1、 A Comparison of Aesthetic Characteristics of Chinese and Western Papercutting Art - Aesthetic Reflections on the Modernity of Matisse Papercutting Art Intuition is like a tree branch that must be pruned to grow lush. (1) The art of painting by Henri Matisse (1869-1954), a 20th-century modern art gi
2、ant and master of the fauvist art, is known for its bold colors, concise forms, and strong decorative qualities. In Matisses view, colors, whether harmonious or discordant, can have a moving effect. Thus, the style of painting often pursues a pure and primitive childishness in color and a concise an
3、d stagnant purity in form. Matisses exploration of colorful paper-cutting in his later years was a perfect expression of this style of art, making Matisses paintings extremely concise and decorative, thus creating the concept of grand decorative art. As a result, the art of paper-cutting also gradua
4、lly entered the mainstream Western art world and became one of the keys to Matisses study of the art of painting. In fact, the art of paper-cutting has a long history in China, as far back as the period of the North and South Dynasties, there was a verse in the Magnolia Rhetoric that reads, To the m
5、irror, affix the yellow flowers, but since the creative group of paper-cutting techniques in China is mostly grassroots, its artistic inheritance has been active in the folk, but rarely entered the vision of elite artists, and even less able to fully integrate into mainstream art. Although the art o
6、f paper-cutting was included in Chinas first national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006, its transmission and development have always been difficult. Generally speaking, traditional Chinese folk paper-cutting is a folk art form that decorates the environment, creates an atmosphere and expres
7、ses joy in the traditional festive life, and the visual images and forms that it continues to carry on contain rich cultural and historical information, expressing the social cognition, moral concepts, practical experiences, life ideals and aesthetic interests of the general public. (2) And the pain
8、ting master Matisse showed us another side of the art of paper-cutting, that is, his paper-cutting art not only has a different exotic style, there is a glorious modern sense, and more importantly, Matisses paper-cutting art works closely with the mainstream culture of the West, in the dissemination
9、, but also presents the basic purpose of the dissemination of the elite culture to the mass culture, and this is the current traditional folk paper-cutting art inheritance protection and development of the lack of. Based on this, this study, through the aesthetic exploration of the modernity of Mati
10、sse paper-cutting art, especially the multi-dimensional comparative study of the artistic characteristics and aesthetic implications of traditional Chinese folk paper-cutting and Matisse paper-cutting, will provide important help for us to understand why Matisse paper-cutting art is moving towards t
11、he mainstream art world and expand peoples understanding of paper-cutting art. At the same time, it also provides a reference path for us to study the art of paper-cutting from another perspective and preserve our traditional folk paper-cutting skills. I. The beauty of paper-cutting and expression W
12、hat is truly beautiful must conform to nature on the one hand, and to the ideal on the other. (3) Chinese art focuses on the communication of imagery, while Western art focuses on the expression of subjective experience. Traditional Chinese folk paper-cutting and Matisses paper-cutting both abstract
13、 and generalize the object of expression in terms of shape, but due to the differences in folk cultural traditions that are rooted in them, similarities and differences in style coexist. Traditional Chinese folk paper-cutting is a typical style of Chinese folk art, with a strong creative character:
14、the creators of folk paper-cutting are mostly ordinary working women, who usually do not sketch, but use skilled techniques, directly using the knife as a pen, cutting and carving, expressing their hearts and minds, from the heart, standing the image to the fullest, without being too formal. Whether
15、 monochrome paper cutting or color paper cutting, in the form of expression is on the same paper, the same plane to shape the image, with the cutting technique as the main, with color as a supplement, the flat sense of decorative features are particularly prominent, the work line is smooth, the real
16、 and virtual, rich in curved, sparse, thick and thin, positive and negative and other changes. (4) For example, in the paper-cutting of characters, the five senses of the human being are succinctly summarized through the hollow lines, the form of the body is cut with longer straight lines or curves,
17、 the clothing pattern is subsumed into the texture rich in decorative sense, the minimalist form expresses the situation and mental state of the character, the shape and meaning are highly harmonious and unified. Figure 1. Smoking (Shaanxi paper cut) And Matisse believes that there are two ways to e
18、xpress art, one is to imitate it as it is, and one is to express it artistically. He chose the latter, saying explicitly that what I seek most is performance. I cannot distinguish between the feelings I have for life and the way I express them. (5) The Western art world of the 20th century was color
19、ful, a time of breaking away from the classical realistic tradition and breaking into many art schools. Matisses work was also influenced by a new wave of thinking, with works moving from reproduction to representation, from three-dimensional to flat, focusing on the exploration of form and giving c
20、ontent to formal representation or ideas. His paintings are characterized by contrasting colors, concise shapes, rich and harmonious compositions, and strong decorative interests that embody a feralist aesthetic, and these characteristics are also reflected in his paper-cut works. (6) Matisse, speak
21、ing of his own papercutting, says: There is no disconnect between my past work and my papercutting, except that my papercutting has more absoluteness and abstraction, I achieve a thoughtful clarification of form, and I retain enough of the object to make it exist in its own pure form, and in the sym
22、bols of the whole as I understand it, whereas in the past I have expressed it in a complex space. (7) The starting point of the Beast is to rediscover the purity of the means and the possibility of manifesting inner illusions. The characteristics of paper-cutting are in line with Matisses artistic q
23、uest for simplicity, becoming the simplest and most direct form of self-expression he has ever found. The childish, simple forms of paper-cut, flat, decorative style, while revealing traces of the influence of Eastern and African art on Matisse, freed Matisse from the constraints of the Western trad
24、ition of perspective, light and reproduction, and enjoyed a freer, more self-expressive form of art. Compared to traditional Chinese folk paper-cutting, Matisses paper-cutting has a strong expressive character: first of all, he does not focus on the simulation of figurative things, but rather on the
25、 expression of inner emotional experience. For example, the paper-cut work Snail is a collage of abstract color blocks, with contrasting color blocks spiraling together so that the viewer cannot see the figurative form. Secondly, compared to the traditional Chinese folk paper-cutting pursuit of a su
26、ccessful pattern and the aesthetic pursuit of maintaining the integrity of the object, Matisses paper-cutting pays more attention to the contrast of lines and color blocks to form a striking effect. The forms in Matisses paper cuts can be arbitrary and free or mutilated, and he cuts and cuts with dy
27、ed paper, using recombination and collage, the whole process pushes and tweaks. The collage technique makes the main body and the background form block each other, forming a before and after relationship in the position, breaking the monotony of the plane, enhancing the contrast between the shape an
28、d color in the space. Therefore, Matisses paper-cutting is a flexible and versatile work of expressive technique, with emphasis on shape, composition and color expression. Figure 2. Snail (Henri Matisse, 1952) II. The commonality of aesthetic meaning and the beauty of individuality Beauty is a realm
29、 of life, and aesthetics is a practice of life. Chinese traditional folk paper-cutting is rich in content, with distinct artistic characteristics and interest in life. Landscape figures, flowers, vegetables and fruits, birds, animals, insects and fish, housing appliances and geometric patterns come
30、to life; folklore, mythology, historical allusions and opera characters leap to mind. The pursuit of an ideal and happy life is the centralized manifestation of the aspirations of the workers groups, and is also the theme of the folk paper-cutting most expressed, the folk paper-cutting through harmo
31、nic meaning, symbolic metaphor and other means of the rich pursuit of auspicious through the direct presentation of the way of illustration. The combination of the lotus flower and the child, for example, means to give birth to children, expressing peoples pursuit of reproduction and prosperity; the
32、 combination of the magpie and the plum blossom, taking its harmonious sound The combination of lotus flower and carp represents a long and prosperous life, and the combination of ruyi and persimmon is used to mean everything is fine. For example, Da Yus Rule of Water is a tribute to Da Yus selfless
33、 spirit of benefiting the people, The Empty City Plan is a tribute to Zhuge Liangs resourcefulness, fearlessness and composure in the face of danger, and The Sannang Godchild is a tribute to the virtuous and virtuous female character. These paper-cut works reflect the aesthetics, values and outlook
34、of life of grassroots workers, and carry the aesthetic ideals common to the working people. Figure 3. Folk paper-cutting creations are constantly innovating on the basis of tradition, with obvious inherited and group characteristics. No matter what the content of the subject matter, it contains a de
35、ep history and culture, abstracted as a national characteristic stylistic language and cultural symbols, is a symbolic art rich in meaning. An auspicious theme of paper-cutting patterns, through generations of inheritance and transformation, gathered the collective wisdom and common aesthetic intere
36、sts of generations of workers, embodying the common beauty of traditional folk paper-cutting. In contrast to the common beauty of traditional Chinese folk paper-cutting, Matisses paper-cutting is a presentation of the self-emotional experience of the existential world, with a strong individual chara
37、cter. This individuality is reflected in Matisses representation of the thematic content of the different paper cuts. Matisses creations are not bound by the so-called cultural traditions; his state of creation is free, and each work reveals a combination of originality and individuality. The figure
38、s in the Blue Naked Woman series of paper cutouts are simple and faceted, showing the richness and softness of women, with sculptural thickness and simplicity, presenting a sense of comfort, tranquility, and serenity; The Polynesian Sky is composed of blue blocks of different brightness on a cold ba
39、ckground, collaged with white animal and plant patterns; the blue background is mirrored by abstract and varied shapes, like a dream, like a trance, like a bird soaring in the blue sky, and like a fish swimming in the underwater world, full of life (8); The Aboriginal Dancer (also known as the Creol
40、e Dancer), against a warm background of red, orange, and yellow, the dancers posture is summarized in a minimalist form, showing the exaggerated and intoxicating dance posture, with the blue and white collaged shapes on the figures chest and waist, like a white feathered dance suit, soaring with the
41、 dancers dance. Each of Matisses works is an expression of the authors unique experience, with simple shapes, vibrant colors, and decorative compositions that contribute to the artists personalized art Style. In the preface to his book Sir, Matisse says: The paintings have their own distinctive inte
42、nsity, as if they were a crystallization of peoples memories of the circus, of folk tales or of travel. (9)From Matisses interpretation of papercutting, his papercutting is an expression of the emotional experience of self-art, with a strong lyrical character. Figure 4. Blue Naked Woman (Henri Matis
43、se, 1952) III. The beauty of East and West in paper-cutting colors The colors in traditional Chinese art have a strong symbolic aesthetic meaning, fusing the cultural spirit of Confucianism and Taoism. Confucius valued the symbolism of color as a symbol of virtue, inferiority, rank, order and other
44、ethical contents, and categorized color as: positive, mixed, beautiful and evil, and these colors should not be confused at random, just as there are strict boundaries between monarchs and subjects, fathers and children, and men and women. (5) In traditional Chinese painting, five colors are the mai
45、n colors, reflecting the concept of aesthetics under the philosophical thinking of the ancients, gold, wood, water, fire and earth represent the five elements, east, west, south, north and middle represent the five positions, and red, green, yellow, black and white represent the five colors, which c
46、orrespond to each other in the logical relationship constructed by the ancients. The five-color concept is the ancient peoples philosophical reflection on the understanding and use of color, as the Cao Jiao says: Painting with multi-color, the east is called green, the south is called red, the west
47、is called white, the north is called black. Heaven is called Xuan, and earth is called Yellow. The five colors mentioned here, namely, green, red, white, black and yellow, are designated as positive colors in traditional culture, while the other colors are intercolors. (10) Red is red, it correspond
48、s to the south, is the most abundant sunlight, so red is the color of the sun, also the color of fire, the ancient people believe that to the end, all things are born, the sun and fire can bring people light, warmth and vitality, peoples love for red has become an instinctive and natural choice. The
49、 use of red in folk art has been condensed over thousands of years and has become the main theme, signifying auspiciousness, festivity and red-hotness. Traditional Chinese folk paper cutting is dominated by monochromatic red paper cutting, supplemented by colored paper cutting. The red paper cutouts
50、 are used to decorate the festivals, wedding and birthday banquets, life rituals and other festive events to convey good wishes. Uixian paper-cutting is the traditional Chinese folk paper-cutting in colorful paper-cutting representatives, the colors are mainly red, yellow, green, blue, purple and ot
