To Tonggu Decoration Visual Language Research

Tonggu is the bronze art treasure which created by our south ancient nationality, it is accept by many nationalities for the history of casting and using.The ornamentation is very exquisite, plentiful, and variety, concentration reflected China southwest minorities ancestors' spiritual beliefs and life custom. Owing to historical period, geography environment and casting and the national of use Tonggu is different, the ornamentation is dissimilar. The development trend is from simple to complex, from figurative to abstract, it is not only the reflection of beauty but also full of mysterious connotation. To appreciate the ornamentation from the point view of art and learn new era national art rich nutrition we have to interpret it,and the process of interpret is also an analyzing process. From the essence of ornamentation,we analyze the function base, symbolic significance and aesthetic value, and by analyzing the relation between signifier and the signified,take it as an visual symbol, and finally do some intensive research from the whole ornamentation on Tonggu,and discuss the characters and the convey basic process and types.Visual vocabulary is the basis and content of the study of visual language. Only when you have a summary and classification of the visual vocabulary about the ornamentation on Tonggu, then you can have a system understanding of their visual language. Through the analysis and sorting of the data and drawing a large number of bronze drums decorations, this paper construct a visual vocabulary of ornamentation Drums library. From the performance form, the ornamentation will be divided into four categories of visual language, including:geometric decoration visual vocabulary, portrait decoration visual vocabulary, animal decoration visual vocabulary and plant decoration visual vocabulary; from the main type of decoration, and ornamentation made of typical further division and summary, including:Copper Coin lines, ship lines, Talisman pattern, travel flag pattern, immortal lines, Xianglu lines, cattle and other patterns, the visual vocabulary is the premise to study the visual language,and also is the key factor of the visual language reapplication. Visual grammar is the relationship of vocabulary, and organization and arrangement between various vocabularies. It is necessary to master the arrange law of ornamentation of Tonggu before the further interpretion and application. The aesthetic quality of the ornamentation of Tonggu is divided to dynamic beauty, static beauty and combining static three forms in this paper. And its beauty rule is analyzed. From the organization of ornamentation, the ornamentation of Tonggu is divided to Regiment, Scattered, belts, netlike design four major categories. And the law of organization is also analyzed From the development of ornamentation we do some research on simplexes, ribbon, and the organization way variation from surface to body of Tonggu. Then gets its visual grammar rules and provide the organization law for re-invention ornamentation of Tonggu.The primary function of the visual symbol is to achieve the transmission of information, and to understand the basic standars to interpret its meaning and application of the language. From the perspective of visual symbols, we analyze the relationship between visual language's extension meaning and connotation of ornamentation on Tonggu and summed up the characteristics of the language semantics; on the contextual side, its symbols and visual semantics vary with the external environment and the ethnics using drums. According to the research on vocabulary, grammar, and context ultimately the ornamentation on Tonggu's visual semantics is divided into six categories:the totem worship, sacrifice, high yield psychological, reproductive worship, only for the rich and the entertainment for the male sports,. And made the necessary interpretation, this interpretation provides the emotional support and culture protection to apply the visual language of ornamentation on Tonggu.All studies are aimed at applications, Miao, Yi and Shui are the nations still using drums by far, the visual language of ornamentation on Tonggu are reflected in their costumes. In this paper, decomposition combination method, beaten recycling method, replacement constitute method and morphological variation method, four methods in total are choosing in re-creation of visual vocabulary. Then according to the syntax of visual language of ornamentation on Tonggu, re-design the Tonggu national costumes. In addition to costumes, it is can also be applied to graphic design or three-dimensional design in many areas. These applications have provided the thinking direction for our present's creation, and helpful to the national culture inheritance. Visual language of ornamentation on Tonggu is containing the rich cultural connotation, and the national minority characteristic, we can derive the nutrient from this kind of artistic creation to apply to the modern design, will have poured into the fresh blood for modern design's nationality.