Xing Fan

This is an accessible introduction to jingju (Beijing/Peking opera) which presents readers with an analysis of the different components of its aesthetic form in the context of its ongoing cultural history. It traces the history of jingju from its origin during the 1790s to its present-day status as one of the few theatrical forms to enjoy nation-wide popularity in China. In 2010, UNESCO placed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity. This book traces jingju’s history through three lenses. First, it introduces the stage practices that shape a jingju production – including the use of music, acting style, visual components and staging, and dramatic narrative – ­and details for the reader the practitioner’s experience during the developmental creative process, in rehearsals and behind the curtain. Second, it illustrates jingju’s development with close analyses of case studies, and sheds light on the process of jingju’s transformation into its contemporary form. Thirdly, it defines and interprets jingju aesthetics’ notion of the beautiful and how this sense of beauty is communicated through stylization.

Textile-Based Energy Harvesting and Storage Devices for Wearable Electronics Discover state-of-the-art developments in textile-based wearable and stretchable electronics from leaders in the field In Textile-Based Energy Harvesting and Storage Devices for Wearable Electronics, renowned researchers Professor Xing Fan and his co-authors deliver an insightful and rigorous exploration of textile-based energy harvesting and storage systems. The book covers the principles of smart fibers and fabrics, as well as their fabrication methods. It introduces, in detail, several fiber- and fabric-based energy harvesting and storage devices, including photovoltaics, piezoelectrics, triboelectrics, supercapacitors, batteries, and sensing and self-powered electric fabrics. The authors also discuss expanded functions of smart fabrics, like stretchability, hydrophobicity, air permeability and color-changeability. The book includes sections on emerging electronic fibers and textiles, including stress-sensing, strain-sensing, and chemical-sensing textiles, as well as emerging self-powered electronic textiles. Textile-Based Energy Harvesting and Storage Devices for Wearable Electronics concludes with an in-depth treatment of upcoming challenges, opportunities, and commercialization requirements for electronic textiles, providing valuable insight into a highly lucrative new commercial sector. The book also offers: A thorough introduction to the evolution from classical functional fibers to intelligent fibers and textilesAn exploration of typical film deposition technologies, like dry-process film deposition and wet-process technologies for roll-to-roll device fabricationPractical discussions of the fabrication process of intelligent fibers and textiles, including the synthesis of classical functional fibers and nano/micro assembly on fiber materialsIn-depth examinations of energy harvesting and energy storage fibers, including photovoltaic, piezoelectric, and supercapacitor fibers Perfect for materials scientists, engineering scientists, and sensor developers, Textile-Based Energy Harvesting and Storage Devices for Wearable Electronics is also an indispensable resource for electrical engineers and professionals in the sensor industry seeking a one-stop reference for fiber- and fabric-based energy harvesting and storage systems for wearable and stretchable power sources.

Staging Revolution refutes the deep-rooted notion that art overtly in the service of politics is by definition devoid of artistic merit. As a prominent component shaping the culture of the Cultural Revolution, model Beijing Opera (jingju) is the epitome of art used for political ends. Arguing against commonly accepted interpretations, Xing Fan demonstrates that in a performance of model jingju, political messages could only be realized through the most rigorously formulated artistic choices and conveyed by performers possessing exceptional techniques. Fan contextualizes model jingju at the intersection of history, artistry, and aesthetics. Integral to jingju’s interactions with politics are the practitioners’ constant artistic experimentation to accommodate the modern stories and characters within the jingju framework and the eventual formation of a new sense of beauty. Therefore, a thorough understanding of model jingju demands close attention to how the artists resolved actual production problems, which is a critical perspective missing in earlier studies. This book provides exactly this much-needed dimension of analysis by scrutinizing the decisions made in the real, practical context of bringing dramatic characters to life on stage and by examining how major artistic elements interacted with one other, sometimes harmoniously, sometimes antagonistically. Such an approach necessarily places jingju artists center stage. Making use of first-person accounts of the creative process, including numerous interviews conducted by the author, Fan presents a new appreciation of a lived experience that, on a harrowing journey of coping with political interference, was also filled with inspiration and excitement.