An introduction to Chinese folk paper-cut graphics and symbols
Chinese paper-cutting art has accumulated and formed an independent and complete visual symbol system on the basis of inheriting ancient cultural symbols. Generally speaking, as a tangible thing or a phenomenon, a symbol is formed through the cognitive analysis of the human mind. In the process of symbol formation, some conscious or unconscious symbolic connotations are added. When these symbols are applied to paper-cut works, artists give these symbols obvious symbolic intentions through aesthetic choices, emotional tendencies, and performance needs. . The symbols used in paper-cut art are intuitive symbols or image symbols. Creators always strive to create rich artistic symbols to express universal human emotions, and in this emotional communication, the symbolic connotation of symbols plays a significant role.
The so-called symbolic paper-cut symbols are symbolic expressions of objective things by paper-cut artists, and they endow this symbol with a subjective emotion. Of course, this creative technique is not unique to paper-cutting artists. It is widely used in Chinese literature and folk songs. It can be said that it is an important artistic means of emotional expression in Chinas great cultural tradition.
In order to express richer connotations with ease, paper-cutting artists often superimpose several symbolic symbols together, because the appearance of a symbolic thing always has certain limitations, so several The combination of symbolic symbols solves this problem very well. This creative concept reflects the authors extremely strong subjective intention and has a strong symbolic connotation. The name of this paper-cut is "Xiangbaobao". This theme is generally spread in Qishan, Shaanxi Province, and is based on the sachets worn by people during the Dragon Boat Festival. Through the flat expression, the entire appearance looks like a blooming lotus, but when viewed seriously, it turns out to be a beautiful goldfish. In this shape, we can see the image of the "Five Poisons". The "Five Poisons" include "frogs, scorpions, lizards, spiders, and snakes". The author organically combines these five images. This work, from a formal point of view, has great decorative beauty. From a deeper level, "Five poisons" symbolIt means "fighting poison with poison", repels insects and avoids harm, and has auspicious connotations. The goldfish symbolizes a house full of gold and jade, and is the people’s prayer and desire for the beauty of life.
The image of the rooster in the collection of paper-cut patterns. If we only understand the rooster in this work as a rooster, obviously, the work will become pale and feeble. Of course, rooster has the same pronunciation as auspicious, so it can have an auspicious meaning. But we can look at the symbol "mouth" in the chicken-shaped body, which is "yin" and is Kun, the symbol of women. The chicken is "stem", which is the yang in the ancient Yin-Yang philosophy. Therefore, the metaphorical meaning of this work is the union of yin and yang, the marriage of men and women, and the reproduction of offspring. In Xihua, influenced by traditional Chinese culture, the expressions of love and reproduction are often more implicit, so there are more metaphorical symbols. For example, in "Fish Wearing Lotus", the lotus is used to symbolize the feminine, and the fish is used to symbolize the masculine, thus symbolizing the union of men and women. These paper-cut works have been inherited by people for their profound connotations and beautiful meanings, and have become the most aesthetically valuable part of paper-cut art.
