Chinese Paper Cutting

Characteristics of Paper Cutting

Folk paper cutting is one of the forms of folk art in China with a long history. As the embodiment of Chinese native philosophy, folk paper-cutting has comprehensive, beautifying and auspicious characteristics in its expression, while folk paper-cutting conveys the connotation and essence of traditional culture with its own specific language of expression.

Paper cutting is one of the most popular folk arts in China, dating back to the sixth century AD according to archaeology, but it is thought to have actually begun hundreds of years earlier than that. Paper cutting is commonly used in religious ceremonies, decoration and plastic arts. In the past, paper was often used to make images of objects and people in various shapes and forms to be buried with the dead or burned at funerals, a custom that is still sometimes seen outside of China. The art of paper-cutting generally has a symbolic meaning and is part of this ritual; in addition, paper-cutting is also used as a decoration for offerings to ancestors and gods.

The art of paper-cutting is widely practiced in the north, and nowadays, paper-cutting is more often used for decoration. Paper cuts can be used to decorate walls, doors, windows, pillars, mirrors, lamps and lanterns, etc., but also for gifts for decoration, and even the paper itself can be used as a gift to others. People used to cut paper as embroidery and spray paint art model.

Paper cutting is not made by hand but by machine, and there are two common methods: scissors cutting and knife cutting. As the name suggests, scissors cutting is with the help of scissors, after cutting and then several (usually no more than 8) paper cuts pasted together, and then finally with sharp scissors on the pattern processing. Knife cutting, on the other hand, involves first folding the paper into several stacks, placing it on a loose mixture of ash and animal fat, and then slowly carving it with a knife. The paper cutter usually holds the knife vertically and works the paper into the desired pattern according to a certain model. One of the advantages of knife cutting over scissors is that multiple paper-cutting patterns can be processed at once. In rural areas, paper cutting is usually done by women and girls.

In the past, it was an art of craftsmanship that every girl had to master, and it was also a standard by which brides were judged. The professional paper cutters were often men, because only men could work together in the workshops and earn money.

Today, there are many people who learn the art of paper-cutting in various ways, such as: dance "simplified female", "paper-cut dolls" and so on. I believe that with the efforts of everyone, paper-cutting, which symbolizes the craftsmanship of China, will be developed!

Paper-cutting composition method

The basic material of paper-cutting is flat paper, the basic unit is the lines and blocks, the basic language symbols are decorative dots, lines, surfaces, and due to the limitations of the material, paper-cutting is not good at showing the complexity of the picture content and light and shadow effects and the volume of the image, the depth of the undulation, so the only way to make the best of the situation is to use the composition of a planar perspective, that is, objects and scenes from the three-dimensional structure of the picture. That is, the objects and scenes from the three-dimensional image of three-dimensional space into a two-dimensional image of the space plane, through the expression of the material to boldly choose and discard, simplify and simplify, with concise lines to summarize, so that the picture focus on highlighting the black and white relationship between the real and the virtual, in order to enhance the expressive power of the work, the plane of the world's objects with a plane of vision performance, determines the performance of the paper-cutting characteristics of the flatness of the image of any shape **** existed in a specific That is, any image shaping *** exists in a specific form of visible plane. Folk paper-cutting uses an unfolding way of thinking, extremely arbitrary. Under the creator's scissors, paper-cutting becomes a natural and bold creation with no volume, no space, no perspective, and no regard for proportion, based on experience and spirituality. In order to express their own ideas, the creators can break the objective laws of nature and the limitations of space, and put objects of different time and space on the same plane. This kind of planarization with the help of static can express three-dimensional, four-dimensional and even multi-dimensional space, and through dynamic thinking, continuous depiction of the world in their minds. Folk paper-cutting is to utilize the limitations of paper to make a great deal of work, to roam freely in the limitations, to change the impossible into the possible, and to simplify the three-dimensional world into a two-dimensional space. Infinite space, infinite complexity of forms are placed on a flat surface, flat outlines become the basis for paper-cutting modeling. Therefore, the unique expressive power of folk paper-cutting is realized on the basis of the thorough concept of two-dimensional space. The creator of paper-cutting plays his true and pure artistic nature, breaks the boundaries of the objective world, and expresses the artistic object in his mind from multiple angles, directions and levels.

This compositional thinking of folk paper-cutting is not subject to the limitations of life practices and subject matter, and creatively organizes a number of images to produce coherence, contrast, and set off. This expressive method of planarizing objects enhances the subjectivity, temporality, three-dimensionality and comprehensiveness of paper-cutting, and its ultimate purpose is to pursue the integrity of modeling. The psychology of seeking completeness is the root of all these. In folk paper-cutting, the objects cut in the foreground and the back view appear on a plane, the objects do not block each other and do not overlap each other, so that you can see the objects in front of you, but also the objects behind you in a complete way, thus presenting a strong decorative style. Out of the simple ideological feelings and aesthetic stereotypes, the creators even break the barriers of realization, using the technique of unity between the surface and the inside, to fully express the objects. For paper-cutting, the reality of the object back, top, bottom or internal although it is invisible, but it is the existence of inner feelings, invisible is reasonable, but not cut out is unreasonable.

In addition, folk paper-cutting frame and performance is not a fixed point of view of the static visual image of simulation or reproduction, but the full synthesis of sensibility and rationality of the dynamic dialectic. Chinese folk art does not pursue a sense of depth in perspective, but has a "see more, see all" aesthetic identification. Folk paper-cutting also reflects this aesthetic concept, reflecting the whole picture of things in a two-dimensional space.

The composition of folk paper-cutting completely abandoned the concept of "focus" perspective painting, not only breaking the time, space, proportionality limitations, and completely left the natural scenery of a specific position, with the image of the primary and secondary, symmetrical, balanced form of the law of unity picture. At the same time, folk paper-cutting also has a kind of scattering composition method, that is, different materials are independent and do not cross each other, and even each object has its own perspective point, and the author can arrange these different materials in the same plane reasonably. This is not reasonable in reality, but in paper-cutting is also natural and reasonable.

Folk paper-cutting is not bound by the inherent shape of natural objects, and is not satisfied with the simulation of the appearance of all the objects on the plane. At the same time, in order to pursue the integrity and comprehensiveness of the modeling, but also the different scenes in different spaces and times to depict.

Modeling means of paper-cutting

Folk paper-cutting comes from life, the creators of paper-cutting their knowledge of life, nature, feelings to paper-cutting as a special form of art, is an expression of their inner feelings, so this artistic expression focuses on the expression of God-like, rather than the expression of the form. At the same time, due to the limitations of the paper-cutting process, it is not appropriate to take a completely realistic approach, but can only be used to highlight the characteristics of the object's contours, the use of deformation, exaggeration, in order to highlight the characteristics of the performance of the object. Therefore, exaggeration and deformation have become one of the most commonly used languages of expression in paper-cutting. Exaggeration and deformation is the fruit of human creative labor and the crystallization of wisdom, whether it is the Yangshao culture of colored pottery decoration, Yinshang bronze graphic patterns, or the Qin and Han stone carving art, are the beauty of artistic exaggeration to show its eternal artistic charm. As a direct carrier of primitive art, paper-cutting has outstanding performance in exaggerated deformation. Folk paper-cutting performance content from real life, and most of the reflection of the working people around the life, things, but it is not just a simple, intuitive simulation of its works to show the object, but beyond the reality of the objective performance, through the exaggeration and deformation to change the object's nature, form and so on to change the nature of the original shape of the usual standards.

The creators of folk paper-cutting regard paper-cutting as a part of life, and the yearning for a better life and the worship of ancient totems are the main contents of folk paper-cutting expression. The expression of these themes full of folklore, faith, philosophy, can only be imagined from a subjective point of view, which makes the image of paper-cutting as you wish, and depicting the inner object can not be separated from the artistic language of exaggeration.

The exaggeration of folk paper-cutting modeling is the process of organizing and standardizing the complicated content, not a natural and objective description. Therefore, the image in the paper cutting is more prominent and striking than the prototype. This is determined by the large historical and cultural background and survival environment, originating from the full and rich life life. At the same time, the treatment of life materials by removing the roughness and essence and deleting the complexity and simplification is also the basis of folk paper-cutting modeling. Eliminating the non-essential things, highlighting the parts with characteristics and character, and turning complexity into simplicity for artistic recreation is the exaggeration of folk paper-cutting. Exaggeration is to emphasize the characteristics of the object on the basis of omission, the most special part of the object for the expansion, reduction, elongation, thickening, deformation and other treatments, so that the image is more characteristic and artistic charm. In many folk paper-cutting works, the character's facial modeling almost only see the eyes, because in people's concept, the eyes can best convey the spirit, so the creators of the human eye exaggerated treatment.

The exaggeration of folk paper-cutting, in order to reflect the characteristics of the object at the same time, but also required to achieve the purpose of decorative beauty, and in the effect of decorative beauty to show the creator's ideals, aspirations and other spiritual pursuit of life. In order to make the part that needs to be highlighted more clear, more concentrated and more eye-catching, some ornaments are often added to the objects to achieve the perfect decorative purpose. The will to seek beauty also becomes one of the contents of exaggeration. When showing figures, the clothes of the figures are decorated with flowers; when depicting animals, the fur on the animals is exaggerated into a swirl, or patterns are added directly on their bodies, which makes the original ordinary image become transparent, reflecting a strong decorative nature. Sawtooth and crescent shapes are commonly used decorative patterns in folk paper cutting.

The creative process of folk paper-cutting is the process of evolution and deepening of the "truth" of real life to the "beauty" of art through exaggerated techniques, and it is the process of the creator's ideology, aesthetic psychology and the pursuit of beauty, embodiment. In the long-term observation and comprehension of life, and then after a long period of practice, the creators know well the rules of paper-cutting, the balance, differences, sparseness and irregularity of the free combination of lines, constituting a wonderful rhythm and rhythm at the same time, adding interest, rich image of the infectious force.

Auspicious wishes of paper-cutting

Folk paper-cutting is good at combining many kinds of objects together and producing ideal and beautiful results. Whether with one or more image combination, are "to the image of meaning", "to the meaning of the image" to modeling, rather than according to the objective natural form to modeling, at the same time, but also good at the use of the technique to create a variety of good luck, the agreed-upon image of a combination to Express their own psychology. The pursuit of auspicious metaphors has become one of the ultimate purpose of the combination of imagery.

The reason why folk paper-cutting can be widely spread for a long time, the performance function is the main reason. The geographical closure and cultural limitations, as well as natural disasters and other adversities, inspired people's desire for a full and happy life. People pray for good food and clothing, prosperity, health and longevity, and everything is as it should be, and this simple wish is conveyed through paper-cutting. Folk paper cutting "Deer and Crane in Spring" is a traditional folk theme pattern. According to the records, the crane is "Xuanbird", and Xuanbird is the general name of "migratory birds". In folk culture, the deer is called "migratory beast" and the crane is called "migratory bird", and the deer and crane are symbols of spring and life. In folk culture, the deer and the crane have the same sound as Luk, and the crane is regarded as a bird of longevity, so the deer and the crane together have the meaning of good fortune and longevity. In the relatively low productivity of civil society, human labor becomes the guarantee of survival, and getting rid of the pain of disease and death is the eternal ideal of people. Folk paper-cutting expresses the desire for life in various forms, takes sides with life, celebrates life, shows the joy of life, and the worship of life becomes people's devout faith. The Eagle Treading on Rabbit is one of the joyful flowers in the folk cave, and is also a traditional pattern, which has been widely circulated in the folk world. The eagle is a metaphor for "yang", the same as the chicken, bird and crow. In folk deification, the sun is called the "three-legged bird", and the sun is called the "crow". The rabbit symbolizes "Yin", and the moon is called the rabbit in folklore. The eagle treading on the rabbit is a metaphor for love between a man and a woman, reflecting the theme of fertility worship. Commonly seen in folk paper-cutting are sitting tent flowers and happy flowers, all of which express in a metaphorical way the worship and pursuit of life and reproduction. Paper-cut works with themes such as "Buckle Bowl", "Bun Doll" and "Fish Abetting Lotus" abound and are numerous. The concept of praying for life gives folk paper-cutting inexhaustible blood and vigorous vitality. The creators of paper-cutting treat abundance and happiness with firm optimistic beliefs and continuous hope, and paper-cutting is the external presentation of their ideals of creating a better life. Folk paper-cutting integrates these auspicious symbols into a variety of national activities to meet the spiritual and psychological needs of the general public in order to support the survival of mankind, enriching the lives of mankind. In folk paper-cutting, we can see many images reflecting the production life, these works have a common point, that is, the subject is exaggerated, a big fish, a big pepper, a big silkworm, a big grain and so on, through paper-cutting, people fictionalized a beautiful image; to comfort their own soul, to promote the great creativity of people to conquer nature, in order to establish their own ideal world, and affirm the human strength, and inspire people to continue to struggle. The paper-cutting is a way of comforting one's mind, of expressing one's great creativity in conquering nature, of building one's own ideal world, and of recognizing one's strength and inspiring one's courage to continue to struggle.

The expressive language of folk paper-cutting is not simply a plain narrative, but an object to send a message, borrowing the conceptual image of those conventions to support people's aspirations for a better life, and the expectation of good luck and happiness. All kinds of simple and grotesque and contains the honesty to the beauty of paper-cutting modeling, from the primitive visual way of thinking and folk aesthetic concepts; from the unique modeling system composed of program system and imagery; from the original philosophy and world view of the Chinese, more touching artistic charm.

Definition of paper-cutting

-- "Paper-cutting is a kind of hollow art and the most popular folk art, which visually gives people a sense of transparency and artistic enjoyment. Its carrier can be paper, gold and silver foil, bark, leaves, cloth, leather, leather and other sheet materials."

Edited Introduction to Paper Cutting

Paper cutting is one of the most popular traditional folk decorative arts in China, with a long history. It has a long history. It is generally popular because of its easy-to-obtain materials, low cost, immediate effect, and wide range of adaptability; and because it is the most suitable for rural women to make in their leisure time, which can be used as both practical objects and beautification of life. Paper-cutting can be seen all over the country, and even formed different local styles and schools. Paper-cutting not only expresses the aesthetic preferences of the masses, but also contains the deep-rooted psychology of the national society, and is one of the most characteristic folk arts in China, whose modeling characteristics are especially worth studying. As the embodiment of Chinese origin philosophy, folk paper-cutting has comprehensive, beautifying and auspicious characteristics in its expression, while folk paper-cutting conveys the connotation and essence of traditional culture with its own specific expression language.

On May 20, 2006, the heritage of paper-cutting art was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list, and on June 8, 2007, Shanghai Li Shoubai Paper-cutting Master Studio was awarded the first Cultural Heritage Day Award issued by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China.

The history of paper-cutting

China's folk paper-cutting handmade art has its own formation and development process, the invention of paper in our country is in the Western Han Dynasty BC (6th century BC), before that it is not possible to have the emergence of the art of paper-cutting, but at that time, people use thin sheet of material, made of artifacts through the hollowing out of the carving technique, but as early as when there is no paper has been popular, that is, with the carving, Skeletonization, ticking, carving, cutting techniques in gold foil, leather, silk, and even in the leaves cut patterns. The Historical Records of the cut Tong Feng Di described the early Western Zhou Dynasty King Cheng with sycamore leaves cut into "Gui" given to his brother, sealed Ji Yu to Tang as a marquis. Warring States period, there is leather skeletonization, (Hubei Jiang Ling Wangshan one of the Chu tomb excavated artifacts), silver foil skeletonization carving (Henan Huixian solid surrounding the village of one of the excavated artifacts of the warring states ruins), are with paper-cutting with a withdrawal, their emergence for the formation of folk paper-cutting has laid a certain foundation. China's earliest discovery of paper-cutting works, is in 1967, China's archaeologists in Xinjiang Turpan Basin, Gaochang site near the Astana Ancient North Dynasty curtain group, the discovery of the two regimental flower paper-cutting, they use the hemp paper, are folded ritual paper-cutting, their discovery of China's paper-cutting formation to provide physical evidence.

On the history of paper-cutting handicraft art, that is, the real meaning of paper-cutting, should start from the emergence of paper. The invention of paper in the Han Dynasty prompted the emergence, development and popularization of paper cutting. Paper is a very easy to moldy materials, in the southeastern region of China's climate is humid, coupled with the local rainy days every year in May and June, a long time paper products on the moldy, and folk paper-cutting is a popular thing, people will not be like a treasure to save up, spoiled their own can be cut again. And in the northwest of China, dry, dry climate, the paper is not easy to mold, which may also be found in Xinjiang Turpan area of the Northern Dynasties paper cuts one of the important reasons.

Tang Dynasty paper-cutting - paper flowers Tang Dynasty paper-cutting has been in a period of great development, Du Fu's poem has "warm water Maundy my feet, paper-cutting to attract my soul" sentence, to paper-cutting to attract the soul of the custom has been spreading folk. Now hidden in the British Museum of the Tang Dynasty paper cutting can be seen at that time paper cutting handmade art level has been extremely high, the picture composition is complete, expressing a kind of heaven and earth ideal realm. Tang dynasty popular jie, its openwork woodblock pattern with paper-cutting characteristics, such as now hidden in Japan's Masakura Yard "sheep", its sheep pattern is typical of paper-cutting handmade art expression. Tang Dynasty folk also appeared in the form of paper cuts using the production of leakage printing plate, people with thick paper carved into a flower plate, the dye leakage printing to the cloth, forming a beautiful pattern.

The Song Dynasty paper industry is mature, paper products a variety of names, for the popularity of paper cutting provides the conditions. Such as becoming a folk gift "gift flower", stick on the window "window flower", or used for lanterns, tea decorations. Song dynasty folk paper cutting the use of gradually expanding the scope of Jiangxi Jizhou kilns will be paper cutting as a ceramic pattern, through the glaze, firing to make ceramics more beautiful; folk also use paper cutting in the form of donkeys, cows, horses, sheep and other animal skin, carved into shadow play characters; blue printed fabric crafting skeletonization plate is made of oil on cardboard carving into patterns, scraping printing pattern is the use of paper-cutting techniques, there is a yin, Yang carved points, the long line to cut, to point points of reality.

Ming and Qing dynasties paper-cutting handicraft art to maturity, and reached its heyday. Folk paper-cutting handmade art of a wider range of applications, such as folk lanterns on the flower decoration, fan decoration, as well as embroidery patterns, etc., are not the use of paper-cutting as a decorative into the reprocessing. More often than not, China's folk paper cutting as decorative home ornaments, beautify the home environment, such as door stacks, window flowers, cabinet flowers, happy flowers, roof flowers are used to decorate doors and windows, room paper cutting. In addition to the paper-tie pattern craftsmen who appeared after the Southern Song Dynasty, the most basic team of Chinese folk paper-cutting handicraft is still those rural women. Women's red is an important symbol of the perfection of traditional women in China, and paper-cutting, as a compulsory skill of women's red, has become a craft that girls have to learn from childhood. They have to learn the pattern of paper-cutting from their seniors or sisters, and through cutting, re-cutting, painting and cutting, depicting their own familiar and love of natural scenery, fish, insects, birds and animals, flowers, trees, pavilions, bridges and landscapes, and finally to reach the realm of the heart, the hands of the cut out the new pattern to.

Chinese folk paper-cutting handicraft art, like an ivy plant, ancient and evergreen, its unique popularity, practicality, aesthetics has become a symbolism in line with the psychological needs of the people.

Edit the creation of paper cutting

I. Composition method

The basic material of paper-cutting is flat paper, the basic unit is lines and blocks, the basic language symbols are decorative dots, lines and surfaces, and due to the limitations of the material, paper-cutting is not good at showing multi-layered and complex picture content and light and shadow effects and the volume, depth and undulation of the object, so only to avoid the shortcomings, and in the composition of the composition of the plan view composition, i.e., the object and the scene by the three-dimensional image of three-dimensional space into two-dimensional image, the object and scene by the three-dimensional image of three-dimensional space into two-dimensional image. Three-dimensional image of the three-dimensional space into a two-dimensional image of the space plane, through the expression of the material to boldly select, simplify and simplify, with concise lines to summarize, so that the picture focus on highlighting the black and white relationship between the real and the virtual, in order to enhance the expressive power of the work, with a flat vision of the world's performance of the object, determines the performance of the flatness of the characteristics of the performance of paper-cutting, that is, the shaping of any image **** existed in a particular form of the visible plane. Folk paper-cutting uses the unfolding type of thinking to express the world's objects. Folk paper-cutting uses an unfolding way of thinking, extremely arbitrary. Under the creator's scissors, paper-cutting becomes a natural and bold creation without volume, without space, without perspective, without regard for proportion, and with experience and spirituality. In order to express their own ideas, the creators can break the objective laws of nature and the limitations of space, and put objects of different time and space on the same plane. This kind of planarization with the help of static can express three-dimensional, four-dimensional and even multi-dimensional space, and through dynamic thinking, continuous depiction of the world in their minds. Folk paper-cutting is to utilize the limitations of paper to make a great deal of work, to roam freely in the limitations, to change the impossible into the possible, and to simplify the three-dimensional world into a two-dimensional space. Infinite space, infinite complexity of forms are placed on a flat surface, flat outlines become the modeling basis of paper-cutting. Therefore, the unique expressive power of folk paper-cutting is realized on the basis of the thorough concept of two-dimensional space. The creator of paper-cutting plays his true and pure artistic nature, breaks the boundaries of the objective world, and expresses the artistic object in his mind from multiple angles, directions and levels.

This compositional thinking of folk paper-cutting is not subject to the limitations of life practices and subject matter, and creatively organizes a number of images to produce coherence, contrast, and set off. This expressive method of planarizing objects enhances the subjectivity, temporality, three-dimensionality, and comprehensiveness of paper-cutting, the ultimate purpose of which is the pursuit of modeling integrity. The psychology of seeking completeness is the root of all these. In folk paper-cutting, the objects cut in the foreground and back view appear on a plane, the objects do not block each other, do not overlap each other, and you can see the objects in front of you as well as the objects behind you in a complete way, thus presenting a strong decorative style. Out of the simple ideological feelings and aesthetic stereotypes, the creators even break the barriers of realization, using the technique of unity between the surface and the inside, to fully express the objects. For paper-cutting, the reality of the object back, top, bottom or internal although it is invisible, but it is the existence of inner feelings, invisible is reasonable, but not cut out is unreasonable.

In addition, folk paper-cutting frame and performance is not a fixed point of view of the static visual image of simulation or reproduction, but the full synthesis of sensibility and rationality of the dynamic dialectic. Chinese folk art does not pursue a sense of depth in perspective, but has a "see more, see all" aesthetic recognition. Folk paper-cutting also embodies this aesthetic concept, reflecting the whole picture of things in a two-dimensional space.

Scattered perspective paper-cut works

Folk paper-cutting composition completely abandoned the concept of "focus" perspective painting, not only breaking the limits of time, space, proportionality, and completely away from the specific location of the natural scenery, with the image of the primary and secondary, symmetry, balance, and unity of the form of the laws of the Picture. At the same time, folk paper-cutting also has a kind of scattering composition method, that is, different materials are independent and do not cross each other, and even each object has its own perspective point, and the author can reasonably arrange these different materials in the same plane. This is not reasonable in reality, but in paper-cutting is also natural and reasonable.

Folk paper-cutting is not bound by the inherent shape of natural objects, and is not satisfied with the simulation of the appearance of all the objects on the plane. At the same time, in order to pursue the integrity and comprehensiveness of modeling, different scenes in different spaces and times are depicted, which fully reflects the creator's exquisite craftsmanship and the aesthetic desire to seek perfection.

II. Modeling tools

Folk paper-cutting comes from life, paper-cutting creators to their knowledge of life, nature, feelings to paper-cutting this special form of art to show, is an expression of their inner feelings, so this artistic expression focus on the performance of God, rather than the performance of similarity. At the same time, due to the limitations of the paper-cutting process, it is not appropriate to take a completely realistic approach, but can only be used to highlight the characteristics of the object's contours, the use of deformation, exaggeration, in order to highlight the characteristics of the performance of the object. Therefore, exaggeration and deformation have become one of the most commonly used languages of expression in paper-cutting. Exaggeration and deformation is the fruit of human creative labor and the crystallization of wisdom, whether it is the Yangshao culture of colored pottery decoration, Yinshang bronze graphic patterns, or the Qin and Han stone carving art, are the beauty of artistic exaggeration to show its eternal artistic charm. As a direct carrier of primitive art, paper-cutting has outstanding performance in exaggerated deformation. Folk paper-cutting performance content from real life, and most of the reflection of the working people around the life, things, but it is not just a simple, intuitive simulation of its works to show the object, but beyond the reality of the objective performance, through the exaggeration and deformation to change the object's nature, form and so on to change the nature of the original shape of the usual standards.

The creators of folk paper-cutting regard paper-cutting as a part of life, and the yearning for a better life and the worship of ancient totems are the main contents of folk paper-cutting expression. The expression of these themes full of folklore, faith, philosophy, can only be imagined from a subjective point of view, which makes the image of paper-cutting as you wish, and depicting the inner object can not be separated from the artistic language of exaggeration.

The exaggeration of folk paper-cutting modeling is the process of organizing and standardizing the complicated content, not a natural and objective description. Therefore, the image in the paper cutting is more prominent and striking than the prototype. This is determined by the large historical and cultural background and survival environment, originating from the full and rich life life. At the same time, the treatment of life materials by removing the roughness and essence and deleting the complexity and simplification is also the basis of folk paper-cutting modeling. Eliminating the non-essential things, highlighting the parts with characteristics and character, and turning complexity into simplicity for artistic recreation is the exaggeration of folk paper-cutting. Exaggeration is to emphasize the characteristics of the object on the basis of omission, the most special part of the object for the expansion, reduction, elongation, thickening, deformation and other treatments, so that the image is more characteristic and artistic charm. In many folk paper-cutting works, the character's facial modeling almost only see the eyes, because in people's minds, the eyes can best convey the spirit, so the creators of the human eye exaggerated treatment.

Sawtooth paper-cutting The exaggeration of folk paper-cutting, in order to reflect the characteristics of the object at the same time, but also required to achieve the purpose of decorative beauty, and in the effect of decorative beauty to show the creator's ideals, aspirations, and other spiritual pursuit of life. In order to make the part that needs to be highlighted more clear, more concentrated and more eye-catching, some ornaments are often added to the objects to achieve the perfect decorative purpose. The will to seek beauty also becomes one of the contents of exaggeration. When showing figures, the clothes of the figures are decorated with flowers; when depicting animals, the fur on the animals is exaggerated into a swirl, or patterns are added directly to their bodies, which makes the original ordinary image become transparent, reflecting a strong decorative nature. Sawtooth and crescent shapes are commonly used decorative patterns in folk paper cutting.

The creative process of folk paper-cutting is the process of evolution and deepening of the "truth" of real life to the "beauty" of art through exaggerated techniques, and it is the process of the creator's ideology, aesthetic psychology and the pursuit of beauty, embodiment. In the long-term observation and comprehension of life, and then after a long period of practice, the creators know well the laws of paper cutting, the balance, the difference, the sparse and irregular lines of free combination, constituting a wonderful rhythm and rhythm, adding interest, enriching the image of the infectious force.

Third, the technique of paper-cutting: in terms of technique, paper-cutting is mainly divided into: yin carving method, yang carving method, yin and yang mixed carving method.

Fourth, the tools and instructions for paper-cutting:

Paper-cutting is not made by hand but by machine, there are two commonly used methods: scissors cut and knife cut. As the name suggests, scissors cut with the help of scissors, cut and then several (usually no more than 8 paper cuts pasted together, and then finally with sharp scissors on the pattern processing. Knife cutting, on the other hand, involves folding the paper into several stacks, placing them on a loose mixture of ash and animal fat, and then slowly carving them with a knife. The paper cutter usually holds the knife vertically and works the paper into the desired pattern according to a certain model. One of the advantages of knife cutting over scissors is that more than one paper-cutting pattern can be processed at a time.

Edit this section of the school of paper-cutting

First. Southern school, represented by the Guangdong Foshan paper cutting and Fujian folk paper cutting.

Guangdong Foshan paper cutting

Southern school of paper cutting - Foshan paper cutting

Guangdong Foshan paper cutting has a long history, originating in the Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Since the Ming Dynasty, Foshan paper-cutting has been a specialized industry mass production, the products are sold to the province and the central and southern, southwestern provinces, and exported to countries in the South China Sea.

Foshan paper-cutting according to its production materials and methods are copper lining, paper lining, copper writing, silver writing, woodcut overprinting, copper chiseling, pure color and other categories. The use of local specialties of copper foil and silver foil, with cutting, carving, chiseling and other techniques, lined with a variety of color paper and painting and printing on a variety of patterns, the formation of strong colors, brilliant, rich in the southern characteristics of the paper-cutting. Foshan paper-cutting is both delicate and elegant, but also thick and strong expression, according to the needs of the use of materials and the art of selection.

In ancient times, the main use of paper-cutting is the decoration of holiday gifts, ritual decoration, embroidery and carving patterns, product trademarks and so on. With the development of society, Foshan paper-cutting in the traditional basis, with its rigorous composition, decorative, transparent and elegant, brilliant features, mostly reflecting the life of the times as a feature of the subject matter, creating a traditional art innovation, more representative of the art of paper-cutting in China.

Fujian folk paper cutting

Southern school of paper cutting - Zhangpu, Fujian paper cutting

Fujian paper cutting all over the country have different characteristics. Mountainous areas of Nanping, Hua'an and other places in order to carve more works to mountain poultry and livestock, the performance of the more robust, simple and simple; coastal Minnan, Zhangpu, some of the belt is repeatedly seen in the aquatic animals into the painting, the style of detailed and vivid modeling; Putian, Xianyou area to the gift of flowers is given priority to, tends to be gorgeous and delicate meaning.

The role of paper-cutting is also very wide: the festivals of the year window, door identification, lanterns, ceremonial flowers and embroidery of the manuscript samples, Quanzhou artists carve the paper is also used in the construction of furniture, as a copy of the lacquer painting of the base plate.

The most characteristic style should be called Putian gift flowers. The most distinctive style should be called gift flower in Putian. He is a gift of life, happiness and longevity, sacrificing to the gods, ghosts and ancestors, no matter whether it is a gift or offerings, no matter whether it is a light gift or a thick gift, all to be endowed with a bright red paper-cut flower. Even pig's head, pig's feet, pork belly, chicken claws and claws, are so. China has a saying called "gift light people mean heavy", I think the gift is to symbolize the behavior, and gifts on the flowers, when the people lover's intention, right?

Gift flower modeling is also other interesting. A chicken claw on the paper cuts called "phoenix claw flowers", this is no beauty of things suddenly became a branch of the claws of the Ana if the dance of the phoenix foot phoenix toes, above and then decorated with the "play peony" pattern, it is more beautiful. Pig's stomach is also very ugly, the author of this flower cut into a fat and slippery oil piglet imagery, so that this "delicious not good-looking" gift, the most appropriate perfect. More strange in which the text "a group of color" rather than "a group of peace", because that full of garden, has been overflowing with visible auspicious clouds.