Flying Image Research

Flying is not only a decorative art figure in form of painting, sculpture in Buddhism art, but also the most characteristic adornment picture in Dunhuang paintings. Since the discovery of Cangjing cave in the twentieth century, with the development of Dunhuang grotto art, Flying image has gone out of the Buddhist grottoes and transformed from religious art to a secular one. From the national wine "Flying Fairy" Mao-tai, Flying trophy which is highest award of China government in the TV play to all kinds of modern decorations, Flying image, as a classic symbol of Chinese culture had been widely used in various fields of social life. Changes of the Flying image have also put forward new requirements to theory research in this area. Limited by a view of religious art, the previous research on Flying took it as a religious photograph but lacked of studying in the inner link between Chinese culture and Flying.Based on former research, this thesis took image as its perspective and put Flying on the background of the Chinese culture. Specifically speaking, starting from the general concept of Flying, in the broad issue of Chinese culture, focused on "the relationship between flying and China culture", this thesis mainly solve the following issues:firstly, the origin of the Flying concept and the problem of its name; Secondly, the problem of expressivity of Flying photograph as an image; Thirdly, the contrast between Flying photograph and Chang E in two different symbolic system; Fourth, the relationship between Flying and Chinese culture. In order to increase research convenient, Chinese classical category "literature","Photograph","Meaning" was used to structure this thesis as below. After traced back the concept of Flying, this thesis investigate Flying from three aspects separately:the Flying photograph in fresco, the myth of Chang E in literature, and the relationship between Flying and Chinese culture for the purpose of excavating Chinese culture gene in Flying and exploring the deep reasons on which Flying as a symbol of Chinese culture.There are four sections in this thesis excluding introduction. Introduction part generally summarized new trend of flying research and also the problem existed in former researches, argued the feasibility of image perspectives on this thesis and stated some issues involved in this thesis such as research objectives and methods and so on.The first chapter is about the origin of Flying. This chapter basically analyzed the origin and evolution of Flying with the mutual confirmation between photograph and literature. Firstly combed the concept of Flying in the representative reference books and classic of Buddhism and Taoism, Flying’ alias was discussed with the relevant literature and image. Secondly, based on concluding the debate over Flying’ name in the research of contemporary China and Japan, a new viewpoint was put forward. We believe, as a Chinese concept, the investigation in Flying must associate with Chinese culture, so this thesis adopted a generalized concept. Finally, the source of Flying in Chinese culture and its universality in the other culture were discussed; basing on this a conclusion was obtained that in anthropological sense the universality of Flying in diverse culture rooted in human "unfinished"The second chapter is about the "photograph" of Flying. The Buddhist frescos involved in Flying were mainly investigated in this chapter with a method of iconology. Firstly a comprehensive investigation was essential to find the geographic distribution of Flying in India, central Asia, China, and some other culture. Secondly, taking Flying in Dunhuang Mogao grottoes as a sample, the evolution of Flying in Chinese culture was investigated. Finally, base on the former research the specific analyze of Flying photograph under the method of iconology included three aspects:composition, style and function of Flying. Through this systemic research on Flying photograph, we believe that Flying photograph in Chinese culture in essence was a image because of its expressivity which strengthened by Chinese art with characteristic of "lively" aesthetic pursuit and line sculpt, and the message expressed by this image was the freedom of Chinese culture.The third chapter is about Flying in Chinese literature. Chang E myth as a typical form of Flying was mainly investigated with a method of myth-archetypal criticism. At first, the source of this myth was investigated with a method of analysis on relative literacy materials in order to find the relationship among Moon myth, Xi-Wang-mu myth, Yi myth and Chang E myth. Secondly, the image and motif of this myth were analyzed in detail. Finally, there is a comparative study between Flying photograph and Chang E myth. Based on these researches, we believe that Chang E myth often involved in social ideology in Chinese culture and embodied a sense of tragedy generally. As a result, Flying photograph was isolated from social ideology due to its unspecific subject, so as to exotic Flying photograph were took as a symbol to express Chinese free spirit rather than indigenous Chang E.The fourth chapter is about Flying’ meaning. Basing on the former three chapters, the relationship between Flying and Chinese culture was investigated within three aspects: content, form and philosophical basis with an integrated method analyzing on relative materials and photograph. On the content level, the consistency in central spirit between Flying and playing was primary object. In form aspect, the inner relation between Yue-Wu form of Flying and Chinese culture was investigated. On the philosophical foundation, the object was the interpretation of Chinese thought on harmony between human and nature through Flying. With a series of researching, we believe that Flying is a cultural symbol with Chinese characteristic which embody spiritual freedom.We believe, Flying as a word originated from Chinese culture is a new concept. So the general concept of Flying is indispensable for research on it, and the Flying photograph in essence was an image which expressed the free spirit of Chinese culture. It is better in expressing free spirit when comparing with Chang E myth. Flying was inherently related to Playing, Yue-Wu and harmony between human and nature in Chinese culture, and it is the relationship that helps it to overstep Buddhism art and becomes a symbol of Chinese culture.The innovation of this thesis mainly embodied in the following respects:Firstly, in the interpretation of the concept. Based on comprehensive investigation and specific analyzing, this thesis generalize concept of Flying, which was found in solid materials. At the same time, the Chinese gene of Flying was explored on a wide background of Chinese culture and as a result the connotation of Flying concept would be improved with a new interpretation, development and promotion.Secondly, in the aspect of research perspective, this thesis took image as a research angel of view, which not only embodied the expressive characteristic of Flying photograph but also reflected the inner relationship between Flying and Chinese culture, in this way the contrast between Flying photograph and Chang E myth in literature was feasible. Therefore, image research in this thesis would be superior to those before which only focused on photograph.Thirdly, in the aspect of methodology, the multi-disciplinary synthesis and interdisciplinary comparison as the main methods were used in this thesis. Based on the previous research relative, a method synthesizing religion, Dun-Huang studies, mythology, and literature theory, aesthetic was used in order to attain the mutual confirmation of materials, which come from different disciplines and make demonstration convincible. Meanwhile the man-made obstacles on academic research brought from divisive discipline were broken out and the view on research would get wider than before. At the same time, this thesis investigate the distribution and evolution of Flying photography from both synchrony and diachrony angels. In addition, the comparative research conducted among different symbol systems such as literature and photograph would be superior in a way to those before.All in all, the interdisciplinary research on Flying image in this thesis reflected the whole trends on Dun-Huang studies research. As a sample of Dun-Huang studies, it is a specific practice of the Dun-Huang art esthetics; Therefore Dun-Huang studies would be expanded by this research, in which the factors boosting Flying popular and classical and the relationship between religious art and secular one were explored especially, not only in the research view but also in the connotation. In contemporary, with vigorous development of cultural industry, through researching on Flying image, this thesis would provide references for the development of our cultural industry and the regeneration research of Dun-Huang art.