Chinese Shadow Puppet Artist Geniuses

[papeetepatrick]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/world/asia/11puppets.html?_r=1&hp

This is one of the most beautiful and moving articles I've ever read about rare artistry. And I do hope they manage to make it to New York with their collection. Just astonishing the dedication and devotion of this couple, but I've put it here for another reason as well, a quote from the article:

I opened this museum because I wanted to encourage this art. I wanted it to become popular again, Mr. Cui said. Instead, people in China no longer learn about the things of our ancestors. Whats popular now is saying O.K., and McDonalds, and ballet and pop songs.

I have to say that this is the first time I have run into artists so rarefied that they have even put 'ballet' in the same category as 'McDonald's' and 'saying O.K'. Not that I've been able to ever be quite that strict, but it shows you how extraordinary this kind of artist is. There was another Japanese example of generations of craftsmanship I saw a video of some months back, I'm going to try to remember it--yes, they were doll-makers, just exquisite, but I can't remember where I saw it. These people don't think of anything else when they get this involved. It makes Christo's little political squabbles to put some temporary 'covering' over a river or sheets through parts of California or Central Park or hot-pink plastic on an island look a bit presumptuous by comparison.

[dirac]

Thank you for posting this, papeetepatrick. I missed it in print. Their dedication is most moving.