A Study Of Modern Black And White Woodcut Manifestation Forms

Black and white woodcut has a long history, and its manufacture method is easier compared to other woodcut. It has a variety of manifestation forms, thus receiving huge popularity by a lot of art creators. However, with the development of age, new woodcut and artistic varieties keep springing up which make traditional black and white woodcut more marginalized. Contradictions between traditional manufacture method of black and white woodcut and new technology become increasingly evident. Black and white woodcut, which is mainly about propagation and printing, has vanished from the arena of history, and its role has also been changing which proposes new requirements on modern black and white woodcut. On the basis of inheriting traditional woodcut, black and white woodcut also needs to create its artistic manifestation forms. For example, it needs to keep up with the times in creation subjects, traditional concepts and manufacturing methods and so on. Therefore, it requires us to sufficiently understand the manifestation forms of black and white woodcut, find its natural charm, constantly extract and explore the essential elements for the adaptation of black and white woodcut to modern environment so as to create more woodcut pictures with epochal character.This thesis mainly conducts researches on the manifestation forms of modern black and white woodcut, such as point, line, faces, yin and yang carve and so on. It uses classical works by masters to comprehensively analyze its manifestation characteristics, and specifically analyzes its special artistic charm. Chapter One of this thesis mainly explains the background of the project, research purpose and significance, research content and method; Chapter Two talks about the concept definition, its characteristics and development process of black and white woodcut; Chapter Three combines with specific works and sets forth the manifestation forms of modern black and white woodcut; it analyzes from4aspects, which are point, line, faces, yin and yang carve; it combines with the unique black, white and grey relation and the processing method in wood engraving, and the artist’s feelings and experiences during creation, thus analyzing the creation forms from multiple perspectives; Chapter Four makes a summary of this thesis as well as the prospects of the future development of black and white woodcut.The specific manifestation forms of point, line and faces in black and white woodcut need to be shown with different tools. With different tools, the presented artistic effect would also be varied; and there would also be unique manufacturing methods like yin carve and yang carve. All of these elements create the uniqueness of the visual language of black and white woodcut. The uniqueness of this formal language also indicates the irreplaceability of black and white woodcut and leaves unlimited reverie for creation in black and white woodcut.During the creation process of wood engraving, no matter it is creation method or manifestation forms, they would transform with time. The scope of the groups who make wood engraving is in a popular style, the image language is diversifying, and the image themes tend to be personalization and metaphorization. From inheritance to imitation, then to personalization of modern innovation, black and white woodcut cannot break away from elements of time background, nor could it be away from the artists’ assiduous study and innovation.