The Spiritual Journey of Aesthetic Imagery of Dwelling:from Perception,Meditation to Evocation
——Ideographic Paradigm Exploration of China Ancient Design Art〔*〕

Zhu Tiejun

(Art College Anhui Polytechnic University,Wuhu Anhui 241000)

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The Spiritual Journey of Aesthetic Imagery of Dwelling:from Perception,Meditation to Evocation
——Ideographic Paradigm Exploration of China Ancient Design Art〔*〕

Zhu Tiejun

(Art College Anhui Polytechnic University,Wuhu Anhui 241000)

Ancient Chinese design art contains endless philosophical meaning and deep aesthetic imagery,however,its ideographic system emerged through the simple laws of Image Formation and evolution of the nature of design practice.The ancient Chinese design art has formed a unique ideographic system,influenced by oriental culture,from primitive touching,observation and perception,to its meditation,association and experience,and that of its merging,dedicating and transcending.Through the reading of China ancient cultural pluralism form and the analyzing of specific design art phenomenon,to highlight the aesthetic image of the spiritual home of dwelling and mental imagery in ancient history under the Chinese aesthetic category.In the era of western and oriental art culture blend and diversification,we’ll examine and ascertain the depth of the subtle of archaic Chinese design art,in order to achieve artistic contemplation.

China ancient design art;aesthetic imagery;ideographic paradigm;“image” ideology

Ⅰ.Primitive touching,feeling and apperceiving the origin of object-image — “observing image”

1.The respect of the natural discipline

China ancient philosophical thinking gave the potential collective consciousness and action rules of “Respecting Holly Tao,Worshipping God’s Will” to ancient people.And Chinese classical aesthetics have “the characteristics of connecting to Chinese cosmic view,connecting to the Chinese world view.”〔1〕It also pursues of great beauty visual experience and original Tao value practice.Thus,this aesthetic discipline has been promoting design art to subtly abide by Holly Tao and achieve the harmony between human and nature and the transcendental formation.Such ultra stable situation and characteristics constitute the primary road of design art ideographic paradigm.

2.The balance and integration of the variables

China ancient design aesthetic not only focuses on the relationship between imagery and reality,but also emphasizes the balance of strategies of “number image”.Among ancient classical artifacts designs,the gorgeous design of the Eight Diagrams is the best interpretation and representative.Another example is the application and demonstration of various number images of ancient China ancient architecture and traditional architecture culture.A China ancient famous work,which name is “Kao Gong Ji”,〔2〕contains all kinds of strict modulus relationship and design connotation of levels of ancient architectures construction,layout,decoration and display.The perception and understanding for the number naturally becomes “the most important,the most widely used way in the hierarchy system of China ancient architectural culture.”〔3〕

3.Telepathy of human conception

From the point of view of the evolution history of the ancient Chinese traditional design,both artistic creation and decoration ideas quietly and gradually transited from the “God will” to the “human conception”,from “astronomical phenomena deified” naturally turned to “the human world prospect.” Personality,temperament and life-style have gradually become the main melody of aesthetic design.Its infinite deep understanding and imagery perception for the society,fashion and individual itself has from the beginning of design thinking,and to be abstracted the core concept of ideographic paradigm which is advocated by common people.

Ⅱ.Meditating the original purpose,mutual observing between heart and object,using object-image to link up spirit — “changing image”

1.Association of similar object-image

Ancient Chinese artifacts appearance designs usually occurred many miraculous animal images or elaborate ornamentations.These images or ornamentations are either grotesque or mysterious or dignified or horrible.However,these feelings do not actually come from observing outside of image,but originating from the symbolic meaning of association in mind.It is ideographic image evolved by the similar perceptions.

Chinese traditional jadeware design strongly devoted imagery representation of analogy association.The Han nationality is particularly fond of the beauty of jade.“Jade,beautiful stone,there are five virtues.Its color,texture,luster is soft and gentle.Jade nourishes all things and it is the symbol of kindness and mercy.”〔4〕The outer-image of jade shows beauty and elegance,anima and refinement.Ancient jadeware craftsmen were familiar with the material appearance characteristics and utilized analogy association method to design and express meaning.For instance,Ancient China had six kinds of ritual artifacts:“Cangbi,Huangcong,Qinggui,Chizhang,Baihu,Xuanhuang”.Ancient craftsmen observed jade color and luster first,and depended on its natural gift to associate with the whole world,and then designed its appearance to express imagery.

2.Meditation of the noumenon itself

Metaphysical meditation income is an image which does not have the limitations of time and space.“Heart and thought can freely go to any place at any time.”〔5〕This sentence just emphasizes the ontology of spirit.China ancient artists precisely caught and fully grasped the core of self-meditation.On the one hand,they guided that delicate and drifting aesthetic imagery eventually reached its habitat during the spiritual journey.On the other hand,they awakened the deep aesthetic consciousness,promoted aesthetic original force,and built a free,unique ideographic paradigm of China ancient design art which “is created by combining the deepest self heart and soul with specific universal life.”〔7〕

3.Sensing of the metaphorical meaning

“The ancient craftsmen will subconsciously associate a kind of deeper meaning with what is being made in the creation and design process so that the creature has a special emotion that is superior to the object itself.Such invisible means that we can only go to experience and associate,but cannot explain and imitate.”〔7〕This “invisible means” can be characterized as a metaphorical meaning,namely the subject of observing image endues unique feelings or specific cultural connotation to object.In the mechanism of integration of subject and object,due to set the additional super-subjective code of imagery,its implied emotion and analogy-image are unable to directly transfer,coupled with the object has experienced the environmental changes and the vicissitudes of history,so the imagery obtaining must rely on the third party — aesthetic imagination and fantasy,which is outside of the design subject and expressed object,and then forms ideographic paradigm which is across time,space and historic sensing.

Ⅲ.Solo comprehending through the natural instincts,drawing parallels from its implicit connotation inference,roaming in realm of sublimity — “evocating image”

1.Harmony and union of psychic intentnesses

Aesthetic imagery has gradually precipitated after it experienced thinking,association,meditation and metaphor since the “changing image” stage.The explicit or implicit conversion and reconstruction of subject and object have happened as well.Design expression is not only the representation of object-image,performance of perception or reflection of heart,but “spirit is across to nature and substance”,“spirit communicates with the matter”〔8〕,and finally reaches “the merging with Tao by getting rid of the shackles of body and intelligence”〔9〕,and “psychic harmony” in “forgetting subject and object” state.Its wonderful paradigm specially embodies:the affected and influenced subject by “changing image”,integrated and associative method,concise and refined design symbol system,the integration of the three unbounded aspects creates an ancient classic design expression.From the point of view of the flow structure of design consciousness,this artistic statement,on the one hand,reveals the objects’ aesthetic reproduction,on the other hand,stimulates beauty rethinking of the subject spirit.Two-way merging communication medium constitutes the metaphysical spirit environment and changeable design means,meanwhile reaches harmony and unity which are connected to the public on the artifacts appearance.

2.A great vessel will be long in completion — Inner self to bloom

Aesthetic imagery is ultimately delivered in the form of “ego existing in a faraway place”,“moving to my body” in the realm of design created by China ancient craftsmen.In other words,the foothold of traditional design ideographic paradigm is “Inner self to bloom”.Here “self” is both designer and appreciator,is both a person and the public,is both body and spirit.“The objective reality reflected in artworks inevitably has a subjective emotion”〔10〕is precondition of “Inner self to bloom”;“The implicit description expresses rich content,deep literary talent blooms in the dark”〔11〕is the important method of “Inner self to bloom”;“To achieve true understanding of the external world through introspection,grasp the beauty of spirit by the way of intuition”〔12〕is essential factor of “Inner self to bloom”;“Clear and clean ideation,vibrant thoughts and spirit,as if god has gifted it”〔13〕is necessary result of “Inner self to bloom”;“The world I inhabit as if I stretch out by myself”〔14〕is ultimate paradigm of “Inner self to bloom”.Thus,China ancient design particularly emphasizes the return of intuition,naturally display,drawing parallels from its implicit connotation inference,and linked aesthetic imagery.It pursues of a status of “appropriately matching outer world but nobody can detect the essence of spiritual world”〔15〕to purify “inner self”,utilizes the style of “a great vessel will be long in completion” to steel “inner self”,ultimately transforms the intangible state of “inner self” into tangible state.

“Boshan” style as an ancient Chinese artifacts appearance design,it sources from the legend of fairy sea mountain in the Qin and Han dynasties.“There are three fairy mountains in the Bo Sea,called Penglai,Fangzhang,Yingzhou”,〔16〕the three names have already become a synonym of ancient fairy mountain in China.However,from its design expression to explore,“Boshan” style hides seven layers imagery:real landscape is the first layer imagery;fairyland landscape is the second layer of imagery;creative landscape is the third layer imagery;yearning for landscape is the fourth layer imagery;indulging oneself among landscape is the fifth layer imagery;achieving wisdom and righteousness in landscape is the sixth layer imagery;I am the landscape is the seventh layer imagery.Seven layers imagery progresses layer by layer and overlaps each other to reach the essence of origin and return the permanent “Inner self to outside bloom”.The true home of “changing image” of Chinese classical aesthetic imagery is obvious in this example.

3.Free,grace and ultimate transcendence

China ancient sage has been considering and seeking transcendence at anytime.Chinese classical aesthetics even formed a branch of “transcendence aesthetics”.Design art as a kind of practice activity to interpret and realize primitive image,aesthetic imagery,quiet beauty and ego-exist,its highest level is also the free ultimate transcendence.However,the realization path of this ultimate transcendence can meet but not find.The maximum probability of finding needs to rely on “solo comprehending through the natural instincts”.Namely,using unique vision and creating special prospect properly contemplates natural instincts.Depending on free roaming method,ultimate transcendence either gallops in the mysterious and deep micro-environment,or “applies imagination to see history and present,travel the whole world in the moment”〔17〕,under “the function of some incidental factors,it gets through the gap among the past,present and future and realizes the ultra perceptual time and space leap in thought.”〔18〕The effect of ultimate transcendence can both “shake the galaxy and integrate with the quiver of the soul”〔19〕,both “concentration of thinking,thought connects to the ancient and modern,so as if you can see thousands of miles away from the different scenery”〔20〕and melts in the free,unlimited and spiritual pride of consciousness.〔21〕

Ⅳ.Conclusion

Chinese traditional design art has gone through thousands of years to achieve endless imagery.Its theoretical construction is “mostly informal and casual;it comes occasionally from artists and craftsmen’s inspiration”,however,it is “appropriate and profound although only a few words.”〔22〕Meanwhile,it is seemingly unintentional expression but meets the superb meaning.More importantly,the created design practice and expression has its own distinctive ideographic paradigm and experienced dream heart journey including object-image perception with all senses,heart and object mutual observing according to nature,solo comprehending through the natural instincts.Its hiding aesthetic imagery sometimes reaches all directions,sometimes concentrates on one thing;sometimes covers and contains everything,sometimes only reflects ego;something is leisure and silent,sometimes is surging and roaring.It originally generates in various “observing image”,lingers in whisper of “changing image”,transcends in marvelous “evocating image”.Its perching is like a returning the stillness.In fact it is a kind of dormancy of “transcending imagery”.Image has perched but idea surrounds,idea has stayed but image flourishes.It constitutes “an infinite universe life prospect”.〔23〕The magical and renewed strength renders and leads ancient design art thinking at the same time,sincerely and deeply influences and reflects the dimension of contemporary design art.

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About the author：Chen Xueli (1985—),joint postdoctoral of China Radio International,Beijing Foreign Studies University;joint PhD of Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,University of Copenhagen;Zhou Yunting (1984—),lecturer of Anhui Economy and Management Institute;Lv Mei (1982—),lecturer of Hebei Foreign Studies University.

〔*〕This paper is funded by the National Scholarship Study Abroad Program for Graduate Studies from the China Scholarship Council (201404920020),and the Youth Project of Anhui Economy and Management Institute,YJKT11314Q07.