A brief discussion on the beauty of calligraphy art
Calligraphy is a unique visual art. When people appreciate an excellent calligraphy work, they will undoubtedly enjoy the beauty and be intoxicated by art. However, appreciating the beauty of calligraphy art is not an easy task. Compared with other arts such as literature, music, and painting, calligraphy is more abstract and elusive. It is common for a work to have completely different aesthetic results depending on the beholder and the wise. Even the evaluation of the works of a generation of calligraphy masters is not necessarily the same. So, is there a unified standard for the aesthetics of calligraphy art? The answer is yes. The problem lies in the perspective of the aesthetician and the basis he holds, especially the level of his own cultivation.
The differences between many categories in art, such as simplicity and stupidity, solemnity and stagnation, boldness and roughness, broadness and looseness, elegance and frivolity, are all very subtle and difficult to grasp when appreciating and evaluating. There will be a shift and the opposite conclusion will be drawn. There is a saying: "You can look at the door, but you can't look at the excitement." Different understandings of the art of calligraphy will lead to different aesthetic conclusions. "Know the instrument, play thousands of tunes and then know the music." This is inseparable from the aesthetic person's own cultivation. Throughout the ages, there have been a vast number of aesthetic works on the art of calligraphy. Here we have selected the main points and summarized them as follows:
1. The beauty of lines and gestures
The expression form of calligraphy art is completed by lines. , and the basic element that embodies the beauty of lines requires that the lines be varied. The writing tool used in calligraphy is a brush. The tip of the brush is soft and elastic. The lightness, speed, strength, weakness, pauses, pressing, and right deviations of writing leave various ever-changing lines on the paper, such as dryness and wetness, hardness and softness, movement and stillness, square and circle, etc. They are lines with vitality that can fully embody The harmonious beauty and dynamic beauty of lines.
1. Harmonious beauty. European and American artists pay great attention to this element of beauty. When making a chair, you also need to consider the length, density, thickness, and straightness. If it is done well, it will be beautiful, and if it is not done well, it will be beautiful. The beauty of line is the most advanced in art. It does not rely on the contrast of other objects, but relies solely on its own arrangement. The art of Chinese calligraphy is based on lines. Chinese characters are composed of dots and lines, which are highly abstract. "Point" is the concentration of line, and "line" is also the extension of point. "Point" and "line" are two aspects of one thing. Therefore, Chinese calligraphy art is also called the art of lines. The ancients once said, "Studying calligraphy requires the ability to adapt to changes." In the writing process, mastering the pressing, pausing, slowing and certain transitional techniques are the main methods to make the lines change. By pressing the brush, you can achieve "heavy as a collapsed cloud" and improve the The pen also makes the lines "as light as cicada's wings", giving people a sense of change and rising and falling, thus highlighting the unique beauty of the work. The uneven pitch of the official script makes its posture elegant, light and flying, neat and steep. Regular script is square and dignified, making it spacious, simple and quiet, and powerful. The well-proportioned running script makes it look like a horse flying in the sky, like thunder running through the clouds. The cursive script is gentle and graceful, making the whole text lush and green, with strange and majestic postures, all reflecting the harmonious beauty of lines.
2. Dynamic beauty. Regarding lines, there are two beautiful sayings from ancient times, namely: "penetrating through the back of the paper" and "penetrating into the wood three-thirds". This is an exaggeration to express the strength of lines, but the calligraphy method pays attention to the strength of the pen, which can better reflect the strength and beauty of the lines, thin and straight, strong and ethereal, swaying, and seemingly flying. Then the sense of force and momentum create the lines The dynamic beauty. In this kind of dynamic beauty in calligraphy works, you may feel that the water flows slowly under a small bridge, or like a waterfall falling in the sky, or like an old tree in the forest, quiet and peaceful, or like thunder and lightning, shocking Huangu... all these feelings are caused by the calligrapher's control of the pen to write rich and changeable dynamic lines with different expressions, reflecting the very subtle spiritual connotation beyond the pen and ink. From the excellent works, we can not only see the calligrapher's proficiency in pen and ink skills, but also the grasp of the "rhyme" of the work. Even if people have ups and downs, they are like running water from high mountains, sometimes flowing thousands of miles away, sometimes swirling among dangerous shoals, creating a beautiful artistic effect.
2. The beauty of the rhythm of writing
The beauty of calligraphy is similar to the beauty of music, drama, and dance in that it lies in the use of stipples, between words, and between lines. The whole work is full of melody, rhythm and poetic interest. As far as calligraphy works are concerned, the clever use of the priority of strokes, changes in the size of the glyphs, the structure of the glyphs, width, opening and closing, expansion and contraction, uprightness, and natural connections can all make the whole work feel natural. The rhythm of the brushstrokes allows the appreciator to enjoy the beauty.
Calligraphy, like music, uses abstract language to create abstract images. This abstract image seems to easily trigger various associations in the viewer. Under the pen of an excellent artist, it can create a sense of vastness and broadness. , subtle, deep, high and elegant, which makes people's spirit sublimated. Just like beautiful music can stir people's soul, inspire people's temperament, and stimulate people's meditation. Although what this abstract image expresses is not clear, it is still definitely connected with people's aesthetic ideals and emotional cultivation. In fact, it comes from a kind of cultivation, an artistic sentiment, and a spiritual outlook reflected by the spirit of the times. The aesthetic connotation formed by all of this is contained in the dots and whites in the brushwork, allowing readers to read through the book. The overall image created by the home is to watch it, feel it, and taste it.
3. The beauty of form combination
The form of calligraphy is composed of strokes, structure and composition. In terms of strokes, the strokes, strokes, strokes, quickness, thickness, thick talk, square and round strokes, etc. are considered to be natural and the changes are smooth; in terms of structure, the density, staggeredness, transfer, struggle, straightening, etc. are considered to be thoughtful, well-proportioned and vivid. ; In terms of composition, the size, height, width, black and white, virtuality and reality should be coordinated and unified, and the flow of Qi should be consistent. China's unique square Chinese characters provide a broad space for the creation of calligraphy art. The written characters must not only comply with the standards, but also be full of variety. The fonts may be long or flat, sparse or dense, simple or strange, etc. If the characters are written too plainly, they will appear rigid and rigid; if the structure is too dangerous, they may easily become eccentric and customary. Therefore, we should strive to achieve "the balance of peace and danger, seek balance in danger, tighten the middle palace, swing left and right, lean to the side to be upright, and seek straightness in the curve". Only in this way can it be interesting and can be called art. What people pursue is true feelings and natural interest, which is in line with today's people's aesthetic taste. Zhang Menglong's stele has a variety of stippling. In terms of dots, none of them are the same. The characters on this stele are sparse on the outside and dense on the inside. They are sometimes big and sometimes small, sometimes closed and sometimes released. interest. The 21 characters "Zhi" in "Lanting Preface" have different moods, vivid images, and clear top and bottom, like natural carvings. It is known as the best running script in the world. The shape of the calligraphy is extremely changeable, sometimes neat and well-proportioned, sometimes staggered, sometimes open and clear, sometimes airtight, the shapes come out casually, the characters appear according to the situation, and there are thousands of scenes and customs. For calligraphy appreciators, Only by combining shapes and lines and pouring his sincere and strong feelings into the realm of his works can the calligrapher make the viewer feel moved and generate thoughts and emotions.
4. Beautiful composition and momentum
For good composition layout, there should be reflections and connections between words and lines. A calligraphy work should echo from front to back, be dense and dense, and be completed in one go, with a sense of artistic integrity.
1. They echo each other and inherit each other. As for an excellent calligraphy work, the overall layout is reasonable and the style is elegant. From the perspective of the viewer, the composition can catch the eye first, give the viewer the first impression, and create the second impression. The visual effect is the most critical aspect to the success or failure of this character series. In the layout of the composition, attention should be paid to whether the arrangement of every bit of painting and every word is correct, reasonable, natural, and top-notch. The title should be printed, the words should echo and correspond to each other, and the lines should be connected with each other. , to achieve a decent density, bowing and giving way, looking forward to the posture, and being integrated. Whether the overall layout is natural and vivid, making people see clear black and white at a glance, density, momentum, and consistent style, giving people a sense of unity and wholeness, and achieving corresponding aesthetic effects.
2. The virtual and the real complement each other, and the ethereal reflects each other. Jiang Baishi of the Song Dynasty said in "Xu Shu Pu": "It is better to write with movement, stillness, sparseness and evenness. If it is sparse or not, it will become cold, and if it is dense or not, it will be sparse." Deng Shiru of the Qing Dynasty said: "You can move horses in sparse areas of calligraphy and painting, but do not allow ventilation in dense areas. If you always plan to use it as a painting, you will find out the interesting things." Due to the characteristics of Chinese characters, calligraphers can use their own artistic conception and pen and ink skills to create a variety of works to express their own unique style. Different calligraphy works reflect the author's different thinking forms. Some works are heavy on white, broad and quiet, giving people a sense of ethereal and leisurely. Some works are graceful and generous, with a sense of majesty and determination; The works are ancient and beautiful, with strange and dangerous features, and a sense of self-admiration. In the art of calligraphy, emphasis is placed on displaying talent in areas without ink, and using white tricks as blackmail. For example, in Yan Zhenqing's "Liu Zhong Envoy Tie" and Huai Su's "Self-narrative Tie", there are many examples of alternate reality and fiction. On a piece of paper, the place with ink is black, and the place without ink is white; the place with ink is solid, and the place without ink is virtual; the place with ink is word, and the place without ink is also word; the place with word is solid, and the place without ink is solid. Particularly important. White is the basis of black, and black is the borrowing of white. Black and white complement each other; virtuality is referenced by reality, reality is reflected by virtuality, and virtuality and reality are bound to each other. Lao Tzu's idea of ??the unity of opposites is most vividly reflected in the practice of using white as black in the art of calligraphy. It seems that the white space is not empty, but the spatial beauty effect of "the reality and void coexist, creating a wonderful scene" brings infinite imagination to the viewer and makes people have endless aftertaste.
5. Content and emotional beauty
Any art is characterized by the expression of emotions and spiritual expression, and the same is true for calligraphy. Calligraphers use abstract pointillism to express their emotions through art. Process and incorporate your own emotions to create works with emotional appeal, thus arousing the emotional excitement of the viewers. As a calligraphy appreciator, when facing a calligraphy work, we should try to get a glimpse of the author's emotional factors. As a formal art, calligraphy not only requires insight into the writing skills and style of the work, but also requires an understanding of the content of the work and the background of the creation. For example, Wang Xizhi's "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion" was created in an environment where "all the virtuous people came together", "the water flows smoothly" and "the wind and wind are gentle and smooth" during the "deed repair". His upright calligraphy style with elegant demeanor and flying ink colors shows the elegant and unrestrained posture of the literati in the Eastern Jin Dynasty; Yan Zhenqing's "Duobao Pagoda Stele" and "Yan Zi Family Temple Stele" concentratedly reflect his dignified, heavy, and elegant style. The majestic Yan family style. Another example is Yue Fei's "The River is Red", Zhou Enlai's "The Song of the River", and many of Mao Zedong's poems and inscriptions, which all show the momentum and courage of great men from content to form.
A successful book is not only beautiful in shape, powerful, majestic, and pleasing to the eye, but more importantly, it expresses the author's feelings and interests. With his innate aesthetic consciousness, the author naturally strives to Make the text forms in your writing more beautiful, more harmonious and smooth, more varied, and more uneven, so that the appreciators can understand them and receive enlightenment and lessons from them.
6. The beauty of the artistic conception of the soul
The artistic conception refers to the state of human thinking. It is formed through the understanding of objective things. People's artistic conceptions are vastly different. With the same skills and different levels of artistic conception, there will be different levels of calligraphy. The beauty of artistic conception is a highly comprehensive expression of the calligraphy author's momentum, strength, expression, and flavor. Taizong of the Tang Dynasty said: "The spirit of husband's character is the soul"; Huang Tingjian of the Song Dynasty said: "The calligrapher can understand it with rhyme"; Yao Peizhong of the Qing Dynasty said: "The main thing is Qi". Calligraphers in the past dynasties talked about "spirit", "rhyme" and "qi". And we inherited the view of artistic conception beauty and summarized it as "essence, energy and spirit".
The words are the voice of the heart. All things in nature, including dynamic and static things, such as mountains and rivers, clouds and mists, sun and moon, stars, fish and insects, birds and beasts, wind and rain, water and fire, thunder, lightning, singing and dancing, battles, etc., all provide some inspiration to calligraphers. . The author uses a special tool to express a certain mood in the soul through a series of factors such as writing, dots and lines. This kind of mood in the soul can often achieve some magical effects in calligraphy works. The embodiment of the beauty of spiritual conception determines the author's cultural accomplishment and artistic personality. This is what people often refer to as "external skill in writing". The deeper the author's "external skill in writing", the higher his intention. The more true the works he pursues, the more beautiful they are; the more beautiful they are, the more elegant, timeless and thought-provoking they are. The feeling of the beauty of spiritual and artistic conception varies from person to person. Only by continuously strengthening the study of "external calligraphy skills" and continuously improving the overall quality can we create excellent calligraphy works.
It can be seen that the beauty of artistic conception is the expression of the calligrapher's thoughts, feelings and cultivation. Thoughts and emotions are attributes of all art. For example, in "Lanting Preface" by Wang Xizhi, "the best running script in the world", the author is completely intoxicated in nature. The content, lines, structure, composition, and posture of the calligraphy reflect the author's innocent and simple thoughts and feelings, and express the author's feelings about the short life and endless joy. Another example is Zheng Banqiao, one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" in the Qing Dynasty. Under the calligraphy style that advocated Guange style at that time, he boldly created and innovated in calligraphy and created "Banqiao style". His calligraphy is like "strewn stones paving the streets", but "chaos" brings out the law, and "chaos" brings out the charm. From it, we can get a glimpse of his noble and upright spirit. Master Hongyi, a modern calligrapher, his calligraphy fully embodies the spirit of Buddhism. The above Calligraphers create different artistic conceptions of calligraphy. It can be seen from this that every accomplished calligrapher always has his own personal style, and each work presents a unique artistic conception.
French art master Rodin said: "Beauty is everywhere. For our eyes, it is not a lack of beauty, but a lack of absorption and development." Such as clear and winding streams, colorful flowers, gushing rivers, eagles flying in the sky, lush and interesting mountains and forests, etc., all have their own individual beauty, and at the same time they also have mutual beauty. That is the natural and vivid beauty of nature, which can be absorbed to varying degrees in the stipple lines, font structure, row arrangement, and composition layout of calligraphy art. It can also be absorbed in the artistic expression, natural rhythm, style, bone strength, momentum, and the connection of Qi and pulse. On the other hand, the heart must be in harmony, and it is expressed in the calligraphy works openly or covertly, bringing us the enjoyment of beauty and becoming a masterpiece of calligraphy art. Look with fresh eyes, and it is possible to make new discoveries every time in those real works. The works seem as enigmatic and unpredictable as the living people. Because it is an exciting world of the work itself, with its own unique rules and connotations. It is difficult for anyone to say that they have understood everything about it, because it is impossible for anyone to do so. If you really have a mentality towards works as you do towards people, then you will be able to quickly capture the details and connotations of the works and gain insight into the beauty of the works. This is the true appreciation of art.
To sum up, calligraphy not only has a long history, but also tasting and appreciating it can give people a kind of visual enjoyment. It depends on whether you master the aesthetic creation rules of calligraphy art. It is generally believed that the art of calligraphy is a "conversation between souls." Only when calligraphy is close to the heart of the appreciator can the art be eternal, meaningful, and truly reflect the breadth, depth and value of the art of calligraphy.