in the historical picture of Chinese civilization.
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