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Bai
Ming (THE PEOPLE,S REPRBLIC OF CHINA)
The new book is quite different from the
ones that wrote and compiled in the past years.
1.Before handing over the manuscript to
the editor, I have deleted an approximately 20,000-word
essay concerning the foreign and Chinese ceramic art. What
should be explained has already been, on the whole, written
down in my other books and articles. Pondering upon it again
and again, I finally found that the essay was no more than a
platitude short of new ideas though it had different
sentences and seemingly more profound explorations. It is
true that I have no reasons to waste the valuable time of
our readers. As one of the ceramic artists, the emotional
coloring is also a determinant to my articles that I may go
to extremes and make mistakes . It is apparently even more
insignificant to talk volubly of the environment for the
higher education and the current development of the art in
China as we are confronted with endless inqriries of such
questions as artistic ideas and techniques, traditions and
contemporary trends, theory and practices, nationality and
internationality. Therefore, I, as the author, have not
written any introductory articles for the book except the
short preface and postscript. What I have been thinking
about is that the splendid works presented by the ceramic
artists from different countries become the most important
narrative part to demonstrate all the academic values
“found” only in the ceramic art itself, on the one hand,
and, on the other hand, the author,s influences
will be dcreased to the lowest level.
2.The eight volumes include 112 major ceramic artists
from all over the world, most of whom are IAC members of
UNESCO and have enjoyed high reputation in the ceramic art
world. Most of them are great masters who will be never
forgotten in the modern ceramic art history of the world.
Most of the artists included in the book have provided the
photos of working process contributions to the book. As all
the professionals know, it is more than difficult and
unbelievable to ask so many important and influential
artists to provide their processes of working in such a
short period of time. What I have felt lucky for and proud
of is that the ceramic artists from all over the world, with
their full understanding, selfless support and great
cooperation, have demonstrated their magic and glamorous
working processes so that people have the opportunity to
appreciate different techniques, skills and materials used
by different ceramic artists from different countries in one
book. As a result, the book will become both the documents
of high historical values and the textbooks concerning
techniques and skills. It is rare and original among the
collections of works, publications and essays on the current
ceramic art of the world. Today when frequent exchanges are
taking place among the international ceramic art society,
the new working process of the ceramic art as it has
“decoded” the working processes of so many artists.
3.The artists, resumes will allow the people
to see the economic and cultural environment in which the
artists lived and received training and their statements (or
narrative descriptions) are the very reflections of their
perspectives to view the world and their inner world. These
writings are not the only way for us to see their works, but
may be a direct way for us to have a better understanding of
the artists and their works.
4.All of the works, working demonstrations and writings
in the book have been provided by the ceramic artists
themselves and authorized with their signatures. It is quite
rare in the publishing area in China. The works of each
artist may be enough to be published into one volume.
However, I will not delete any one of them provided they are
highly qualified to meet the publishing requirements. In a
stricter sense, the book may be called a self-selection of
works by the artists themselves. They are really the authors
of the book.
5.Although I have, in my letters to all these invited
artists, clearly stated that photos of studio, artists at
work, demonstrations and descriptions, artists,
statements, resumes and photos of works be provided, only a
few of them have not provided me the desired materials yet.
To compile an international art book is quite different from
a compiling Chinese one. Some of the written materials are
not in English as I have requested. As a result, I have to
have them translated into Chinese before into English so
that it is unavoidable that the meanings cannot be conveyed
perfectly. We gave not chosen a usual and simple way of
editing a collection of works and tried our efforts to face
the challenge of editing in the bilingual Chinese-English
languages just because, undoubtedly, we hope that the book
could contain more academic values and influences on the
international exchanges. Due to such a reason, the labour
and experiences that we have experience are quite beyond any
imaginations.
6.Over half of the artists included in the book are
introduced to their Chinese counterparts for the first time
and some of them have already been briefed in my other
books, but most of their works included in the book are new.
However, my new book takes a completely new look as most of
the works included are the new ones and there are new
contents such as working processes.
7.I have also invited some artists and art critics from
different regions and social status to write articles for
the book. Imbued with their sincerity and wisdom, their
great interest in the Chinese ceramic art and their selfless
support to the author, these articles have not only given us
various academic perspectives to the book, but also enhanced
the book with vigour and affections.
If the book becomes a favorite one of my colleagues and
readers, we should express our gratitude to these
outstanding artists and their splendid works. As the author,
I, d like to, first of all, express my heartfelt
thanks not only to the artists and their works included in
the book, but also to all of them and all of you who have
spared no efforts to the publishing of the book . I know
quite well that the word of “thanks” is quite common, but
the happiness and feelings in it are extraordinary.
Bai
Ming
Ceramic artist and
teacher of the Art College, Tsinghua University
November 11,2004
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