Space Theory of Calligraphy

Author: Bai Di
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-02-01
Features: Calligraphy is a culture, but it is also a craft. A craft can also be called a skill, which sounds a bit better. If elevated further, it can be called art, which is even more appealing. However, it must be calligraphy, which refers to works of art that have successfully artistically processed Chinese characters, not just Chinese characters. Because calligraphy is an art that uses Chinese characters as its medium, this nature, in today's promotion of Chinese character culture, this craft tends to be infinitely elevated. Chinese characters are great; they are the root and marrow of Chinese culture. The ancients often spoke of Chinese characters with sacred and mysterious accounts. Huainanzi·Benjing: "In the past, Cang Jie created writing, and heaven rained grains of rice, and ghosts cried at night." This refers to the creation of characters, not calligraphy. Even so, Wang Chong in Lunheng·Shuxu already disbelieved: "It is true that heaven rained grains of rice and ghosts cried at night; it is true that they should respond to Cang Jie creating writing—it is false." Xu Shen in Shuowen Jiezi preface: "Cang Jie, the historian of Emperor Huangdi, saw the tracks of birds and beasts, knew that they could be distinguished, and first created written characters. The hundred crafts used it to govern, and the ten thousand things used it to observe." Wei Heng in Four-Body Calligraphy Style also has this saying, but Cang Jie's name was later added to another, Ju Rong. But all of this refers to characters, not art. Sun Guoteng in the Tang Dynasty's Shupu said: "How could one not know that when emotion moves, form speaks, and it takes in the meaning of Fengshao; when yang is empty and yin is severe, it is rooted in the heart of heaven and earth." This, of course, is about the craft of calligraphy, but Sun did not leave the craft empty; he continued: "The methods of application may be created by oneself, but the framework set is indeed before the eyes. A slight error of a hair can lead to a thousand miles of deviation. If one knows the technique, it is just right to be proficient. The heart does not tire of precision, and the hands do not forget familiarity. If the application is exhausted in precision and familiarity, and the rules are clear in the mind, naturally, one can linger and roam, with the mind before the brush, flowing and unrestrained, with the brush soaring and the spirit flying. All of this is about technique (shu). He also proposed technical concepts such as 'holding, using, turning, and applying.' He also said: 'Furthermore, to meet the various methods and return to one path, to arrange the crafts and combine the myriad wonders, to raise what was not mentioned before and to guide the later scholars in established rules, to glimpse the roots and analyze the branches. It is important to make the words concise, the reasoning ample, the traces clear, and the heart connected; to make it clear when opening the scroll and without hindrance when writing. Strange words and different theories are not what is detailed.' This shows that only through complex and superb techniques can a visual artwork become a means of spiritual communication become possible. Sun's theory is so detailed that it puts strict requirements on strokes and dots, which is the two sentences that every calligrapher must remember: 'Between one stroke, there is a change in the peaks and ends; within one dot, there is a difference in the sharpness and dullness.' For example, 'Retaining does not always delay, sending does not always speed; with dryness, it becomes moist, and with thickness, it becomes dry.' All of these have not left the craft and point directly to the essence of writing. Because he believed that only by 'having transformations at the tip of the brush' could one 'align emotions and tones on paper.' Of course, Shupu indeed, as Mr. Shen Yinmo pointed out, 'has one flaw: the wording is too excessive, often obscuring the important meaning of writing, so that readers do not notice and overlook it.' But it's not just Shupu; even the absurd Brush Formation Map by Wei Fen, who recorded the unfounded story of 'the former Qin Prime Minister Sima Si seeing the calligraphy of King Mu of Zhou and sighing for seven days, worrying that it lacked bones,' still had such incisive statements as 'Among the three excellences, the use of the brush is the most important,' and 'Those with more bones and less flesh are called 'sinew calligraphy,' those with more flesh and less bone are called 'ink pigs'; those with great strength and sinew are sages, those without strength and sinew are sick.' By the Ming Dynasty, Xiang Mu's Elegant Words on Calligraphy was a unique work in ancient calligraphy theory with a rigorous theoretical system, naturally avoiding some clichés, such as the opening line: 'The horse of He carried the map, and the turtle of Luo presented the book, this is the birth of characters in heaven and earth. Yi drew the eight trigrams, and Wen arranged the six lines, this is the birth of characters by the sage kings.' This also refers to characters. Once it comes to the craft of calligraphy, it is outstandingly appropriate. Although his arguments are too high, such as being solely devoted to the Jin Dynasty and excluding Su Shi, Mi Fu, etc., they are all well-founded and reasonable. Generally, he expressed his insights and wrote this book, dedicating his life to the craft and deeply researching it. There are seventeen chapters: 'Calligraphy System,' 'Ancient and Modern,' 'Discerning Styles,' 'Form and Substance,' 'Character and Quality,' 'Learning and Talent,' 'Rules and Variations,' 'Right and Strange,' 'Harmony and Balance,' 'Old and Young,' 'Spirit and Transformation,' 'Heart and Appearance,' 'Selection and Rejection,' 'Progression and Order,' 'Tools and Knowledge.' Rich in dialectics, extremely eloquent, and flowing in a way that captivates, all tightly tied to the essence of calligraphy. For example, in his discussion of 'Form and Substance,' he said: 'Between the sky and the earth, the teeth, horns, claws, and wings of things are not complete, and this is due to their natural disposition. The forms of calligraphy are diverse, and people's achievements vary. If one wants to possess all the wonders, there may be no complete book in ancient and modern times. He also said: 'In calligraphy, when one is in harmony with the mind and hand, there are countless forms, but they can be said to be harmony, fat, and thin.' If the calligraphy is well-proportioned in length and short, balanced in light and heavy, appropriate in yin and yang, and mutually complementary in firmness and softness. Just like the world's discussion of physiognomy, neither fat nor thin, neither long nor short, is considered perfect. This is the middle-path calligraphy. If one overly values clarity and strength, it becomes too thin, and thinness makes the bones and spirit strong, but the body is often emaciated. If one overly values richness, it becomes too fat, and fatness makes the body often beautiful, but the bones and spirit are often weak. Just like the world's discussion of physiognomy, thinness does not reveal bones, and fatness does not reveal flesh, which is considered superior. If the bones and spirit are thin and sharp, combined with profundity, elegance, and smoothness, then thin but actually rich. If the body is fat and slender, combined with agility, strength, and beauty, then fat but actually refined. Thin and rich is called 'clear and subtle,' and without clarity, it is not subtle. Fat and refined is called 'rich and refined,' and without elegance, it is not refined.' As for his discussion of 'Right and Strange,' he said: 'The essence of calligraphy has both right and strange. What is right is to bow, to tilt, to pause, to respond, with bones and spirit, and with proper restraint. What is strange is to be uneven, to rise and fall, to soar and shoot into the sky, with a variety of moods and postures, and with many clevernesses. Strange is connected within the right, and right is listed within the strange. Right without strange, though solemn and substantial, is often simple and lacking in culture; strange without right, though bold and brilliant, is often cunning and lacking in elegance. But for those who appreciate, they often point to the skill of the brush tip, not understanding the rules and regulations. For those who practice, they often show off their skills in the form of fierce and unrestrained subtleties, without seeking the subtlety of temperament and bones.' Etc. None of it is not clear, elegant, and harmonious, all flowing from the heart, never using sharp and arrogant words to shock the world for fame. Naturally, within the scope of rules. Although Mu's arguments are based on Guoteng, his rigor and detail far surpass Sun Guoteng, without the faults of plagiarism and carelessness. Elegant Words on Calligraphy is indeed a comprehensive work on calligraphy aesthetics in ancient calligraphy theory. In terms of the precision of technical discussion, the first is Da Zhongguang's Brush Notes from the early Qing Dynasty. Only two or three pages can be seen today, so some doubt whether it is the full text. Wang Wenji thought that 'his discussion of calligraphy is as deep as Sun Qianli, and Brush Formation Map is not worth mentioning.' It can be said that it is highly praised, but not an overstatement. Even the two or three pages that can be seen today, with a few thousand characters, can benefit a lifetime. It is really concise, every sentence is precise, every character is precise. If you quote, you should quote it all, but you must quote a few sentences to read with peers: 'The grip and use of the brush are in the horizontal strokes, the solidity of the character is in the vertical strokes, the expansion of the breath is in the sweeping and tapping, the fusion of the sinews is in the turning, the revelation of interest is in the hooks and dots, the brightness of light is in the distribution, the density between the lines is in the flow, the disorder of form is in the alternation of right and strange, the connection and turn of a few strokes, the self-turn and roundness of a single stroke, the method of using the brush is in the alignment of power, not in the strength of the wrist. The white space of the frame is evenly distributed by the hand; the scattered white space is evenly distributed by the eye, outstandingly appropriate, not just the empty theories of the head, perhaps even understanding is difficult. Following Sun Guoteng, Xiang Mu, and Da Zhongguang, there are Bao Shicen's Dual Paddle of Art and Liu Xizai's General on Calligraphy, both of which can be vast and precise, able to macroscopically from a philosophical perspective and microscopically from a technical perspective, without failing to have a close feeling for 'craft,' always staying true to the essence of calligraphy, and truly calligraphic theory. As for the modern Feng Zikai, he made a grand statement: 'Calligraphy is the highest representation of Chinese art.' Master Zong Baihua said that calligraphy can express personality, thought, and emotion. There is also the French-Chinese scholar and artist Xiong Bingming, who said: 'The core of Chinese culture is Chinese philosophy, and calligraphy is the core of the core of Chinese culture.' These three are all versed in both Chinese and Western culture and are figures I greatly admire. Especially the latter, because he has Theoretical System of Chinese Calligraphy, which analyzes traditional Chinese calligraphy theory with Western methodology, injecting fresh blood into the Chinese calligraphy world. Those accustomed to traditional thinking and generally low cultural literacy in the calligraphy world are filled with awe and worship him as a deity, his reputation rises, and his influence far exceeds other works. Therefore, his 'core of the core' statement is also considered classic. At the time Feng and Zong spoke, calligraphy had little impact, as there was no so-called 'calligraphy circle.' It wasn't until the calligraphy circle emerged that their words gained influence. After Xiong's statement, the status of calligraphy in the calligraphy circle soared (please note the three words 'in the calligraphy circle'). This craft of calligraphy seems to be able to carry the weight of all Chinese culture, encompassing all cultural beauty. For example, Wang Meng's speech at the '2004 Cultural Summit Forum' (hosted by the China Culture Promotion Association), For the Revival of Chinese Character Culture, not a single word mentions calligraphy, yet it was reprinted in the 10th issue of Chinese Calligraphy in 2004 in the 'Calligraphy and Culture' column. It is not wrong to reprint it, but to encompass it under the name of calligraphy, I think it is not appropriate. The rise in the status of calligraphy is a good thing for those of us who make teaching calligraphy our profession, and we should be happy and joyful. I did indeed get excited for a while, but soon, I couldn't follow the tide and become a. The trend of discussing culture while detached from the essence of calligraphy is rampant, and the nature of the craft is despised. Phrases like 'Technique is always at a low level' and 'Stuck at the level of technique' appear very often. Many people also say that 'technique is very simple, anyone can learn it quickly.' There are even some who openly claim in newspapers and magazines that all techniques are no longer a problem for them, such arrogant statements are actually the words of an outsider. Some scholars who do not write brush calligraphy talk a lot about calligraphy culture, sounding profound, which makes young people first feel frightened and then confused. Calligraphy art cannot carry the weight of all culture, and a large number of theorists who are not good at writing are produced, and they occupy key positions, and the essence of calligraphy is trembling in the corner. Is this a joy or a worry, you have to wait and see. Against this background, Bai Di's Theory of Calligraphy Space was solemnly launched by the Rongbaozhai Publishing House, and I think it has a particularly important significance. Bai Di, whose real name is Zhao Aimin, is known to the world by the pen name Bai Di. He is from Shaoxing, Zhejiang. In 1987, he entered the China Academy of Fine Arts (then known as the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts) to study for a master's degree in calligraphy, studying under Sha Menghai, Liu Jiang, and Zhang Zu'an, and was Sha Menghai's last disciple (excluding those who privately admired Sha). In 1996, he entered the China Academy of Fine Arts again to study for a calligraphy major. He studied under me for a doctorate in calligraphy theory research and passed the defense in 1999, obtaining a doctorate in fine arts and calligraphy theory, and becoming the doctoral student of the calligraphy major at the China Academy of Fine Arts. The Theory of Calligraphy Space was his doctoral dissertation for the defense, which was evaluated as an excellent doctoral dissertation by the college's defense committee, and is now published after revision and supplementation. Bai Di has strong brush power, mainly because of his hard study and practice; his strong sense of calligraphy space mainly comes from his talent. The topic of his thesis was chosen partly because of his nature and strength, and partly because of wisdom. The latter specifically means that Bai Di recognized that the spatial composition of calligraphy (such as structure, white space, and flow) is greatly related to the unique character of the work, and the space left for us by the ancients to pursue and explore is also great. I often discussed with him the calligraphy space awareness of his teacher Wei Zhao and Chairman Mao. During his master's studies, Bai Di already had a relatively strong ability to construct calligraphy space and clearly reflected it in his own works, and later he gradually emerged in the calligraphy circle. Therefore, his doctoral dissertation was based on the ancients and flowed from his own practical experience, not just general talk, with a unique system and detailed discussion, The Theory of Calligraphy Space is indeed a throwing brick work on calligraphy space. After Wang Meng's speech, he said: 'Delicious Chinese food must first appear on the table, not in my speech,' and used this sentence as the conclusion. Now imitating Wang Wen's format, I conclude: 'Elegant calligraphy culture must first appear in calligraphy masterpieces, not in the articles of theorists.' And allow me to add one more sentence: 'How can your own work become a masterpiece? Reading Bai Di's Theory of Calligraphy Space may be of some help.'