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02-15-2011, 05:36 AM
Thanks jurianbai.
Well, it will be rather impossible to explain in few sentences , but I will try. The difference is huge and on the other hand none. First of all, Chinese calligraphy has few thousand years of history and tradition, when the Japanese one is only 1500 years old (more or less). The moment the Chinese characters begun to flow into Japan all five core scripts were already developped (seal, clerical, cursive, standard, semi-cursive). So, the moment Japan was learning how to write (around late 5th century C.E.) China was going through cultural golden age (Tang dynasty 618-907th century). However, since there are major aesthetic and linguistic differences between those two countries, calligraphy in Japan split into two major trends. One is called karayou (kara from Tang (唐), thus Tang China style) and another wayou (from wa (和) meaning Japan, thus Japanese style). Wayou shodou (i.e. Japanese calligraphy style) includes scripts like kana, and later on avant garde calligraphy, which in return greatly influenced Chinise artist and western abstarct painters. Shortly speaking, Chinese calligraphy is more rigid, rules-bound and precise. Japanese calligraphy is more abstract, allows for style blending etc. But one cannot say that Chinese calligraphy cannot be insane in its form. Look at works of Zhang Xu from Tang dynasty (also called crazy zhang) and his mad cursive style (kuang cao), or Huai Su. Modern Chinese artists begin to apprciate modern approach to calligraphy as well, although it is not as popular as here in Japan. When you watch videos of Chinese calligraphy, especially those teaching how to write in standard style (look up kai shu in youtube) you will realise how precise and mathematically accurate are the strokes. It does not mean that Japanese calligraphers are not studying proper technique. My teacher is an orthodox old classicist and my daily studies begin with rinsho (copying masterpieces). However, the approach is different. We seek vigour, flow, balance, rhythm and other details like brush tip work, etc, to understand given master style. Writing lines exactly in the same manner is secondary to unimportant. Also, oppose to how the Chinese studying, in Japan (well at least in my case) students are taught hanging arm technique from the start (the whole arm is suspended in the air) while in China the wrist rests on left hand's palm to steady it on. That is why they focus more on precision of the line. Hanging arm technique is difficult (some say that calligrapher that writes with suspended arm is couragous) but it gives freedom of movement. One can engage the whole body to express what he or she feels during writing. Bokuseki (Zen sho) is written while standing. Simply because monks write with entire body movement (free energy flow). Hope this throws a bit of light on the subject. I am currently building a huge portal with information about calligraphy and I hope to be able to share the link end of this month. There is ton of information there and I am sure you can find it helpful if you would like to read in greater details about styles, history and so on. There will be (calligraphy related) forum as well. 
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02-16-2011, 12:54 PM
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02-16-2011, 01:43 PM
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Funny that you have mentioned that, as my book about calligraphy ("Marvellous Ink")is undergoing its translation into Japanese. I have to consult few things with my teacher before it reaches book shelves, besides he is like a father to me and I would not have gone so far without his guidance, so I want him to read it before anyone elese does. I trust that at the end of 2011 it should be ready for printing. Still...I have to sort out over 300 of illustrations...that is full time job there...
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02-16-2011, 02:34 PM
Thanks! I could not imagine a better teacher.
Here, I will share a small fragment from the first chapter, where I write a bit about him: ------------------------------------------------------- Marvellous Ink Chapter I Cocooned in Nothingness (...) Oriental calligraphy is everything but learning how to draw a perfect character. How many times I have presented a sakuhin (作品, “ready work”) written in any of main styles of calligraphy (later on in regards to those), creating nearly identical copies of thousands of years old koten (古典, manuscripts, classic literature), commonly used by calligraphers to advance their skill, only to be told by my teacher that mane mono (真似物, here: imitation of someone else’s style) is boring, and conveys no energy. 古典から - “Ehhh…imitation…it is dull and dead to the soul….no energy flow either…” – he used to mutter shaking his head in disapproval. “Whenever you repeat someone else’s style, you lose a part of yourself. You cheat your heart by pretending other people’s emotions. To become a true master, you need to forget and deny that you ever want to become one, negate an existence of any aim and will to achieve it. Calligraphy has no beginning or end. First step towards greatness is to embrace a rich world of humble nothingness, through opening wide your soul’s gate. Write with the ink of your feelings, and not other’s.” After years of studying I have finally understood that rinsho (臨書 – lit. “writing from a copy”, copying masterpieces) is comparable to a journey. It enriches our general knowledge of the world, various cultures and phenomena, but also widens our spectrum of view, altering approach to life. The way we comprehend this knowledge depends on our spiritual readiness and experience, which states cannot be copied in any way. One has to reach them throughout diligent studies. (...) Once I asked him what criteria he applied while purchasing a hanging scroll or a framed work of another calligrapher. He put his brush on the fudeoki (筆おき, “brush rest”), looked at me and smiled: “If I buy a work it is only to hang them in toconoma (床の間, an alcove in a Japanese style room) for my students to watch and broaden their vision. Sho is an art that allows you to roam wide seas of imagination. Those seas are boundless, made of many isles and straits, and one does not need to be afraid to follow into foggy and untravelled areas. I cannot tell you what goes along with your personality, i.e. what style of writing you should follow during your journey. I can only help you to build a boat, but you need to learn how to sail it and sense what direction to head off to.” (...) We calligraphers are a rare breed cherishing everlasting beauty and magic of this fascinating art in art. We live by scent of ink, sound of brush chasing secret dreams on paper, sharing our pure thoughts richer than anything on Earth with forces of the Cosmos itself. We are hovering somewhere between dimensions of physical and mental states of being, completely lost in timeless joy of revealing deepest emotions along the path we chose. We surf on irrelevance of time and reality, able to feel what is unexplainable, far beyond the usual, daydreaming with our minds cocooned in a translucent scarf of nothingness. (...) © 2010 - 2011 by Piotr Ponte-Sypniewski Please note that the above fragment (as well as the whole text) is copyrighted, thus any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form without my (author's) written permission is prohibited. ------------------------------------------------
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