>Chen Baosheng: The Art of Calligraphy I Understand

>Chen Baosheng: The Art of Calligraphy I Understand Xi'an Chen Baosheng’s written words with splashes of ink are full of spirit, hearsay is always untrue, and the writing and ink are interesting. "He wrote from the heart&#8221...

Xi'an Chen Baosheng

The words written with splashes of ink are full of spirit, but hearsay is always untrue. The brushwork and ink are full of "heart-felt" rhyme, and he has achieved "success". "How many people are there?" This is recorded from the lament of an academic.

With the reform and opening up and the rapid development of market economy, Chinese calligraphy has shown a booming development. The art of calligraphy not only becomes a unity of material and spiritual things, but also serves the people with its immortal aesthetic characteristics and aesthetic value. However, judging from the momentum of development, although calligraphy influenced by modern ideological trends has a wide variety of styles and the extension of calligraphy has been correspondingly expanded, it is difficult to get rid of the inertia of secularization. It presents a low-level imitative body that ignores the traditional "image" gene, displays boring gimmicks, and spreads the dwarf character style. Although there are many people who study calligraphy and can swing a pen a few times, they intentionally or unintentionally mock the tradition, dwarf the classics, and have symptoms of lack of "penmanship" and lack of "luck". They neither have the courage to stand on the shoulders of their predecessors to cultivate themselves, nor do they understand the true meaning of "gradual practice" and "sudden enlightenment" in calligraphy. They can only pretend to be mysterious and cover up their shortcomings in calligraphy skills. He can please people all the time, but it is difficult to win people's favor! Especially in the wave of "avant-garde" art that despises techniques, it seems that the art of calligraphy no longer needs its technical support and difficult-to-master aesthetic functions. It seems to have become a shortcut to fame that satisfies desires. Due to the improvement of social status and the temptation of fame and fortune, some people aspire to become calligraphers and devote themselves to the sea of ​​​​books one after another. They use calligraphy to amuse themselves and entertain them. They treat calligraphy as a juggling act of penmanship. They are far away from traditional postures and brushwork and gestures. They are fast and have no frustration, and benefit but little resilience. As Lu Xun once said: I don’t know whether it is the random daubing of an eagle or a swallow, or a kind of kitsch "wild fox Zen", which confuses the aesthetic standards of calligraphy. Some collectors follow their own interests and use the media to fuel the situation and give them the title of famous calligrapher, which in essence is misleading to young scholars. Seriously hinder the correct development of calligraphy art.

(1) Calligraphy is the art of lines and the product of "heart-writing". To explore the true knowledge of calligraphy, we need to go back to history, text, and theoretical origin. As we all know, Chinese calligraphy is extensive and profound, an elegant abstract art, and it is inseparable from the pictographic characteristics of Chinese characters. This process from lines to general objects, from figuration to abstraction, has a history of more than 5,000 years since Cangjie. It is conceivable that it integrates the neutrality of Confucianism, the nature of Taoism, and the wonderful enlightenment of Buddhism, and becomes an artistic treasure of wisdom and spirituality.

There is a saying from the sages: "If there is merit but no nature, the spirit will not be born; if there is nature but no merit, the spirit will not be real." (Hanlin Cuiyu) The outstanding cultural thoughts of a calligrapher and the unique and coquettish pen and ink details revealed are a concentrated reflection of the rich spiritual world and aesthetic character. Therefore, the nature of calligraphy art, including talent, talent and cultivation spirit, are huge assets for artistic success. But it requires solid technical support to integrate inheritance and performance. Producing calligraphy masterpieces that are "lyrical, expressive, and engaging." Calligraphy in history has been passed down from generation to generation. The inscriptions and stone carvings they left behind, as well as the brushwork and gestures they left behind, are still shining today. Just like an endless river of art, the golden waves are shining and nourishing the world of today's book world. At present, those who write are like ox hair, and those who succeed are like lin horns. Some calligraphers "can't concentrate on their emotions, their ink can't flow, and their spirit can't concentrate." They both lack the understanding of the difference between good calligraphy and inferior calligraphy, and they also lack the understanding of the leading role of the pen in writing. It is difficult to elevate the art of calligraphy to a profound level.

Trace back history and find your roots. From the unveiling of the secrets of "oracle bone inscriptions" that had been dormant for three thousand years, to the appearance of the simple and round "inscriptions" on bronzes of the Shang Dynasty, from the stone drum inscriptions "hunting jie" in the Warring States Period to the name of Zhoushu, to the display of "small seal script" by Qin Shihuang to unify the six countries; from Cheng Miao's "prison as a clerk" It laid the foundation for the official transformation of Chinese characters, from the Qin seal script at the top to the creation of the transitional style of "Jianbo script" from Han li at the bottom; from the "Zhangcao" attention of the independent characters that can be written consecutively and retaining the style of the official script, to the creation of "Jincao" in the Eastern Han Dynasty where Zhang Zhi wrote one stroke at a time and broke the meaning; from the simplified strokes of Yunzhonglongzhao "Kangcao" display, to the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties "Yan Jinliu Gu" "Real books have reached their peak one after another; from the surprising appearance of Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface" to the first line of cursive writing in the world, to the emergence of Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, Cai Xiang and other four writers of the Song Dynasty, they can be said to be unique and dazzling! In addition, Sun Guoting's "Book Book" is extremely precious; Song Huizong's "Thin Gold Book" Calling themselves a family, the calligraphy inheritance of the four calligraphy masters of Zhu Yunming, Wen Zhengming, Tang Yin, and Wang Chongming and the eight calligraphy masters of Wang Duo, Fu Shan, Weng Fanggang, Deng Shiru, He Shaoji, Zhao Ziqian, Weng Tonghe, Zheng Banqiao, and Qing Dynasty, as well as Kang Youwei, Wu Changshuo, Mao Zedong, Qi Baishi, Huang Binhong, Yu Youren, Lin Sanzhi, Shu Tong, Shen Peng, etc., each of them left their own glorious legacy for the art of Chinese calligraphy. This is the blood tradition and spiritual inheritance of Chinese calligraphy.

In the inheritance of calligraphy art, the ancients once realized that "people in Jin Dynasty advocated Yun, people in Tang Dynasty advocated law, people in Song Dynasty advocated Yi, and people in Qing Dynasty advocated Zhipang. All schools and sects shape their own appearance on the basis of inheritance. They emphasize the profound practice and perseverance; they emphasize the painstaking efforts and the cry of the soul. Like Zen wisdom, the pen will never fade away and become a "barren tomb" , Wang Xizhi washed the inkstones into an ink pool, Liu Gongquan secretly researched the "Xuanmi Pagoda", Sun Guoting's "Book Book" called Hebi, Tang Huaisu made intoxicating banana leaves, Zheng Banqiao made a six-and-a-half-point calligraphy, as for Prime Minister Liu Yong's thick ink, He Shaoji's sharp return wrist, Yu Youren's simplified cursive script, Mao Zedong's majestic momentum, Shu Tongpang, a calligrapher on horseback, they both have " "Capture people" and "capture rhyme"

(2) The art of calligraphy has its own tradition. Calligraphy in any era has its own continuous relationship with history. Without this inheritance, the art of calligraphy will lose its basis. The basis and connection of development. How to inherit depends on the degree of understanding and grasp of tradition by calligraphers. From a realistic perspective, Chinese calligraphy can only become an art when its basic aesthetic characteristics and aesthetic value are realized. This includes a simultaneous realization of its artistic value and economic value. The problem of artistic effect of "refreshing the heart and mind". If a piece of calligraphy is divorced from the relationship between body posture, brushwork, strokes and luck, it will lose the public's aesthetic power, and it will not be in line with the masterpieces in history.

Successful calligraphers in history have a "feeling for calligraphy and ink" that they have worked hard for. . That is to say, only the emotion can flow, the layout can be organized, and the pen can be flexible. For example, Li Si in the Qin Dynasty was not only a politician who "played the world in one hand", but also a leader in cultivating "small seal script". He almost became the founder of calligraphy. New style of calligraphy. His masterpiece "Cao Jue Song" has become an immortal model for the entry of calligraphy. The eight-meter-long scroll of Huang Tingjian's famous work "Wei Zheng Pillar Inscription" was auctioned in 2010 for 430 million yuan, setting a world record for calligraphy works.

"Contemplation of selflessness is at ease; passionate understanding of true knowledge". Chinese calligraphy has a saying since ancient times that “character is the quality of calligraphy”. A brush can express a person's cultivation, and a calligraphy can reflect his "luck" and character. But the real meaning is to use the art of calligraphy as a way and means to achieve personality charm. Some calligraphers today, although they love the art of calligraphy, are far away from traditional postures and luck in brushwork. Obviously, if you don't enter the post, you can't write it; if you don't start with traditional calligraphy, it's difficult to lay a solid foundation. People say: "No word can be written in a hundred days." That is to say, you can make progress if you write for a hundred days continuously. There is a saying, "It is easy to achieve complete enlightenment, but difficult to practice gradually." As far as calligraphy is concerned, it requires both gradual practice and complete enlightenment. Gradual cultivation means perseverance and deep practice, and thorough enlightenment means the sudden understanding of calligraphy. Without the cry of a lonely and angry soul, it is impossible to achieve "complete enlightenment"; without the perseverance of hard work, it is also difficult to achieve "gradual cultivation". Regarding the issue of cultivation, the Shaykh of the Southern Qi Dynasty pointed out in the "Ancient Paintings Collection" 1,500 years ago that "the bone technique uses a brush". What is the bone technique and the brush? There are different opinions, but the popular view is that the first is the skill of brushwork, the second is the shape with lines, and the third is the luck of the strokes. This is the calligraphy essentials that calligraphers of all dynasties have paid attention to and followed. Therefore, he attaches great importance to his strong character and extraordinary brushstrokes. Therefore, there is a saying that "using a pen is difficult through the ages", which becomes a key to climbing the peak of calligraphy and unlocking the secrets of calligraphy. The ancients believed that the body of calligraphy contains the four movements of "muscles, bones, skin and flesh". It is an indispensable creative means for pursuing meaning. For example, if the writing is cut off and continuous, it is called the tendons, if the writing is straight and the joints are exposed, it is called the bones, if it is lingering and connected to the bones, it is called the skin, and if the writing is undulating and round, it is called the flesh. The understanding and wonderful use of these calligraphy techniques, for us today's calligraphy students, the structure changes of a piece of calligraphy include density, size, fatness and thinness, length, curvature, straightness, squareness and circle, flatness and obliqueness, and cleverness. From one word to a line of words, from a line of words to a picture, the dynamics and direction of the brush strokes are the key to the success of the work. In writing and writing, we can naturally achieve: the straight and curved "house leak marks", the plain and sharp "cone painted sand", the soft and strong "broken hairpin strands", the stationary "insects eating wood"; and the thick and heavy "mountain falling rocks", the "thousand-mile clouds" that seek to create a relationship, and the majestic "ten thousand-year-old dead vines" ", "Dragon walking and snake walking" with one fall and three pauses... These exquisite brush-using methods emphasize the inner connotation and "skill" of calligraphy works. If a word or even a word does not have the support of "muscles, bones, skin and flesh". Its emotional expression and pen and ink skills will appear empty. Therefore, the pursuit and exquisite expression of its lines, strength, and rhythm, as well as the brushwork of "starting, inheriting, turning, and preparing the spirit to the end" are called the magic weapon of "penetrating the back of the paper".

Just as Cai Yong of the Eastern Han Dynasty said in "Bi Lun": "The body of a calligraphy must be like its shape. If it is sitting or walking, flying or moving, going or coming, or lying down or lying down, it can be called a calligraphy." "Biography" has been regarded as extremely important in the past dynasties. He believes that whoever masters the art of writing will be successful. It is said that Cai Yong was a great calligrapher during the Three Kingdoms period. He received the book "Brushwork" and when he died, he asked his descendants to bury "Brushwork" with him in the ground. But later the calligrapher Zhong Yao succeeded in uncovering the tomb and stealing the brushwork. However, Zhong Yao did not want to learn from his past mistakes. After his death, he buried his "brushwork" in the ground, and it was later stolen. Historically, "penmanship" has been regarded as very mysterious. In fact, it is a technique of using calligraphy brushes.

In today's world of materialistic desires and impetuous people, scholars can easily appear vain and lose sincerity. In particular, the art of calligraphy is considered to be an art form that “everyone can do” and the easiest to master. This tendency inspires them to despise "body posture" for publicity and "use pen" to practice, which makes it difficult to achieve the effect of "drops of ink penetrating stone" by using the tip of the pen with all their strength. Although this statement is a bit exaggerated, it expresses a philosophy. Lack of brushwork and technical skills will lead to frivolous and weak works, distorted forms, and sloppy contrivances, which will lose the beautiful line structure and cultural and artistic content.

(3) Painters use pen and ink techniques such as chaffing, rubbing, dotting, and dyeing; photographers emphasize artistic language such as fine composition, tone, and moment capture; so what do calligraphers rely on to write? I feel that we need to work hard on the style, strength, posture and movement of the brush in order to create a spiritual realm. A calligrapher's unique artistic personality and creative style are inseparable from his overall temperament, body posture, and use of brushstrokes. It is true that calligraphers have different artistic personalities, which will lead to a preference in brushing techniques. For example, Su Dongpo's brush strokes were fast, his ink was rich, and his posture was simple and natural. Mitty considered him to be a "painting" character; Huang Tingjian's brush strokes were calm, concise, vertical and horizontal, and refined, and Mitty considered him to be a "drawing character"; about the subtle changes. From the earliest one stroke of seal script, it developed into three strokes of official script, and then brought out the eight characters of "Yong" in regular script, all without departing from the flow of brushwork, "strokes" and the method of using the brush. Calligraphers know that the pens used in seal script mostly use arcs, and the pens return to the front to write slowly; the subordinate pens are used to increase the entry and exit, which is called the success of seal script. Regular script uses the four strokes of pick, left, hook and nip, which is faster than official script. These changes depend on the performance and mastery of pen style, pen strength, pen posture, and pen movement. It is said that military strategists focus on "situation", boxers focus on "attacking posture", and calligraphers focus on "writing posture". Practice has proved that once a calligrapher masters "brushwork", technical problems will be easily solved; once a calligraphy work embodies "strokes", it will be vivid and produce extraordinary artistic charm.

Xu Wei, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty, once said: "If a high-level calligraphy does not appeal to the common eye, it must not be a high-ranking calligraphy to the common eye." This statement tells the level of the appreciator. High eyes can lead to "high hands", and high hands will in turn promote "high eyes". A devout person who relentlessly pursues calligraphy must have the courage to jump out of his own artistic trajectory. Look at your own calligraphy direction from another angle, and don't let go of the "book of form, book of spirit" and the factors that promote the burst of inspiration, so that your works can be sublimated. Obviously, if a calligrapher wants to form his own artistic style, he must have artistic elements that support a high level: first, he must have "style" and master the calligraphy styles of one or two famous calligraphers; second, he must understand "brushwork" and develop certain brush-using skills; third, he must learn to control "brush gesture" to improve the effectiveness of a single stroke; fourth, he must improve "luck" and reach a state of perfection. This may be the secret to breaking through the inertia of your own thinking.

Chinese calligraphy places great emphasis on the use of "strokes" such as center forward, side forward, trailing forward, and reverse forward. There is a saying that "there is a needle hidden in the cotton, but it is hidden but not exposed." The center point makes the pen vertical, and the strokes are round and powerful, which is the main stroke used in regular script; the side point makes the pen lie on its side, and the stroke has rich momentum and is versatile, which is commonly used in cursive writing; the trailing point makes the pen lie on the side, turning while moving, and the strokes are smooth and free, and is mostly used for wild cursive; the back point lies on the side and goes against the hair, and the strokes are strong and subtle, vast and thick, and are mostly used for official seal scripts. There is a saying: "Thousands of transactions are easy, but one is difficult." There is a direct relationship between the "twists and turns" in painting and the hidden front and back front in calligraphy. The beauty of calligraphy requires not only the mastery of its line structure and the exquisiteness of ink composition, but also the harmonious and organic composition of a calligraphy work with texture, rhythm and connotation through "strokes". All of this reflects the spiritual world and artistic personality of calligraphy. Kang Youwei's requirements for a work are: first, it must be vigorous and powerful; second, it must have a solemn atmosphere; third, it must have leaping brushwork; fourth, the painting must be dangerous; fifth, it must have a unique will; sixth, it must have a flying spirit; seventh, it must be full of interest; eighth, it must be profound; ninth, it must have a natural structure; and ten, it must be rich in flesh and blood.

The pen moves like a dragon and a snake, swaying vertically and horizontally, the mind has a sudden change, and its energy comes from China. In the study and inheritance of contemporary Chinese calligraphy, our ancestors have done a lot of pioneering work, taking the essence and applying it to the present, integrating ancient and modern calligraphy. Our generation should practice better in “learning from the outside and getting the source from the center”. Learning calligraphy is inseparable from tradition, and tradition must continue to develop through innovation. Only by using one's perseverance and lifelong energy to discover and innovate can the art of calligraphy complement the great river of tradition and shine. This is the truth that I have learned from studying the art of calligraphy.

Written in Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts in July 2011

Introduction to Chen Baosheng's calligraphy art

Chen Baosheng, born in October 1939, is from Luliang, Shanxi. He is currently a member of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, a director of the Shaanxi Provincial Calligraphers Association, a consultant to the Shaanxi Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, a member of the Chinese Photographers Association, the honorary chairman of the Shaanxi Provincial Photographers Association, a professor of photography at Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts, and a master's tutor. He is not only a famous photographer in my country, but also an accomplished calligrapher.

He began to study calligraphy at the age of seven and has been working hard for more than fifty years. Inherit the tradition and break away from the tradition. His calligraphy was first learned from Liu Gongquan, and later from Yan Zhenqing, and then he studied the cursive calligraphy style of Zhang Xu and Huai Su. In particular, he absorbed the Han Li method, Wang Xizhi's silver hook and iron brushwork, and Yan Zhenqing's dignified and vigorous brushwork, which had a profound impact on his later calligraphy art. He combines decades of skillful photographic performance and decades of profound skills in calligraphy. A batch of freehand paintings of the commemoration site of Mao Zedong's move to northern Shaanxi were painted with a splash of ink. It is the artist's aesthetic trigger for the objective reality, borrowing the photographer's vision and the calligrapher's confidence to write the "mental image" of Chinese painting. It shows the photographer's artistic pursuit and poetic sublimation of mental expression.

His calligraphy works have been exhibited in Japan, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other places, and his calligraphy ink has been collected by more than 30 museums across the country, including Zhu De, Ye Ting, Chen Yi, etc. At the same time, he has left ink marks on stone carvings in Shanxi Black Dragon Temple, Yan'an Qingliang Mountain, Jiaxian Baiyun Mountain, Mizhi Diaochan Cave, Datong Moraine on the Yellow River, Yulin Town Beitai, and Hongshixia, Wuliangdian, Qinglong Temple, Black Dragon Pond, Fotang Temple and other places.

He has numerous photography monographs, published 28 albums of various types, and won 235 domestic and foreign photography awards for his photographic art works. In 1989, he was awarded the commendation certificate for "outstanding contributions to literature and art" issued by the State Council, and enjoyed lifelong special allowances from the State Council. He was awarded the "Photographers with Outstanding Contributions" by the China Photographers Association, and recently received the "Red Candle Award" for special contributions from the China Education Commission.

His calligraphy works in Zhen, Cao and Li script were selected into the "Chinese Tang Poems - Four-Style Calligraphy Art Encyclopedia" and "Famous Couplets Ode to China" published by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles. Published 68 photography papers, including "Rooted in the National Soil" and "Promoting the Photographic Spirit of Inheritance and Innovation". Published 17 calligraphy papers such as "The Evolution of Chinese Calligraphy", "Brush and Wrist Movement", and "My Understanding of the Art of Calligraphy".

>One of Chen Baosheng's affiliations

Two of Chen Baosheng's affiliations

>One of Chen Baosheng's calligraphy

Chen Baosheng's cursive script

Chen Baosheng's compilation