The innovative approaches for modern papercraft techniques
As time lapses and ideas change, the culture of burning papercraft gradually declined. It was replaced by the modern papercraft printed by machines. Despite that, both traditional papercraft and modern papercraft are designed to express filial piety and to leave no regret in the living’s mind. The reasons that traditional papercraft declines are as follows:
(1)Funeral rituals are simplified: The fast pace of modern life induces people’s desire in quickly finishing the complicated funeral rituals. Since the demand for the types of papercraft simplified, people stop buying a full set of papercraft, causing the demand of traditional papercraft to drop.
(2)The inheritance system in the papercraft industry: As the techniques of traditional papercraft are difficult to learn and time-consuming, young people switch jobs one after another. They are unable to learn papercraft techniques completely.
(3)The widespread of environmental awareness: large-size papercraft artifacts are not allowed to burn in the open air. They are only allowed to burn in the incineration plants regulated by the government to prevent air pollution.
(4)Negative impressions: Modern people associate papercraft culture with death and an ominous impression. They afraid that being in touch with it would bring bad luck.
(5)Difficult to be preserved: papercraft is manufactured for the purpose of burning instead of preservation. Besides, it is easy for paper products to be affect by damp. They are not easy to be preserved.
(1)A comparison of traditional and modern papercraft houses
Traditional papercraft artifacts are handmade. The walls, the windows and the exterior decoration of the houses are made and pasted with the artisans’ own hands. On the contrary, modern papercraft artifacts are printed with machine and combined by artisans into a model suitable for placing on the table. Its size is obviously smaller than traditional papercraft artifacts.
(2)Break through traditional funeral supplies
Papercraft artifacts are no longer three-section compounds built with bamboo, paste and paper. They experience a transformation in forms and become sophisticated objects printed by machines. For example, electronic devices, mahjong tables, and cosmetic are some common products.
Ms. Wan-Yin Zhang told us: “My younger brother Xu-Zhan Zhang and illustrator Ju-Ju Chan founded “Xinxing Papier Mâché Culture” with the hope of breaking the stereotypes on papercraft. That is, in addition to funerals, there are more ways for young people to learn about papier mâché. For instance, they collaborated with movie Classmates Minus and movie series The Ghost Bride to reproduce traditional craft.
In addition, they were invited to exhibit their art work at Louvre by French curator Patricio Sarmiento, causing a sensation in French, for French had never seen such papercraft artifacts before. They were marveled by the variation, performance and painted patterns of papercraft. The fame even spread back from French to Taiwan.
After that, her brother Xu-Zhan Zhang held a solo exhibition at Taipei Art Museum “Jungle Jungle.” Artist Xu-Zhan Zhang’s most famous work is an animation called SI SO MI, in which he encourages contemplation on the meaning of survival through the near-death experience of mice. From then on, papercraft is no longer a supply used in funeral rituals. It becomes a kind of art work and craft, enabling people to learn more about this culture.
Papercraft animation SI SO MI
(1)Ideas on writing the script
Although people no longer use papercraft in their everyday life, after our study on papercraft, we hope to promote this culture to more people. Therefore, when writing the script, we involved the timing that papercraft artifacts should be used in funerals. The more important message is the spirit in the whole play. That is, we tried to tell the audience that papercraft artifacts are gifts delivering affections among the living and the deceased. They carry yearning and blessings. They are the objects descendants make to express their filial piety and leave no regret in their hearts.
In addition, after watching the papercraft animation filmed by Xu-Zhan Zhang, we hope to innovate traditional papercraft, transforming papercraft figures designed to serve the deceased into the protagonist of the film in order to change young people’s fear on papercraft, enhancing their willingness to learn more about this culture.
(2)Script
Characters: Min, grandma, a papercraft artisan
✦The first act
✦Characters: Min, grandma
✦Setting: at home
Min: My grandma passed away. I am in grief.
Min recalls memories of his grandma.
Childhood memories
Grandma: Let’s go play in the farmland!
Grandma: Here’s the sweet-smiling porridge!
Min: Granma’s cooking is the best!
memories of grandma’s disease
Grandma: I’m sick. I’ll pass away some day. Don’t be too sad!
Grandma: I’ve always wanted to buy a big and luxurious house. It is a pity that I don’t possess a lot of money.
Min: I miss my grandma so much. I have to give a big and luxurious house to grandma some day!
✦The second act
✦Characters: a papercraft artisan and Min
✦Setting: papercraft shop
Min: I would like to buy a papercraft artifact for my deceased grandma.
Artisan: What kind of papercraft do you want?
Min: I want a house like this (presented the picture) and our figures, for I would like to let grandma recollect our good time together.
Artisan: Let me create a house and figures look exactly the same as that in the picture!
✦The third act
✦Characters: Min, a papercraft artisan
✦Setting: at the funeral (bonfire outside the church)
The papercraft artisan: Go say a few words and send it to your grandma. (Walk toward the bonfire)
Min: Grandma, this is the papercraft house I selected with care. I miss you so much!
Min: How have you been in the heaven?
Min: Don’t you want a house all the time?
Min: I even built a farm land for you!
Min: I hope you live happily in the heaven.
(3)Reflections on filming the animation by the director
We filmed the piece with stop motion animation, so we could only move the figure a bit each time. However, when making the film we moved the figure too much a time, causing the film to be rough and the figures jumping it. Regarding dubbing, the voices often overlapped. It is important to calculate the intervals. Filming the video this time made me learn that papercraft can not only be used in funerals but also become a form of art. So, we should preserve this soon-to-be lost culture.
(4)Animation appreciation