Flat composition in Chinese folk paper-cutting
Planar composition is a major feature of Chinese folk paper-cut art, and it is also the most basic form of paper-cut creation. The objects represented in paper-cutting are all processed in parallel, and the three-dimensional state of objectively existing objects or illusions is transformed into a plane unfolding composition structure.
"Mandarin Ducks Playing in the Water" Jiaozhou Anonymous
The two-dimensional sense of the paper-cut pattern composition is to summarize and simplify the natural objects, delete things that affect the beauty, and focus on cutting and carving the main parts of the objects. Therefore, we often see such works in paper-cutting, such as cutting out actors without a stage, cutting out a pair of mandarin ducks or a fish but without water, etc. This processing method actually makes the composition more concise, natural and pure. The flat composition structure just caters to the characteristics of paper-cut artists who do not seek the authenticity of objects. After highly summarizing the objects, they form the plane visual effect of the picture, so as to achieve the purpose of conveying the spirit and meaning in the two-dimensional space.
"Fish" Jiaozhou Yan Wenguang
The images in the composition are mostly viewed from the head level. It is different from the focus perspective method used to express space and time in Western paintings. Objects are depicted regardless of distance. The characters or scenery shown can be in the form of "looking at the big from the small" from far away, or from near. Various forms of the effect of "looking at the small through the big". Regardless of the image, space, foreground and background, they are all placed on a plane, and the natural three-dimensional structural relationship is changed into a flat structural relationship, without pursuing a sense of depth in space. It can appear in the form of "building up layers" or "changing scenery with objects", with a neat and orderly aesthetic. Of course, although the space is not limited by its infinite extension, we must also try to avoid the appearance of complex environments and overlapping levels of processing, and consciously achieve an idealized composition structure, so as to conform to the aesthetic characteristics of ordinary people and enhance the two-dimensional expression of the work. . Shaanxi Wang Lanpans paper-cut "Apple Orchard" pursues a two-dimensional effect. Several groups of different pictures are used to form a whole. The composition weakens the distance relationship between real objects. There is no change in depth from front to back. All characters, animals and other images are arranged flatly without overlap. From characters to fruits and trees, everything is completely straight. , is a composition that is not limited by time, space and natural forms. The composition of the entire picture is complex, simple, and dense, and pays attention to the relationship between black and white, making the picture full and vivid.
"Apple Orchard" Shaanxi Wang Lanpan
There is another form of spatial expression in paper-cutting that combines the vertical elevation and the downward plane. Many works of modern Cubism have similar approaches and advantages. In Shaanxi Bai Fenglans paper-cut work "Mouse Stealing Melon", the pumpkin is viewed from above, while the mice are represented from a straight-up view, giving people a special visual beauty.
"Mouse Steals Melon" Shaanxi Bai Fenglan
In short, in the flat composition structure, space must be used skillfully, the layout must be balanced, and white should be used as black to reflect the situational relationship between various objects in the paper-cut composition. The segmentation and combination of pictures is also an aspect that needs to be grasped to make the composition more orderly and the image features more prominent and vivid.
