Connecting Calligraphy to "Earthly Atmosphere" - Reading "Fifteen Lectures on Chinese Calligraphy"
2024-02-01
Chinese calligraphy has always been an elite art, based on the daily writing of ancient literati, carrying the rich spiritual life and emotional experience of traditional literati. Chinese calligraphy is an important component of traditional culture and art, as well as an important resource for building cultural confidence in the new era. So, how can we connect the elegant calligraphy art with the "local atmosphere" and enable ordinary people to enter the door of calligraphy correctly, drawing nourishment from cultural confidence? Recently, Fang Jianxun, a researcher at the Calligraphy Education and Research Center of Peking University, published a new book called "Fifteen Lectures on Chinese Calligraphy", which is an excellent introductory work on calligraphy. This book is compiled from the lecture notes of a calligraphy course offered by Fang Jianxun to undergraduate students at Peking University. This general education course is open to students from all majors in the school, which determines that it must be easy to understand. It is extremely difficult to explain obscure aesthetic theories and mysterious writing techniques in a straightforward and straightforward manner, which not only tests the author's theoretical and practical skills, but also their language expression ability. A good calligrapher is not necessarily a good teacher. Fang Jianxun has both a theoretical background in aesthetics and a practical background in calligraphy. At the same time, he is also the teaching director of the Peking University Alumni Calligraphy and Painting Association. He has been working on the front line of calligraphy teaching for many years, and his calligraphy classes are deeply loved by Peking University teachers and students. Zhu Liangzhi commented, "He can express personal experiences and skills that ordinary theoretical researchers cannot explain clearly, as well as aesthetic concepts and theories that ordinary learners cannot understand. He can also explain the strengths of both and explain them in depth and clarity." After reading the book, the biggest feature is that it is easy to understand, clear and transparent, and simplifies complex theoretical problems through metaphor or visualization. Here are three aspects to evaluate. The relationship between form and spirit is a classic theoretical issue in traditional art. "Form" refers to the structure of form and quality, while "spirit" refers to the aura and charm. The saying goes, "The beauty of a book is paramount, followed by its form and quality" (Wang Sengqian, Southern Dynasty). The Tang Dynasty also had a similar saying: "Those who have a deep understanding of books can only see their spirit, not their form." (Zhang Huaichuan of the Middle Tang Dynasty) In painting, there is also the view of "writing spirit with form" (Gu Kaizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty). The saying goes, "It's easy to swing the five strings with your hand, but it's difficult to see off the returning swan with your eyes." The specific form and structure are easy to present, but the expression and charm often make it difficult for people to write. Fang Jianxun strives to reveal these invisible and unspeakable "secrets" as much as possible. The book specifically uses a section on "God and Qi" to answer the question of how to reveal one's aura. He first embodied his spirit in the three specific forms and qualities of "brushwork", "structure", and "ink use", pointing out that brushwork should have rhythm and emphasis; The structure should be coordinated and follow the principle of "eight sided arch centers"; Ink should be predominantly black and smooth, as light ink can easily cause mental distress. If all three aspects can be achieved, it can bring great help to one's appearance. He pointed out that the charm of calligraphy has two meanings, "one is the universal charm, and the other is the personalized charm.". Commonality belongs to the characteristics of the object of the work, while individuality points to the author's subject. The value of calligraphy lies not only in its universal charm, but also in the unique spiritual temperament of the calligrapher. The so-called "spiritual temperament" includes the author's personality, emotions, realm, style, etc. Personality and emotions generally only have differences, regardless of height, but the environment
Edit:GuoGuo Responsible editor:FangZhiYou
Source:gmw.cn
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