Artistic Features of Chinese Folk Paper-cut
4 min readSeveral cultural and artistic characteristics of Chinese folk paper-cutting:
①”Good luck”
The concept of “good luck”is the fundamental direction of the expressionof China’s folk paper-cut art. The sense of decoration of completeness, passionand abundance is filled with positiveand idealistic spirit. Techniques such as harmonics, symbolism, make strong implicated artistic images. For example, Prosperity Brought by Dragon andPhoenix, Phoenix Plays with Peony and so on symbolize happiness and holiness of the marriage. Liu Hai Playing with Toad, Affectionate Couples and so on symbolize the constancy of love.
Persimmon and S-shaped Jade Object indicates the lucky four seasons, peace and happiness. Magpies on Branches implies the meaning of good luck and many happy events, etc.
②”Lifestyle emotional art”
“Emotionalized art in lifestyle”is a great artistic feature of the Chinese paper-cut. Folk paper-cut applies plenty ofthe techniques of expression such as homophony, symboliam and connotation which are implicit and meaningful andmake life full of artistic and unique characteristics as well as expose strong artistic appeal and individual charm.
Skillful folk craftsman can fully describeall ideal things with their imagination in the field of the paper-cut art, using figures to convey the spirit, and expressing the ingenious, original and nice meaning.
③”Interactive use of rational and sentimental visual language”
The artistic concept of “interactive use of rational and sentimental visual language”is heavily influenced by the “ritual and music culture”of Confucianism, and this is the remarkable art features of Chinese paper-cut. We can simply interpret this kind of idea as the fact that the environment is adaptable and rational with the perceptual content and internal factors which full of romantic colors and rich changes; abstract symbol-oriented and rational decorative patterns combined with symbolic meanings and human-oriented life image, which brings a beautiful scene of vitality and order.
④”Artistic expression of casual freedom”
The”artistic expression of casual freedom”is a significant feature ofChinese paper-cut art. Henri Matisse once said:”the paper-cut is more sensitive than a pencil.”The emotional “lines”are naturally revealed in the paper-cut works with the conveniently cut, produce a natural beauty unconsciously. Pattern modeling that full of ornamentality and complanation breaks through the limitation of the volume, space and time, breaks the objective laws of nature and space constraints. It is not the pursuit of realistic simulation of the appearance of the object, not subject to the constraints of inherent form of natural object, but to express the image which requires to be shown in the form of plane, imagery and occasionality.
The unique visual aesthetic taste of Chinese folk paper-cut:
① The beauty between the paper and knife
Tools and materials are the basic material conditions of plastic arts creation, while proper use of them is an important means to reflect theartist style. The tools and materials of the paper-cut are unique. Thepaper taste and ways of cuttingbrought by the artists make art features manifested vividly. Papertaste is the intuitive appearance of the works’ image, and the “calligraphic style”of the paper-cut pays attention to steady, accurate, clever state, therefore we can see the sophistication, purity and simplicity of the author’s art fromthe performance of the”calligraphic style”of paper.
② The beauty of decoration
The limitation is one of the important form characteristics of decorative design, and the continuous connected lines constitute the unique beauty of structure of the paper-cut art. This aesthetic feeling can be achieved in the process of restrictions and anti-restriction. Patterning is an important content of decorative beauty of paper-cut art, highlighting thelaw of form of aestheticism on modeling, paying attention to simple and neat visual effects on color. The forms of Chinese paper-cut art pursues the beauty of the flat decoration with exaggeration, rhythm and dramatization.
③ The beauty of the hollow-out
The beauty of hollow-out is the main aesthetic characteristics of the paper-cut art. Interaction between Yin and Yang, mutual action of blankness and fulness and fusion of environment space factors make the Chinese paper-cut produce the ethereal and fresh beauty. The paper-cutof”cut ceaseless”makes all the artistic image manifested through the form of exquisitely carving and constitutes unique artistic beauty of the paper-cut art.
④Natural beauty
Some form factors of contingency that may be unconsciously revealed in the process of conscious artistic expression of the Chinese paper-cut, and these imagery factors with contingency will bring some naturaltaste to the picture. Folk paper-cut is the art of common people, and purity and simplicity are its important artistic style and trend in the aspect of either the subject or the ideology, so we can appreciate the natural beauty demonstrated of human childhood profoundly.
