Expression of Paper-cut Patterns in Shaanxi Folk Paper-cuts
When the craze of Western Cubism spread to China, Picasso, as the most influential artist, unveiled the deepest diagnosis of human nature through grotesque modeling. The shapes in works such as "Guernica" and "Girl" break the inherent modeling rules of focus perspective and use deconstruction and reconstruction techniques to challenge art. When we face the impact of such a big visual innovation, we can't help but sincerely admire the powerful artistic expression of the master of art. However, our ignorance and blindness were discovered only after a large-scale investigation of folk arts in our country in the early 1980s. In Zhang Linzhaos rough and sophisticated paper-cuttings from Fuxian County, Shaanxi Province, Picassos modeling techniques often appear, and the characters' faces are also displayed in many directions. An old Chinese woman didn't know about focal perspective or Cubism, but she made a look that seemed to her to be extremely ordinary based on the original shapes that had been passed down through the ages. While we were surprised, we also felt ashamed that we had forgotten the original nature of our culture.
Using artistic forms to express the movement of nature has always been a major issue. It has always been difficult for artists to express the movement and stillness of an object on a two-dimensional plane. Folk artists have found a unique way of expression. Use multi-moment displays to express the development process of things, thereby reflecting a full range of visual space. The expression of space and time in a two-dimensional plane is often represented as a dynamic display of non-static object modeling methods in traditional Shaanxi paper-cutting.
a. Multiple forms of one object in motion
Fu County Zhang Linzhaos paper-cut work "(Jiang Taigong Fishing)" is a masterpiece that expresses the characters' dynamic moments. Zhang Linzhao used her slightly trembling hands to cut out Jiang Taigongs slightly shaking face and posture, from when he started to set the hook. From the serious look on the side, to the excited expression when the fish takes the bait, to the frontal laughter when finally catching the big fish. The author boldly and skillfully depicts the development process of the characters three expressions on one face, which not only expresses the characters The dynamic movement process also shows the movement process of the characters' expressions. There are also "Twenty-Four Filial Piety and Yangs Wife Cuts Her Hair", "Peeing the Baby", etc., which all express peoples movement postures in the process of life.
< br />The authors explanation of "Grazing Pictures" by Wang Xiuqing of Yijun, Shaanxi Province is - "Animals cannot just eat grass in one place, but eat here and there." The answer is vivid, simple and reasonable, but the picture still leaves people with a hint of weirdness. The cows in the work have multiple angles on their faces, which are different from the natural prototypes in life. Through their understanding and understanding of the movement of life, they reprocessed and combined the life prototypes to create new images. The animal images in "The Donkey La Mo" and "The Return of the Shepherd" also have similar meanings. These works show a strong tension and are indeed a great innovation in Chinese art modeling by Chinese folk artists.
b. Present the causes and consequences of an incident
Representing the movement and development process of an event in one picture while showing its causes and consequences is another unique feature of Shaanxis traditional paper-cut modeling.
The paper-cut "Wang Xiang Lying on the Ice" by Duan Juhua, Fuxian County, Shaanxi Province, is one of the "Twenty-Four Filial Piety" stories widely circulated among the people. The filial son Wang Xiang is willing to lie naked on the ice to catch fish so that his mother can eat fish. The scene not only combines the two seasons of lying on the ice and catching fish, but also combines the two seasons of cold winter and blooming flowers.
There are many examples of the above modeling in folk art works. In short, folk artists are very good at converting the concepts of visual knowledge into visible image schemas. They put aside the reality of the physical existence of natural objects and arranged images and paintings according to the authors development laws of objective things. The depiction of multi-perspective forms and the fusion of multiple time and space images give people the illusion of being both one thing and another, thus showing rich associations and magical and psychedelic artistic charm.
c. Comprehensive modeling method of space and time
Human life is a very short moment in the long river of time. As an existing entity, human beings appear extremely small in the universe. However, in their own practical activities, human beings always strive to affirm the value of their own existence, strive to pursue eternity in the transient, explore the "absolute" in relative, and hope to have the power to dominate the universe. In the process of this pursuit, different psychological feelings such as sadness, joy, majesty, and sublimity are produced. Therefore, the consciousness of time and space has aesthetic properties and becomes the main content of human aesthetic concepts. Since primitive times, the concept of heaven and man has occupied a prominent position in the "collective representation" of Chinese society, and has become one of the most representative features of traditional Chinese culture. The concept of "the unity of nature and man" has gradually formed as a primitive cosmic consciousness. As a "cultural concept", it has widely affected various fields and levels of traditional culture.
The patterns that reflect time, space and cosmic consciousness in Chinese folk art have a unique aestheticValue, it often uses original and unexpected pictures to express the authors special feelings and understanding of the universe, time, space and nature. Folk artists can not only express several special angles of an object at the same time, but can also comprehensively express the characteristics of several groups of objects observed from multiple angles. They can also combine objects and events from different times and spaces in the same picture to express multiple aspects, angles and moments of things.
(1) Time comprehensive modeling
The farmers folk paper-cut "Hunting Picture" in Yijun, Shaanxi Province has the same styling concept as the hunting graphics in the original rock paintings. Although it takes a split second for a hunter to open a bow and release an arrow until the arrow hits the prey, there is a relative progression after all. This combination that transcends time is reflected in an exaggeratedly elongated arrow, which has a slightly absurd meaning. It reveals that the author and the hunter have the same belief and persistence.
(2) Comprehensive spatial modeling
A very ordinary piece of folk art can often reflect the authors simple awareness of space, time and aesthetics. The modeling methods of folk paper-cutting often involve comprehensive processing of multiple perspectives and spaces. The paper-cut "Rice Milling" by Zhang Linzhao of Fuxian County, "Spinning Thread" and "Donkey Pulling a Roller" by Yanchuan Guo Rulin all combine the front and side views of the characters.
