The living space of the realistic form of Chinese folk paper-cutting
Due to the low cost of materials, simple craftsmanship, and simple and accessible themes, paper-cutting has become the most extensive, regional, and rich cultural form among Chinese folk arts. "Paper-cutting is a cultural tree that grows on the soil of folk life. The living tradition of folk life creates paper-cutting, and paper-cutting maintains the lasting existence of the folk living system."
From the initial use of paper-cutting for religion and sacrifice to touching all aspects of life, folk paper-cutting as a form of folk art has been widely attached to folk customs and has become an indispensable image in the completion and realization of some folk customs. carrier. If the art of paper-cutting is deconstructed into techniques, materials, images, and customs, then these basic elements can form a complete organism, which is the living space of folk paper-cutting. It includes the most basic agricultural social structure, diverse regional culture and diverse folk life. Farming social institutions are the most basic cultural elements that produce and continue paper-cut folk culture. They are centered on agricultural services and farmers' own entertainment, and have been throughout the development of traditional Chinese culture until modern times. Since the production method of the agricultural economy is mainly the combination of labor and land, farmers' lifestyle is based on the fixed foundation of land, so stable and secure housing is the prerequisite for the development of agricultural society.
People who hope to live happily in an environment that is harmonious to nature and society all have as their goals a prosperous population, strong health and longevity, harmonious families and neighbors, abundant harvests, hoarding wealth, good weather, and peace of mind. This kind of long-term The cultural connotation and denotation formed by precipitation, the "imagery" that promotes the art of paper-cutting mostly reflects this kind of wish - "happiness", "lun", "longevity", "happiness", "safety", "wealth", "child" " etc., as the saying goes, "The picture must be meaningful, and the meaning must be auspicious." Regardless of homophony or metaphor, conveying the auspicious meaning is an important mission of paper-cutting in folk activities. manyDiversified regional culture forms the basic style of folk paper-cut culture. The natural environment, human history, and cultural forms directly constitute the main source of imagery for folk paper-cutting, and also lead to folk paper-cutting showing significantly different image characteristics and connotative meanings. This regional difference in Chinese paper-cutting is also one of its charms. Behind its colorful styles and forms, it conveys various local customs and cultural forms. Diverse folk life is the body of Chinese paper-cut folk culture. The existence of paper-cutting among the people is first of all practical, and appreciation and entertainment are included in it. The spirit of etiquette and customs, which is both divine and human, both sacred and secular, and seeking harmony in harmony, as well as its various forms of celebration, mourning, and memorial offerings, provide necessary nutrients and additional conditions for the paper-cut folk culture. Folk paper-cutting not only appears in witchcraft belief sacrifices and annual festivals, but also accompanies life rituals from beginning to end, recording the complete process. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, paper-cutting became more deeply integrated into peoples lives and matured with the evolution and development of many folk customs. More and more folk paper-cutting art forms are integrated into various folk customs such as production, life and belief, such as the window grilles and door stickers of the Spring Festival, the lanterns of the Lantern Festival, the flowers with the word "happy" in the wedding custom, the soul flag paper money in the funeral custom, and the paper-cutting to commemorate the year. The two zodiac signs, the day on the seventh day of the first lunar month, various clothing patterns, and paper-cut stickers for homes and rooms are all inseparable from various folk activities. Until modern society, the religious and divine color of paper-cut folk culture has been greatly weakened. It is more related to secular festivals, weddings and funerals, and continues and expands on these rituals and customs in an intermediary and symbolic way.
