Calligraphy is a unique visual plastic arts. When people appreciate an excellent calligraphy work, they will undoubtedly appreciate beauty and be intoxicated by art, but it is not easy to appreciate the beauty of calligraphy art. Compared with other arts such as literature, music and painting, calligraphy is more abstract and elusive. Common is a work, different people have different views, and the aesthetic results are also very different. 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, but the problem lies in the aesthetic point of view, the basis he holds, especially his cultivation level.
Many categories in art, simple and plain, dignified and dull, bold and rough, broad and loose, elegant and frivolous, are all subtle. If you can't grasp them when appreciating and evaluating them, you will get the opposite conclusion. As the saying goes, "you can watch the doorway, but you can't watch the excitement". Different understandings of calligraphy art will lead to different aesthetic conclusions. "Look at a thousand kinds of musical instruments and then know them and practice a thousand songs." Throughout the ages, there are countless aesthetic works about calligraphy art, and the main points are summarized as follows:
First, the lines are beautiful.
The expression form of calligraphy art is completed by lines, and the basic element to embody the beauty of lines is to require lines to be varied. The writing tool used in calligraphy is a brush, which is soft and elastic in terms of strokes. The changeable writing lines, such as lightness, quickness, vigor, frustration, lifting, pressure, positive deviation, dryness and wetness, rigidity and softness, movement and Fiona Fang, etc. , are vital lines, which can fully reflect the harmonious and dynamic beauty of lines.
1, the beauty of harmony. European and American artists attach great importance to this element of beauty. The length, density, thickness and straightness should also be considered when making chairs. Doing well is beautiful, but not doing well is not beautiful. The beauty of lines is the highest in art, not by other things, but by their own arrangement. China's calligraphy art is based on lines, and Chinese characters are composed of points and lines, which are highly abstract. And "point" is the concentration of lines, and "line" is also the extension of points, and "point" and "line" are two sides of the same thing. Therefore, China's calligraphy art is also called the art of lines. The ancients once said that "learning books is expensive and changeable." Mastering lift, frustration, Ji Xu and some transitional skills in brushwork can make lines change. Pressing the pen can make the lines "as heavy as clouds", and lifting the pen can make the lines "as light as cicadas", giving people a sense of change and ups and downs, thus highlighting the unique aesthetic feeling of the works. The uneven pitch of the official script makes its posture elegant, light and flying, neat and steep. Regular script is dignified, which makes it ethereal and simple, vigorous and powerful. The running script is patchy and unconstrained. The cursive script is elegant and smart, which makes the whole story gloomy and magnificent, and all of them reflect the harmonious beauty of lines.
2. Dynamic beauty. For lines, there are two beautiful sayings in ancient times, namely "through the paper back" and "through the wood". This is an exaggeration to express the strength of lines, but it shows that calligraphy pays attention to brushwork, which can better reflect the beauty of strength, fineness, strength, swing and flight of lines, so the sense of strength and posture cause the dynamic beauty of lines. In this kind of dynamic beauty in calligraphy works, you may feel a small bridge flowing slowly, or falling like a waterfall for nine days, or like an old tree in the forest, quiet and peaceful, or like a valley of thunder and shock ... All these feelings are controlled by the pen, and the calligrapher has written dynamic lines with different expressions and rich changes, which embodies the subtle spiritual connotation beyond pen and ink. From the excellent works, we can not only see the calligrapher's proficiency in pen and ink skills, but also see the grasp of the "rhyme" of the works. Even if people have ups and downs, such as high mountains and flowing water, sometimes they spill thousands of miles and sometimes they spin between dangerous beaches, they also have beautiful artistic effects.
Second, the rhythm of writing is beautiful.
The beauty of calligraphy is similar to the beauty of music, drama and dance. It is full of melody and poetry between stippling, between words, between words and even the whole work. As far as calligraphy works are concerned, the ingenious use of stroke order, the change of font size, the structure, width, opening and closing, stretching, tilting and natural implication of the font can make the whole work have a natural sense of rhythm and make the appreciator enjoy the beauty from it.
Calligraphy, like music, creates abstract images with abstract language, which seems to easily arouse various associations of the appreciator. In the works of excellent artists, it can create a realm, which makes people feel broad, broad, implicit, profound and sublime, and the spirit is sublimated. Just like beautiful music can stimulate people's souls, feelings and meditation. Although it is not clear what this abstract image expresses, it is still related to people's aesthetic ideals and emotional cultivation. In fact, it comes from a kind of self-cultivation, an artistic sentiment and a mental outlook reflected by the spirit of the times, and these aesthetic connotations are embodied in calligraphy and painting, so that readers can appreciate, feel and taste through the overall image created by calligraphers.
Third, the beauty of body combination
The form of calligraphy consists of strokes, structure and composition. In strokes, it depends on the strokes, such as pressing, frustration, slow, thick, thick talk, Fiona Fang and so on. The change is natural and smooth; Structurally, it is carefully cared for, symmetrical and vivid, depending on its density, strewn at random, inheritance, striving for concessions and integrity; In terms of composition, it depends on its size, height, width, black and white, reality and so on. China's unique square Chinese characters provide a broad space for the artistic creation of calligraphy. The written words should not only conform to the norms and laws, but also be rich in changes. The font is long and flat, sparse and dense, simple and strange, and so on. If the words are too flat, they will appear dull. The knot is too dangerous, and it is easy to get involved in strange customs. Therefore, we must strive to achieve "balance in danger, balance in danger, tighten the palace, swing from side to side, lean to the right, and seek straightness in music" in order to have a different kind of interest, which can be called art. People are pursuing true feelings and natural interests, which is in line with people's aesthetic interests today. Zhang Menglong's stele stippling is changeable. From the point of view, there are several similarities. The inscription on this tablet is sparse outside and dense inside, large and small, suddenly closed and released, borrowed from the side, extremely ugly, precise and interesting in structure. "Preface to Lanting" has 2 1 word "zhi", which has its own modality, vivid image and natural carving, and is known as the best running script in the world. The form of calligraphy is extremely changeable, neat and symmetrical, uneven and ethereal, airtight, and the form is essays. Words are born with the situation, showing countless weather and customs. For calligraphy appreciators, only by combining lines and forms can calligraphers put sincere and strong feelings into the realm of their works, so that viewers can be moved and produce thoughts and feelings.
Fourth, the style is beautiful.
Good composition layout, from word to word, from line to line, should look at each other and connect with each other. A calligraphy work should be consistent, dense and coherent, and have a sense of artistic integrity.
1, corresponding to each other, one after another. As far as an excellent calligraphy work is concerned, if the overall layout is reasonable and the style is elegant, from the viewer's point of view, composition can seize the initiative, jump into the eye, give the viewer the first impression and produce the first visual effect, which is the most critical point for the success or failure of this word. In the composition layout, we should take care of each painting, the arrangement position of each word, whether it is correct, reasonable and natural, whether the title is printed, whether it is harmonious between words, and whether it is consistent between lines, so as to achieve proper density, compromise and harmony, and look forward to life, which is seamless. Whether the overall layout is natural and vivid, people can see it at a glance, black and white, dense, magnificent and consistent, giving people a sense of unity and integrity and achieving the corresponding aesthetic effect.
2, virtual and real, ethereal. Jiang Baishi, a poet in the Song Dynasty, said in the Book Continuation: "It should be quiet and even. If it is not sparse, it will be cold. If it is not dense, it will be carved. " In Qing Dynasty, Deng said: "Calligraphy and painting can be in a sparse place, not in a secret place, so it is often drawn as a painting, and curiosity comes out." Because of the characteristics of Chinese characters, calligraphers can create various works with their artistic conception and pen and ink skills to express their unique style. Different calligraphy works reflect the author's different ways of thinking. Some works are ethereal and white, with broad and quiet momentum, giving people a sense of ethereal leisure, while others are graceful and generous, with a heavy and great sense of freedom. Some works are ancient and beautiful, strange and dangerous, and have a sense of narcissism. In the art of calligraphy, we should pay attention to the exhibition of talents without ink, and count white as black. For example, in Yan Zhenqing's Ambassador Liu Zhong's post and Huai Su's self-narrative post, there are many examples of alternation between reality and reality. On a piece of paper, the place with ink is black and the place without ink is white; Where there is ink, it is true, and where there is no ink, it is virtual; Where there is ink, there are words, and where there is no ink, there are words; It is important to have words, especially no words. White is the basis of black, black is the basis of white, and black and white complement each other; Virtual is real, but virtual is a reflection of reality. When virtual and real exist, they are interrelated. Laozi's thought of unity of opposites is vividly reflected in the practice of taking white as black in calligraphy art, which seems to be empty, but the aesthetic effect of "virtual and real coexistence, all wonderful" brings infinite reverie to the viewer and makes people memorable.
Fifth, the content is sentimental.
Any art has the characteristics of expressing feelings and souls, and so does calligraphy. Calligraphers use abstract stippling, through artistic processing, to melt into their own feelings and create emotional works, thus arousing the feelings of the appreciators. As a calligraphy connoisseur, we should try our best to get a glimpse of the author's emotional factors when facing a calligraphy work. Calligraphy, as a formal art, not only needs to have an insight into the writing skills and styles of works, but also needs to know the content and creative background of works. For example, Wang Xizhi's Preface to the Lanting Pavilion was created in the environment of "abundant talents", "calm" and "beneficial wind and smooth flow" when the contract was repaired. It shows the romantic and natural attitude of the literati in the Eastern Jin Dynasty with his elegant demeanor and decent style of calligraphy. Yan Zhenqing's pagoda monument and Yan Zijia's temple monument all reflect his dignified, heavy and magnificent Yan family style. For example, Yue Fei's Red River, Zhou Enlai's Song of the Great River, and many of Mao Zedong's poems all show the great man's momentum and courage from content to form.
A successful book is not only beautiful, graceful, vigorous, bold and pleasing to the eye, but also shows the author's feelings and interests. With the innate aesthetic consciousness, the author naturally strives to make his writing form more beautiful, more harmonious and fluent, more varied and more uneven, so that the audience can get information and get enlightenment and lessons from it.
Sixth, the artistic conception of the mind is beautiful.
Artistic conception refers to people's thinking realm. It is formed through the understanding of objective things. People's artistic conception is very different. With the same basic skills and different artistic levels, calligraphy will have different levels. Artistic conception beauty is a high description of calligrapher's momentum, strength, spirit and charm. Emperor Taizong said: "The word' Fu' takes God as its soul"; In Song Dynasty, Huang Tingjian said: "A calligrapher can view it by rhyme", and Qing Yao said: "Qi is the main factor". Calligraphers of past dynasties said "God", "Rhyme" and "Qi". We inherited the idea of artistic conception beauty and summarized it as "essence, qi and spirit"
Words are the heart. Everything in nature, including dynamic and static, such as mountains and rivers, clouds, the sun, the moon and stars, fish, insects, birds and animals, storms, fire and water, lightning, singing and dancing, fighting and so on. , all give calligraphers some inspiration. The author uses a special tool to express some interest in his mind through a series of factors such as stippling lines. This interest in the artistic conception of the mind can often make calligraphy works achieve some magical effects. The embodiment of the beauty of spiritual artistic conception determines the author's cultural accomplishment and artistic personality. That is what people often call "extra work". The deeper the author's "work beyond words", the higher his intention. The more realistic the work he pursues; The more real, the better; The more beautiful, elegant, meaningful and intriguing. The feeling of the beauty of spiritual mood varies from person to person. Only by constantly strengthening the study of "outside the word" and constantly improving the comprehensive quality can we create excellent calligraphy works.
It can be seen that the beauty of artistic conception is the expression of calligrapher's thoughts, feelings and cultivation. Thoughts and feelings are the attributes of all arts, such as Wang Xizhi's Preface to Lanting, which is the best running script in the world. The author is completely intoxicated with nature. The content, lines, structure, composition and posture of calligraphy all reflect the author's pure and simple thoughts and feelings, and express the author's feelings about the short and endless joy of life. Another example is Zheng Banqiao, one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" in Qing Dynasty, who boldly created innovative calligraphy and created "Banqiao Style" under the atmosphere of advocating pavilion style at that time. His style is like "paving a street with stones", but "chaos" gives expression to statutes and "chaos" gives charm, from which we can see his outstanding and proud spirit; The words of Master Hongyi, a modern calligrapher, fully embody the spirit of Buddhism and create a different artistic beauty of calligraphy. Therefore, every successful calligrapher always has his own personal style, and each work presents a unique artistic beauty.
French art master Rodin said: "Beauty is everywhere. For our eyes, it is not the lack of beauty, but the lack of absorption and development. " Such as clear and winding streams, colorful flowers, endless rivers, eagles soaring in the sky, lush and interesting forests and so on. , all have their own personality beauty, but also have mutual beauty, that is, natural and vivid natural beauty, which can be compared and absorbed in different degrees in the stippling lines, font structure, line arrangement and chapter layout of calligraphy art, as well as in interest, natural rhythm and verve. Looking at it with a brand-new eye, it is possible to make new discoveries in those real works every time. Works seem as profound as living people. Because it is the touching world of the work itself, it has its own unique laws and connotations. It's hard for anyone to say that he knows everything, because no one can do it. If you really have a mentality of treating works like people, then you can sensitively capture the details and connotations of works and gain insight into the beauty of works, which is the real artistic appreciation.
To sum up, calligraphy not only has a long history, but also gives people a kind of beautiful enjoyment visually, which depends on whether you master the aesthetic creation law of calligraphy art. It is generally believed that calligraphy art is a kind of "heart-to-heart dialogue". Only when calligraphy is closely attached to the heart of the appreciator can we ensure the eternity and significance of art and truly reflect the breadth, depth and value of calligraphy art.