论文部分内容阅读
Abstract:Japanese design is unique in worldwide. It has made remarkable achievements in the early 20th century, adhering to the inheritance and innovation of the traditional culture while learning western civilization. The paper focuses on Japanese traditional culture and national spirit embodied in the design to explore Japanese modern designs.
Key words: Japanese spirit; modern design
Various countries’ fine graphic design works provides us many examples in terms of the combination of the tradition and modernity, among which Japanese graphic designs are unique. Japan, the only non-western developed country, has already become one of the most important design countries in 1980s, starting its modern design around 1953. Japanese civilization is unique, absorbing massive essences of foreign cultures. This model also influences Japanese designs. A significant feature of Japanese designs is its dual-track system of tradition and modernity. There are few countries that can preserve and promote their traditional designs, becoming an important branch of the global design. A significant factor for Japanese design to have made such a remarkable achievement is that it has preserved the traditional culture and formed a unique style. Japanese design maintains the full-bodied oriental styles and nation’s traditional characteristics while absorbing foreign cultures, and expands the visual languages of designs.
First, the Extension of Japan's Traditional Culture in the Design
1.The Extension of Japan's Traditional Colors in the Modern Design
The color aesthetics of oriental nations lays more emphasis on the symbolism of cultural studies on the basis of valuing visual experiences, comparing to that of the western. Design critic J.V. Earle thinks that Japanese designs can be summarized into two types: the colorful, decorated, luxurious and creative type and the monochrome, linear, modified and simple type. The impacts of Japan's traditional colors on modern designs are mainly represented by the Ukiyo-e, which is skilled in the contrast of warm and cold colors and adaptation of similar-brightness colors, emphasizing the oriental features in colors, decoration and symbolism.
2.The Application of Japanese Traditional Characters in the Design
In addition to the traditional art, culture, aesthetic, Japanese designs also favor national characters especially the calligraphy. Not only being a symbol of civilization heritages, the character has been elevated to a modeling language. At first, the characters were actually graphic markers. Nowadays the pictographs, whose function of expressing meanings is re-explored and deepened by the designers, are embodying the charm of traditional culture in another state. Obviously Japanese are adept in evolving their characters in modern ways to make them acquire new interpretation. So, Japanese designs are full of ethnic features, preserving and promoting the traditional culture.
Second, the Embodiment of Japan's National Spirit in the Modern Design
Design Japanese’s unique aesthetic emotions and aesthetic concepts are permeated by their inherent national spirit all the way. American anthropologist Ruth Benedict has made an exact description about it: “Both chrysanthemum and the sword are parts of this painting. Japanese’s character is contradictory: aggressive and gentle, martial and beauty-loving, arrogant and elegant, rigid and adaptable, faithful and treacherous, brave and timid. All these contradictory qualities are in the highest degree of performance.”
Simplicity is a characteristic of Japanese designs.The meaning of simplicity can’t only represented by few skill draws of abstractness and randomness. However it means the searching of the expression of bright characters and comprehensive colors in complicated images of nature, forming Japanese designs’ pithy and fair characters by the induction of fragmented phenomena into holistic concepts. The stubborn characters contribute to the maintaining of the traditional characters. The designs strive to be most simple and unadorned in order to preserve Japanese culture with Japanese traditional symbolism and simplicity.
Conclusion
The localization is becoming increasingly significant in modern designs, which is the recognition of local culture instead of symbols or graphics. The essence of design localization is to explore the meanings of local culture, and discover the impacting points of traditional culture and designs’ own personalities to form their own style. Undoubtedly, the success of Japanese design is attributed to the successful application of eastern philosophy. People can still feel the impacts of the traditional qualities even in their westernized works, which are beyond the shape, color and composition. The modern designs are pursing a combination of the modern culture and their owns. What are China's local cultures? They are the Confucianism culture and the feudal culture of five thousand years, which are visually embodied in specific things, like painting, calligraphy, I-Ching, Zen, Five Elements, the Eight Diagrams and so on. Such things like folk paper-cuts, clay sculptures, woodblock New Year pictures, etc. represent a culture.Hong Kong's renowned designer Kan Tai-keung’s success attributes not only to his excellent design wisdom, but also to the application of abundant Chinese elements, like ancient Chinese coins, ink culture, Confucian culture and so on.He, expressing Chinese culture in modern ways, became a first-class design masters in worldwide. Japanese designs apply traditional concepts, modern elements and techniques, taking the forefront in the design, which is worthy studying for China’s designers.
References:
[1]Wang Shouzhi.History of World Modern Designs.
[2]Wang Shouzhi.History of World Graphic Design.
[3]Kan Tai-keung. Kan Tai-keung’s Practice of Visual Communication Designs.
[4]Kohei Sugiura. Asia's Books, Characters and Designs.
Key words: Japanese spirit; modern design
Various countries’ fine graphic design works provides us many examples in terms of the combination of the tradition and modernity, among which Japanese graphic designs are unique. Japan, the only non-western developed country, has already become one of the most important design countries in 1980s, starting its modern design around 1953. Japanese civilization is unique, absorbing massive essences of foreign cultures. This model also influences Japanese designs. A significant feature of Japanese designs is its dual-track system of tradition and modernity. There are few countries that can preserve and promote their traditional designs, becoming an important branch of the global design. A significant factor for Japanese design to have made such a remarkable achievement is that it has preserved the traditional culture and formed a unique style. Japanese design maintains the full-bodied oriental styles and nation’s traditional characteristics while absorbing foreign cultures, and expands the visual languages of designs.
First, the Extension of Japan's Traditional Culture in the Design
1.The Extension of Japan's Traditional Colors in the Modern Design
The color aesthetics of oriental nations lays more emphasis on the symbolism of cultural studies on the basis of valuing visual experiences, comparing to that of the western. Design critic J.V. Earle thinks that Japanese designs can be summarized into two types: the colorful, decorated, luxurious and creative type and the monochrome, linear, modified and simple type. The impacts of Japan's traditional colors on modern designs are mainly represented by the Ukiyo-e, which is skilled in the contrast of warm and cold colors and adaptation of similar-brightness colors, emphasizing the oriental features in colors, decoration and symbolism.
2.The Application of Japanese Traditional Characters in the Design
In addition to the traditional art, culture, aesthetic, Japanese designs also favor national characters especially the calligraphy. Not only being a symbol of civilization heritages, the character has been elevated to a modeling language. At first, the characters were actually graphic markers. Nowadays the pictographs, whose function of expressing meanings is re-explored and deepened by the designers, are embodying the charm of traditional culture in another state. Obviously Japanese are adept in evolving their characters in modern ways to make them acquire new interpretation. So, Japanese designs are full of ethnic features, preserving and promoting the traditional culture.
Second, the Embodiment of Japan's National Spirit in the Modern Design
Design Japanese’s unique aesthetic emotions and aesthetic concepts are permeated by their inherent national spirit all the way. American anthropologist Ruth Benedict has made an exact description about it: “Both chrysanthemum and the sword are parts of this painting. Japanese’s character is contradictory: aggressive and gentle, martial and beauty-loving, arrogant and elegant, rigid and adaptable, faithful and treacherous, brave and timid. All these contradictory qualities are in the highest degree of performance.”
Simplicity is a characteristic of Japanese designs.The meaning of simplicity can’t only represented by few skill draws of abstractness and randomness. However it means the searching of the expression of bright characters and comprehensive colors in complicated images of nature, forming Japanese designs’ pithy and fair characters by the induction of fragmented phenomena into holistic concepts. The stubborn characters contribute to the maintaining of the traditional characters. The designs strive to be most simple and unadorned in order to preserve Japanese culture with Japanese traditional symbolism and simplicity.
Conclusion
The localization is becoming increasingly significant in modern designs, which is the recognition of local culture instead of symbols or graphics. The essence of design localization is to explore the meanings of local culture, and discover the impacting points of traditional culture and designs’ own personalities to form their own style. Undoubtedly, the success of Japanese design is attributed to the successful application of eastern philosophy. People can still feel the impacts of the traditional qualities even in their westernized works, which are beyond the shape, color and composition. The modern designs are pursing a combination of the modern culture and their owns. What are China's local cultures? They are the Confucianism culture and the feudal culture of five thousand years, which are visually embodied in specific things, like painting, calligraphy, I-Ching, Zen, Five Elements, the Eight Diagrams and so on. Such things like folk paper-cuts, clay sculptures, woodblock New Year pictures, etc. represent a culture.Hong Kong's renowned designer Kan Tai-keung’s success attributes not only to his excellent design wisdom, but also to the application of abundant Chinese elements, like ancient Chinese coins, ink culture, Confucian culture and so on.He, expressing Chinese culture in modern ways, became a first-class design masters in worldwide. Japanese designs apply traditional concepts, modern elements and techniques, taking the forefront in the design, which is worthy studying for China’s designers.
References:
[1]Wang Shouzhi.History of World Modern Designs.
[2]Wang Shouzhi.History of World Graphic Design.
[3]Kan Tai-keung. Kan Tai-keung’s Practice of Visual Communication Designs.
[4]Kohei Sugiura. Asia's Books, Characters and Designs.