Shaanxi folk paper-cutting and Han portraits have the same cultural expression
Portrait Stones In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the "masked ones" were called elephant men. The elephant men disguised themselves as various animals or gods and performed juggling performances. On the right side of the banner stone in the tomb of the Liaodong governor, there is a picture of an elephant fighting an animal. A strong elephant man wearing a mask was thrown to the ground by a tiger. He also grabbed the hind leg of another tiger with his right hand, and stabbed the tigers buttocks with a spear in his left hand. The tiger bit the hind leg of a pterosaur; The elephant man holds the tigers tail with both hands and pulls it back to protect his companion from the tigers harm. There are several key links, and any change in them will affect the overall change in the next step, which can be described as thrilling. The image is conveyed just right, showing the frozen moment in motion. This is a breathtaking picture that cannot be expressed in words.
The dynamic expression of Gao Fenglians paper-cut drawing of strangling a tiger and saving his father in Yanchuan, Shaanxi Province is very similar to that of Han Dynasty stone portraits. This theme is one of the contents of the Twenty-Four Filial Piety. It reflects the brave spirit of a son who is not afraid of danger and selflessly rescues his father when he is in danger, thereby embodying the loyalty and filial piety of children to their parents. The composition of the picture is full. The front paws of the ferocious tiger are pressed directly into the fathers abdomen, knocking him down. The son uses all his strength to hit the tigers forelimb with his right fist. The dynamics among the three in the entire picture interact with each other, creating tension in the atmosphere. The expression of the close relationship between shapes is the highlight of this paper-cut.
From the perspective of momentum, whether it is a stone portrait or a paper-cut, its plot-like composition embodies the unique spirit of the times of the Han Dynasty. They are all products of the specific economic and political background of society. Its occurrence, development and Decline is closely related to the natural conditions and human environment of the areas where they are located. Since Shaanxi is geographically close to the border fortress in the northwest, wars often occur in order to consolidate the inland power and defend the territory, so it is natural that it has the rough and heroic appearance of the plateau border fortress; at the same time, the southeast is close to the Central Plains and was the political and economic center of the Han Dynasty, so it will also There is a light, soft and agile temperament. This unique momentum style shows the movement and power of "momentum" in the expression of Shaanxi plane shape, which makes the whole world constantly flow due to the rush of vitality, and constantly change due to the interplay of yin and yang and the five elements. There is evenness in Shaanxi stone portraits and paper-cuts.It shows the "master craftsman" style and high fighting spirit of the creator.
There is no such thing as an independent art style. It is precisely because of the accumulation of modeling culture in the Han Dynasty that Shaanxi traditional paper-cutting has a distinct artistic personality to this day. This is a kind of inclusive spirit, which has a distinct spiritual quality and a similar expression of subject matter and content; it uses lines to be clear, smooth, and clumsy, and it is perfectly combined with the form. The shape is exaggerated and the transformation is bold. The composition is rich, full, majestic and eclectic, giving people an overwhelming visual experience. In terms of artistic conception, it highlights the dynamic power, expresses the creators emotions, and pays attention to the performance of momentum and rhythm. These are the common manifestations of the two art forms, and they are also evidence of the inheritance of traditional art and culture. This rich and powerful spirit of the times will be carried forward through newer art forms. This is the essence, spirit and spirit of national art.
The spirit of the Han Dynasty is the enterprising, vigorous and optimistic spirit unique to the initial formation period of our nation. The Han Dynasty was an era in Chinese history when a nations "self-confidence" was strongest. Although Han portraits were tomb art, they were full of optimism and joy, because the ritual of death was the ritual of rebirth. Most people in the Han Dynasty spent time at funerals and During the sacrificial ceremony, the life art education of the Han Dynasty stone statues was obtained. Therefore, the cultural function of Han portrait stones as folk art must not be underestimated. In Shaanxi paper-cutting, we can also feel the simplicity, simplicity, thickness, roughness and enterprising spirit of being positive and optimistic about life. No matter how large the work is, folk artists never make drafts and finish it in one go, which is enough to reflect their full strength. "Confidence".
Both ancient art and Han Dynasty portrait stones can find strong and powerful roots for Shaanxi’s traditional folk paper-cutting. As mentioned before, due to the important historical status of the Han Dynasty, which influenced the development of subsequent generations, although most of the portrait stones in Han tombs during that period were funerary objects for the royal family and officials, there were no clear "painters" and "painters" at that time. Painter", and they are all ordinary people. It is this kind of creative group that not only created brilliant tomb artistic shapes, but also formed the spiritual life and aesthetic taste of the broadest class of people in the Han Dynasty. It is their magnificent creative momentum that provides a valuable model for future generations. Its overall temperament deeply affects the appearance and connotation of traditional Shaanxi paper-cutting.
