An assessment method for the formal language of contemporary miao batik painting: An operational framework model based on “UESBR-15”

Abstract

In the process of Miao batik evolving from traditional handicraft to contemporary batik painting, lacking applicable visual assessment methods causes difficulties in objectively judging the degree of integration of inheritance and innovation. This study uses the form design elements proposed by Lauer and Pentak as a framework and constructs a “UESBR-15” scoring system containing 15 observable micro-indicators (three for each element), to assess the extent to which contemporary Miao batik painting reflects the tradition and contemporary innovation spectrum. This study analyzes authoritative and professional images of traditional batik handicrafts and contemporary batik paintings, establishes a mode of scoring using a dualistic scoring system, and provides case studies for review and verification. The results show that the higher the degree of inheritance of traditional batik craftsmanship in contemporary Miao batik painting, the higher the score on the “UESBR-15” scoring system, and vice versa. At the same time, in our review of the pilot scoring of the verified images, this work received a score of 11/15, consistent with the “strong inheritance/mature fusion” characteristic. After inviting five researchers to re-evaluate the remaining 20 works, the consistency statistics of the judges were Fleiss'κ=0.80, which supported the reliability of this model. This paper contributes a set of transferable intangible cultural heritage image evaluation methods for the visual assessment of contemporary Miao batik paintings and other contemporary art forms based on traditional Miao batik craftsmanship. These methods can also be used for intangible cultural heritage evaluation standards, digital annotation of museum collections, and contemporary creative research.

Keywords: Miao batik, formalism, visual analysis, inheritance and innovation, scoring system