The natural needs for life expressed in Chinese folk paper-cutting
Art essentially originates from life. It does not appear suddenly, but is a reflection and sublimation of life. It is a product of the combination of aesthetics and practicality. It embodies peoples desire to express their subjective wishes. spiritual needs. Paper-cut art also has this commonality. It was born among the people. It reflects the working life of artists and expresses their beautiful yearnings through paper-cutting, a simple and convenient way. Paper-cut works are endowed with personalized spirituality, making paper-cut art more distinctive and connotative.
The symbolic meaning of paper-cut art often expresses the natural need for life and reflects a strong sense of life. "The so-called consciousness of life is the ideology of human beings to create life, nurture life, continue life, and pay attention to life. It is one of the most primitive and basic consciousnesses of human beings. The main spirit of Chinese folk culture is the consciousness of life." It can be seen that the consciousness of life Natural needs form the psychological set-up of the entire nation and are also a common belief consciousness in society.
"Snake and Rabbit" Binzhou Tian Chunyan
The creation of paper-cut art is closely related to fertility worship. Many works in the paper-cut patterns all reflect the philosophical concepts of positive and negative, yin and yang, and endless life. For example, the paper-cut work "Snake and Rabbit" shows a big snake with a small snake, and a big rabbit with a small rabbit. The snake is in a rotating state, but the rabbit is in a static state. The two reflect the mutual opposition and strong interdependence of yin and yang. state of life. Moreover, the copper coins in the little rabbits mouth take the meaning of wealth to another level. The background is an irregular square, with a beveled trapezoidal frame that goes deeper into the subject. Magus longevity, pine and crane longevity, and cranes peach are tributes to natural life and images of blessing health and longevity; soul-calling dolls, bun dolls, etc. are not only the worship of life, but also the profound meaning of protecting and protecting living beings. Meaning; even the birth of a noble son, the gourd giving birth to a son, the blessing, wealth and longevity, the chicken pecking the five poisons, etc. also show the original belief of the paper-cut artists passionate pursuit of life and reproduction. In He Guilians paper-cut work "Many Blessings and Many Sons", there are tiger cubs inside the tigers belly, and smaller tigers are cut out from the tigers belly, which means many blessings (many blessings).Pregnancy) Many children are a representation of the essence of the state of life, which also embodies the spirit of traditional Chinese auspicious culture. It not only gives people the good wishes to pray for stability and peace and the simple ideal of pursuing beauty, but also has a strong emotion of life multiplying and prospering.
"Many Fortunes and Many Sons" Jiaozhou He Guilian
It can be seen that the themes in paper-cutting such as exorcising disasters and evil spirits, receiving blessings and welcoming auspiciousness, and praying for children and longevity all reflect the eager natural demand for life. This strong desire for life is the basic condition for human survival and development, and reflects the nature of life. Needs and a strong recognition and pursuit of perfection, completeness, freedom and eternity in the form of life.
