Dujia Inn was packed, and there were waves of passionate disco music from the depths of the compound, but the whole yard was packed. On the stage, two graceful "beautiful girls" shadow play danced with strong music, and they descended like fairies. Then there was a Sichuan opera, in which Xiang Yu besieged Liu Bang, Sean invited people to dinner, and Liu Bang pretended to be a soldier and fled. The fighting in this play is so vivid that foreign tourists sigh in succession. This is the real art! American friends holding cameras from beginning to end were even more excited, and insisted on passing on and taking photos with the shadow play of King of Northern Sichuan behind the scenes.
Shadow play is a kind of folk art, which is operated by one or several people and skillfully performed by lighting perspective. Shadow play in northern Sichuan can be roughly divided into three types: Tu Shadow Play, Weinan Shadow Play and Wang Shadow Play. Wang is also a human title. He is Wang Wenkun, the founder of Northern Sichuan Shadow Play. He is an artist among the villagers of James Li Temple in Baotai Town, Langzhong City. This "King" is the only shadow play named after a person in China. Born in1February, 923 1 1, Wang Wenkun studied clay sculpture wood carving and folk paper-cutting techniques since childhood. 1942, 19-year-old Wang Wenkun was able to take over his father's complete works of art. His father asked him to learn from Langzhong Feng Chaoqing's shadow play class Li, and he embarked on the road of "playing shadow play" from then on.
Wang Wenkun has been an artist for many years, studying paper-cutting and shadow play sculpture from morning till night. Every time I see Master drawing lines on cowhide and then carving them with a carving knife, Wang Wenkun ponders. Can you cut down the red tape and forget the sketch? Furthermore, can you make the "shadow" bigger? However, at that time, violating the teacher's orders was treason and was never allowed. Since you dare not do it publicly, try it secretly! Therefore, Wang Wenkun practiced fencing in the dead of night. Later, he finally learned the natural and smooth style of shadow play. Master agreed with him, and together they made bold reforms to the traditional shadow play. A few days later, a big shadow play appeared, which caused a sensation among neighbors.
After Wang Wenkun took over the shadow play class from Master, he had his own team. He thoroughly improved the popular Weinan shadow play at that time, and created a "king" with larger image, vivid and interesting modeling and more complete repertoire. From 65438 to the early 1980s, the northern Sichuan countryside was still the heyday of shadow play. Wang Wenkun established a family shadow play art troupe, and compiled some lively and uplifting plays, praising the new changes in the countryside and adding countless joys to the villagers. "Wang Shadow Play" enriched people's cultural life at that time.
1At the end of 986, an Austrian collector named Kamisky came to China to collect folk craft treasures. Sichuan Mass Art Museum arranged a one-man shadow play for Dr. Kamisky, which was performed by Wang Wenkun. Wang Wenkun carefully prepared a "Mu Dui" scene of Sichuan Opera, only to see his hands walking in the shadow (playing shadow play), rapping, playing gongs, playing suona and playing. After a performance, Kamisky's eyes widened. Later, Wang Wenkun took out a piece of cowhide and put it on the table. He carved skillfully with a knife. It only took 15 minutes to carve the shadow play "The Magpie Climbs the Plum", and Kamiskili, who stood by, claimed that it was "a strange person, a strange person!"
Kamisky returned to Austria. Under his facilitation, Wang Wenkun's family shadow play art troupe and its four members went to Austria to attend the World Art Festival on June 1988. He performed in the music city of Vienna for three days, and people from all over the world came to watch. The local TV station broadcast live, and Wang Shadow Play caused a sensation in Vienna. Wang Wenkun was cordially received by the Austrian President and won a gold medal. Later, at the request of Austria, Wang Wenkun also toured Austria for 22 days, and the tickets were sold out. 1February, 999, the author interviewed Wang Wenkun for the last time. At that time, he was the director of China Folk Paper-cut Art Research Association and Sichuan Folk Art Research Association, and the vice president of Langzhong Shadow Play Research Association. According to Wang Lao, more than 300 of his works have participated in exhibitions at all levels. Among them, "Yue Long" 1990 won the first China Folk Art Competition, and its shadow play, window grilles and other works 18 were collected by China Art Museum 1985.
After interviewing Wang Wenkun, the author stayed at his house that night and had a drink with the old man. Wang Lao, who is generous, told reporters: "What worries me most is that there is no successor to the shadow play. Granddaughter and grandson have learned to play shadow play, but the granddaughter feels that she can't earn money and she has to support her family. I can't stop her. Now my granddaughter works to earn money, but my grandson can't support herself. I just hope that these things (shadow play) will not be lost and I can have a good home in the future. "
In this interview, the author photographed a large number of shadow play and paper-cut materials accumulated by Wang Wenkun, a master of shadow play, in his life. Soon after, he died in a shadow play dream on June 6 1999+065438. In order to save the cultural treasure of the Northern Sichuan King Shadow Play, the Langzhong Municipal Government visited Wang Wenkun's house several times to discuss the construction of the Shadow Play Museum. However, Wang Wenkun only officially passed on the performance secrets to his two grandchildren, one working outside and the other running a factory at home. Are they willing to return to their old jobs?
In the second year after Wang Wenkun's death, several Wang brothers began to discuss selling the shadow play and then dividing up the inheritance. Wang Fang, a clever grandson, inherited his father's business, and in the end everyone opposed the sale of shadow play. But what will a few boxes full of shadow play do? The Wangs are very helpless.
Later, Wang Fang also came up with the idea of several boxes of shadow play and contacted many cultural relics dealers. Mr. Chen from Taiwan Province Province is willing to invest 400,000 yuan to buy all the shadow play, and a German friend is willing to pay 600,000 yuan. Some possessed Wang Fang "ruined" the deal after consulting with his father. From official acquisitions to private high-priced transactions, countless pairs of eyes are staring at this "business" that will definitely make big money. It is precisely because these people are eager to get rich that Wang Shadow Play can reappear. Wang Wenkun's eldest grandson and second grandson talked about why Wang Shadow Play made a comeback in their generation after disappearing for many years. They said excitedly that they would like to thank one person, that is, Professor China Academy of Art and Zhao Shutong, vice president of China Shadow Play Museum.
Three years ago, when I was working in Beijing, I often went to some cultural relics markets and met Professor Zhao. Professor Zhao had a long talk with him. Zhao said, I am a collector of shadow play. I have many shadow puppets, but they are all "dead". I don't see anyone playing "live". I hope someone will "render it" and let future generations see the fine works of art created and invented by these ancestors. Wang Fang was suddenly enlightened.
Later, Wang Fang returned to Langzhong to learn from Wang Biao, worked hard on Sichuan Opera Qupai, carefully inherited the traditional shadow play, and combined the characteristics of modern consciousness and modern dance to integrate passionate disco into the shadow play, which finally made the Langzhong Shadow Play Art Troupe suddenly rise and become an instant hit.