Lines and planes in Shaanxi folk paper-cutting

Like other traditional Chinese modeling procedures, line is one of the main factors that constitute the formal beauty of paper-cutting. The rhyme left by the rigidity of the scissors when running between the soft tissue paper transcends the external appearance of the object and directly records the authors emotional pulse, which is either delicate, bold, stagnant, bright, or simple, which is exactly what it is. The advantage of the combined structure of threads is that even monochromatic paper-cutting can achieve rich color effects. The shape and function of paper-cut works are actually very particular. Savor those works carefully, containing conflicts in simplicity, and seeking contrasts in harmony; some are mainly short lines, and some are mainly dense like filaments; some are mainly straight and rigid lines. , such as the brushstrokes of traditional Chinese painting, the tones of oil paintings, the density, dryness, opening and closing of brushstrokes, etc. We can see that in the character paper-cutting, the floral decorations are inadvertently made of lines, and the swirling lines are used to represent the hair of animals. These colorful lines reflect the beautiful image in the authors mind. The lines that flicker in the picture are like the beating notes in the music, forming a very decorative and passionate piece of music.

The concept of space is the basis of the language of all plastic arts. We want to express the three-dimensional space of life, and paper, cloth, etc. are all two-dimensional. How to express three-dimensional images in two-dimensional space has become an eternal issue for mankind. . But paper-cut works do not seem to follow this path. It is a two-dimensional decorative art that strives to create two-dimensional effects on a two-dimensional plane. In the early days of mankind, almost all plastic arts activities showed a two-dimensionality in spatial concepts, such as primitive pottery symbols, written symbols, rock paintings, etc. And more art forms move from this two-dimensional characteristic to three dimensions. Paper-cutting art is a morphological extension of primitive art. It carries the original thinking to the end to form its unique modeling concept. Paper-cutting, a modeling based on the concept of two-dimensional space, has a great relationship with its materials and tools. relation. The basic modeling method of paper-cutting is just to cut out blanks of various shapes on a flat piece of tissue paper. It is impossible to express objects like painting.

However, the characteristics of artistic form language are often born out of the limitations of tools and materials. The flatness of the cutouts conflicts with the “volume, depth and oncoming undulations” expressed in realism, it follows the characteristics of paper and looks at the world from a flat perspective that is taboo in realist painting. In the authors mind, eyes, and hands, objects become flat images without volume, depth, or perspective. Simplifying the three-dimensional world into two-dimensional space, infinite space and infinitely complex shapes are pasted on a plane. The flat outline becomes the modeling element of paper-cutting. Therefore, the unique expressive power of paper-cutting is based on the complete concept of two-dimensional space. realized on the basis. In short, the shape of paper-cut art has its own uniqueness. The "mental image" of its creation for beauty is its starting point, "planarity" is its fundamental feature, and perfection is its aesthetic purpose. These modeling characteristics reflect the national character of paper-cutting art.