Comparative Studies On Chinese And Japanese Modern Woodcuts

Chinese and Japanese etchings own deep source relationship since ancient times, Chinese ancient copying woodcuts brings far-reaching influence for Japanese traditional woodcuts and Chinese traditional civil woodcut New Year paintings provided abundant referenced experiences. While traditional Ukiyoe woodcut is most national cultural characterized painting form in Japanese Edo age which once brought a certain effect on19th century’s impressionists and style of painting. In early20th century, Japan closely contacted with development of Chinese burgeoning woodcuts during its new etching and creation etching. Although two nation’s cultures own their respective national characteristics, however, due to different historical backgrounds, social cultures and artistic innovative ideas, difference of different aesthetic standards and innovative concepts occurred on aesthetic characteristics for woodcuts’innovation roads which become source of national spirit and motivation of development. Speaking for civilized art, background of culture and spirit of times play crucial influences and roles on artistic developments and innovations. Therefore, constant exchanges of culture and art promoted development and prosperity of etching art. Influence of regional environment on cultural factors can not be ignored. Under background of cultural and artistic diversified times, pursuing novelty and pursuing change are inevitable ways pursued by various countries’ artistic styles, while pursuing novelty and pursuing change are investigated and discovered from our lived social environment and real life. Analyzed from course of development for Chinese and Japanese burgeoning woodcuts, innovation of woodcuts are changed with requirements by times development, change of ideas and influence from foreign factors. As long as country and nation exist, culture and art will be constantly developed and inherited and will form national unique cultural nature and nation, culture and regionalism will not disappear. Therefore, for comparison of two countries’innovative roads of woodcuts, temporal spirit for national culture always plays leading role. While innovation of woodcut art is a kind of representation form for cultural phenomenon, its artistic connotation is specific representation for creation of modern woodcut. Therefore, artistic connotation for Chinese and Japanese modern woodcuts is actually comparison of language of art and concept of thinking for creation of woodcuts. Change on concept of art is spiritual need for innovation of woodcuts. At the same time of pay close attention to cultural connotation and spiritual need, conduct studies and innovations on applications of techniques, tools and materials to enable woodcuts to be really improved on techniques in applications and playing of language of art. This owns far-reaching impact and significance for development for creation of Chinese and Japanese woodcuts. Constantly pursue novelty and innovation for modern ideas and times spirit accumulated through local culture.Viewed from Chinese and Japanese development histories of woodcuts, Japanese woodcuts’transformation from modern times to contemporary age was benefited from impact of western art ideas, while for China, led by left-wing cultural movement, burgeoning woodcuts movement advocated by Lu Xun started to move towards development road for modern creation etching. In view of under such background of subject, this text focuses on Chinese burgeoning woodcut as starting point to discuss development status for Chinese and Japanese woodcuts. Starting from viewpoint of inheritance and development from traditional woodcuts to modern woodcuts, hackle development skeleton for Chinese and Japanese modern woodcuts, and thus compare and analyze artistic characteristics for Chinese and Japanese modern woodcuts in relationship of innovation and development, and compare two countries’concepts of innovation for modern artists’ embodiment and application in creation of woodcuts from perspective of commonness and individuality.