Chinese Calligraphy as Inner Heart Painting



Posted: Wednesday, May 25, 2005

by
art-virtue.com

http://www.art-virtue.com



A Chinese calligrapher’s goal is to vividly and honestly convey his or her mind and intention. It does not only depend on the strokes, styles or appearances. The intrinsic essence and substance must be over the form in a Chinese calligraphy work. Thus Chinese calligraphy is also called “Heart Painting." We may paint a tree or landscape. But how can we “paint" our heart in a highly encrypted or abstract form that can look both beautiful and profound?

In ancient Chinese paintings, one can find animals, birds, flowers and humans that were not only accurately depicted in shape and manner. Their internal substance, emotions, ideas and aspiration were also captured by the artists. Compared with Chinese painting that has a physically observable subject, Chinese calligraphy has a more abstract subject to paint – the mind. Even though calligraphy relies on its character form, structures and brushwork, then in what approach can a calligrapher paint his or her heart? This is why all calligraphers emphasizes that the mind always leads the brush.

Since Chinese calligraphy is heart painting and a heart has no appearance or a physical object, the study of philosophy and metaphysics are required for serious calligraphers at all stages.

 



 

Unlike Western calligraphy, dry brush strokes are viewed as a natural impromptu expression rather than a fault in Chinese calligraphy. While Western calligraphy often pursues font-like uniformity, homogeneity of characters in one size or inside grids is considered only a craft in Chinese calligraphy. To the artist, Chinese calligraphy is a highly condensed mental activity that coordinates the mind, body and spirit to express the artist’s inner world with a beautiful style honestly and directly. It is a highly disciplined yet soothing art indeed for one's physical and spiritual well being.

 

 

 



 

 

 

In judging Chinese arts, we look for the energy flow since the intrinsic beauty can only be found within the art that embodies a high energy and awareness level from the artists. This principle can be applied to all Chinese arts. Unlike oil painting, most Chinese arts emphasize and value the skills without amendments. One may add more strokes over an unsatisfied area in oil painting, but Chinese calligraphy focuses on capturing the mindset at that very moment when an artist is creating his or her work – without any makeup. It’s because this “finality" that makes Chinese calligraphy unique from other abstract arts.

 

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