Li Gongquan

Author: Ni Wendong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-01
Features: Since the birth of Chinese characters, calligraphy has existed in China. Humans have always created the world according to aesthetic principles from the beginning. Ancient oracle bone inscriptions and bronze inscriptions left behind an unparalleled beauty due to their unique material conditions and brushwork structures. Later generations' pursuit of calligraphic beauty became conscious, infusing artistic elements that predecessors had not, but this did not always mean continuous transcendence, nor could it be a comprehensive one. Due to the inherent characteristics of calligraphy art, evaluations of calligraphy have often relied on overly abstract and uncertain terms. This can even be said to be related to the ambiguity in Chinese linguistic habits, but it is also inseparable from the abstract nature of Chinese calligraphy. Additionally, traditional calligraphy history tends to emphasize lineage relationships when discussing specific schools or masters. While discussing lineage is necessary, it sometimes becomes overly simplistic, falling into linear thinking patterns, which inevitably restricts creative consciousness. In terms of its practical significance, we should strive to study artists and their works from multiple perspectives, doing better than the ancients. We should view the entire activities of a specific calligrapher as a manifestation of both social essence and the essence of calligraphy. Contemporary calligraphy has entered a historically unprecedented situation. On one hand, material conditions have changed the writing conditions upon which calligraphy depends, while on the other hand, calligraphy has flourished within a limited scope and stubbornly survived. Our stance undoubtedly must be that of a proponent of calligraphic prosperity. In the face of challenges in engaging with the times and exploring the future, contemporary calligraphy seeks inspiration from theoretical and historical research. This inevitably gives calligraphy history a contemporary nature. It does not involve arbitrary of history but rather summarizes patterns from the past to explore new life and new vitality.