Geological Works: Tracing Chinese Folk Traditional Handicrafts

Author: Cai Cheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The author's effort is not merely to complete a book in the form of combining text and images, but rather to strive to discover, explore, and reveal the true essence of folk art. It is also an act driven by a strong sense of urgency to preserve. The author hopes to achieve several goals through this effort: First, to record the craftsmanship of handicrafts as thoroughly as possible; second, to delve beyond the economic and practical aspects of handicrafts, uncovering their rich connotations in culture, art, spiritual significance, and the value of being a "living fossil of history"; third, to reveal the real social life hidden beneath the surface of handicraft activities—meticulously depicting the lifestyle and social details that are gradually fading away in the field of handicraft production. Such travel and writing can also be considered a craft of manual operation. The author, like an old stonemason wielding a hammer and chisel, carves in and out deeply, but instead of working on hard, cold stone, the author carves words and images onto soft and warm paper.