Comparison of paper-cut styles in the north and south
Traditional Chinese folk paper-cutting is widely distributed. Paper-cutting can be seen all over the country, and even different local styles and schools have been formed. From the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River to the foothills of Changbai Mountain, from the coast of the Bohai Sea to the Hexi Corridor, due to the differences in geographical environment, customs and aesthetic tastes, different styles of northern and southern customs and local characteristics have been formed. Chinese paper-cutting can be summarized into two major schools: northern and southern. Each of the two schools has its own representatives based on the characteristics of different regions. Northern paper-cutting is vigorous, rough, innocent, and simple; Southern paper-cutting is smart, beautiful, rigorous, and delicate. As Mr. Guo Moruo said: "I once saw the window flowers in the North, which were innocent and rich in taste; now I see the engraving paper in the South, which is exquisite and clear like never before. The skill of cutting is magical, and the beauty will last forever in the world." One sentence makes the difference between the North and the South. The style characteristics of paper cutting. Northern paper-cutting has a strong folk custom and is straightforward and concise. The representative regions are mainly Shanxi, Shaanxi and Shandong. Southern paper-cutting pays attention to lines and has complex compositions. The representative regions are mainly Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Generally speaking, there are two different styles of paper-cutting: "thick" and "thin". The honest can see the innocence in the rough; the exquisite can see the ingenuity in the exquisite. The two complement each other and are colorful.
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In the south, take Yangzhou paper-cutting as an example: Yangzhou is one of the earliest areas where paper-cutting became popular in my country. Yangzhou paper-cutting has a long history. Emperor Chang of the Sui Dynasty visited Yangzhou three times and built a palace annex for his pleasure. Every winter, when the flowers and trees in the garden withered and the ponds froze, the Sui Dynasty emperors interest in visiting was not diminished. He ordered the palace maids to imitate folk paper-cutting, cut flowers and leaves with colorful brocade, decorate the branches, hang them on the trees, and cut them into lotus flowers, Water chestnuts, lotus root and other objects are removed from the ice in the pool and arranged on the water one by one, just like the gorgeous scenery at the turn of spring and summer, which is pleasing to the eye. In the Tang Dynasty, Yangzhou had the custom of paper-cutting to welcome the spring. On the day of the beginning of spring, folk people cut paper into flowers, or cut them into spring butterflies, spring coins, spring flowers, window flowers, or hang them on the heads of beautiful women, or decorate them under the flowers, and look at each other with joy. Yangzhou paper-cutting has a wide range of themes, including figures and flowers, birds, animals, insects, fish, strange mountains and scenery, places of interest, etc., and is especially famous for flowers in the four seasons. Its characteristics are that it is based on paintings, with concise composition, exaggerated and concise images, innovative techniques, smooth lines, delicate and straight lines, giving people a sense of solidity and completeness, and is graceful and delicate., meticulous and exquisite artistic style and local characteristics, it is one of the representatives of folk paper-cutting art in southern China. The paper used is mainly Anhui hand-written Xuan paper, with moderate thickness, colorless dyeing and smooth texture.
In the north, take Shaanxi paper-cutting as an example: Shaanxi paper-cutting, this folk art form has a long history. Among the paper-cutting arts with different styles and characteristics across the country, the ancient and simple Shaanxi paper-cutting has attracted peoples attention with its unique charm. loved. From south to north in Shaanxi, especially the Loess Plateau and the 800-mile Qinchuan River, red and green paper-cuts can be seen everywhere. The ancient shapes, rough styles, interesting meanings, diverse forms, and superb skills occupy a very important position in the folk art of Shaanxi and the country. There are various forms of Shaanxi paper-cutting, the first is single-color paper-cutting, the second is colored paper collage-cutting, the third is pointillism paper-cutting, the fourth is dyed paper-cutting, the fifth is paper-plastic window grilles, and the sixth is paper-cutting smoked pattern. In terms of content expression of Shaanxi paper-cutting, one is to inherit tradition, and the other is to be close to life and reflect reality at a close range. There are human activities, flowers, birds, fish, insects, birds and animals, folk stories and legends, etc. The shape is rigorous and full of folk flavor. Shaanxi paper-cuts are mostly made by peasant women and are characterized by simplicity, roughness, simplicity and clarity. The paper-cuts they create are full of rich earthy flavor and strong emotional color, without any artificiality, and have simple folk customs. On the one hand, they are influenced by folk culture, and on the other hand, they observe and understand life carefully and embody the wisdom of ordinary working people. They have everything at hand, and express their feelings about life through bold and rich imagination and paper-cutting. and understanding of beauty.
