Is Calligraphy Decorative Art?

 

The art of calligraphy date back to 4000 BC, which is the earliest record of written Chinese characters. Though many might see calligraphy as merely “beautiful writing” or decorative arts, Chinese calligraphy came to be appreciated as one of the highest visual art forms.

 

Calligraphy manifests independently in multiple cultures across the globe, it is especially an art form prized above all others in traditional East Asia. The calligrapher does not simply write words to communicate a fixed thought. The calligrapher uses the pen or the brush as an extension of the whole body, and the whole spirit. The calligraphic mark should convey something metaphysical as well as physical. The spirit should inform the body, which should move in a unified gesture, transferring the energy of both body and spirit into the arm, into the hand, into the pen and finally into the paper.

 

East Asia Calligraphy originate in China, developed all of its forms by the end of the Han dynasty in 220 AD. It was then introduced into Japan during the 6th century AD. Modern calligraphy was largely developed in Japan in the last century,

 

 

Based on its ancient traditions, it is natural that the calligraphic tradition should hold relevance to abstract artists. From the beginning of abstraction, at least in the Western tradition, there have been two complementary, yet distinct tendencies that have repeatedly manifested in the work of many abstract artists. One tendency is toward the precise: geometric abstraction, grids, mathematical patterns, and so on. The other tendency is toward the free: impulsive marks, intuitive gestures, subconscious writing, biomorphic forms, etc. Calligraphy inhabits a space that incorporates both. It is system based, and yet it invites intuition, impulsivity, and subconscious intervention.

 

Many of the abstract paintings of Wassily Kandinsky are the perfect expression of the calligraphic spirit. They are sometimes referred to as geometric abstraction, due to their inclusion of universal geometric shapes and forms. They are also sometimes referred to as lyrical abstraction and gestural abstraction thanks to their use of spontaneous, free, biomorphic lines. Many of their curves and markings correlate to those seen in ancient calligraphy, especially from East Asian and Arabic traditions. Their geometric elements express stability and control, while their gestural, lyrical elements express the energy of the unknown, and the dynamism of the human spirit.  It fuses intuition and preciseness into one, unlike the abstraction in the western tradition of either being one or another.

 

After World War II, the idea of forming a deeper connection with the interior self was of monumental concern for many artists. In particular, the artists associated with Abstract Expressionism were interested in investigating any type of philosophy or tradition that might enable them to express themselves in a deeper, more intuitive way.

 

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Franz Kline

Franz Kline stood out as the Abstract Expressionist painter most directly inspired by calligraphy. He is known for making innumerable sketches of his subjects in black ink on telephone book pages. The sketches were done quickly in ink, and resembled in many ways the kanji of East Asian calligraphy. According to legend, his friend, the painter Willem de Kooning enlarged one of his small drawings in a projector. When Kline saw the power of the enlarged marks he understood the inherent energy and communicative potential of the calligraphic mark. His marks no longer had to relate to subject matter; they could become emotive forces in themselves. Kline worked large from that point on, making grand pictures of marks that seem to have been quickly made, but that were, in fact, the result of a long, deliberate process. His ability to convey the energy of a calligraphic mark through a laborious process remains one of the most stunning accomplishments of his career.

 

 

 

Cy Twombly

American painter Cy Twombly used the tradition of calligraphy to deconstruct the image making potential of writing. His paintings used the written line to create communicative images that sometimes seem to be part scribble and part kanji, but that are all gesture and emotion. Early in his exploration of this technique he focused more on the symbolic nature of his marks, creating structured compositions. As he became freer and more experimental he allowed the calligraphic impulse to manifest in a more abstract cursive style, what has become known as his iconic “scrawl.”

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Reporter: Chloe NiLi