Smoke brews into rain, sweeping the mind - Cheng Mo’s ink calligraphy

by Zhao Lichang (Ph.D. in Art Theory)

^1 Ink calligraphy The unique feature is that the ink and wash are densely intertwined [yīn yūn], producing rich random changes. Richness brings aesthetic interest, randomness brings philosophy of life, and variability is an artistic quality. The colors of ink and wash are simple and plain, but also endlessly changeable, while the lines of calligraphy are pure, abstract, and carry the rhythm of life, which itself is also a record of posture. The two are combined to create a perfect dance of poetry and thought. ^1

Cheng Mo paid equal attention to both traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. He applied the ink techniques he learned in traditional Chinese painting to his calligraphy. On the basis of traditional calligraphy's brushwork, calligraphy, and composition, he added ink techniques. This was his first opportunity to enter the field of ink calligraphy. The addition of ink techniques makes the work more diverse and brings more unpredictable visual effects, which is so-called full of fun. The key to ink calligraphy is the use of water. The penetration of water makes the work ethereal and simple, like clouds scattered in the sky and the moon in the sky. In addition, Cheng Mo has recently created more single-character or less-character works, which weakens the content and functionality of calligraphy and highlights the artistry and ideological nature of his works.

The famous work "Collapse" by Japanese calligrapher Teshima Ukiyo has only two words, but it is impactful and shocking. It expresses the collapse and helplessness of the author's inner world after encountering the Japanese atomic bomb explosion. Redeemable loss. Many critics have criticized such works as not being aesthetic and being immoral and immoral, symbolizing the collapse of rituals and music. However, after experiencing severe trauma, the artist is still expressing the true helplessness and confusion of the soul in the form of art. This kind of creative act itself has a very desolate beauty. Art does not always require us to be prosperous and prosperous. Art emphasizes our introspection and deep reflection.

Cheng Mo’s ink calligraphy, the ink color is saturated with his deep thoughts, and the water color is smeared with his poetic tenderness. ^2 He loves nature and admires the character of water. The best is like water. He said that the soul of ink calligraphy is water. The character of water makes the character of calligraphy, which ultimately points to human character. Cheng Mo has a very profound understanding of the great road to simplicity: "The various contrasts such as black and white, shades, left and right, primary and secondary used in ink calligraphy all reflect the great road of harmony between man and nature^2. The combination of water and ink forms a It has rich gradients of color, smooth and astringent, and dynamic charm, so it is the realization and cultivation of Tao using water and ink as tools."

Under the influence of water, the work becomes more vivid. There are many random changes. If the lines are the positions and trajectories that have been manipulated, in the process of writing, the overlapping and staggered ink is the part where we cannot predict the effect. If we use Cheng Mo's thinking to explain it, it seems that we are planning a route for a life journey. The starting point and end point are determined, but the scenery along the way is full of unknowns. Maybe it’s magnificent and powerful, maybe it’s clear clouds and gentle wind, maybe it’s stormy waves, and it’s these countless unknowns that make people full of expectations. They are combined with the fixed numbers of the starting point and the end point, and inevitably and accidentally, *** Together they constitute our unique life landscape.

^3 This random variability is also an artistic quality and has a Zen feel. Mr. Li Zehou said: "The higher level of Chinese artistic conception is the Zen state." Cheng Mo's ink calligraphy is an artistic creation, a deep religious state, and a philosophical contemplation. They are no longer just the sum of ink and calligraphy, but also the expression of the artist's thoughts and the condensation of life's flavor. ^3

There is no doubt that the journey to the Pure Land is far away, and life is full of rain every day. For most of us, religion is not necessarily a pious belief, but our thinking about life and our desire to stay away from the fetters of the world. A spiritual home for finding inner peace. Cheng Mo often copied scriptures. He not only paid attention to calligraphy skills in copying scriptures, but also expressed his inner yearning for truth, goodness and beauty.

Copying scriptures also gave his ink calligraphy creations a Zen artistic conception, achieving pure emotion and spiritual elegance. From this, we can see how he settled himself in an artistic realm that transcended the world.

Bada Shanren once wrote in his painting of fish swimming: "Thirty-six thousand hectares, after all, there are fish." He left the space open and let the viewers fly out of their reverie. The nature of hearing is round and normal, and movement and stillness are always obvious. If you can return to hearing your own nature, the place where you hear the whirling sound is still light. Buddhism teaches that color is emptiness. When we appreciate ink calligraphy, we want to see the true nature of life in the realm of emptiness, from tangible to intangible. The calligraphy works in front of me have blended with my own life form. I am in a cage, my heart is like a haze, and I have achieved the integration of inner and outer in the aesthetic life.

In addition to studying the masterpieces of famous calligraphers of the past dynasties, Cheng Mo believes that there are several traditional Chinese painting masters who have a greater influence on him in the creation of ink calligraphy, such as Xu Wei, Huang Binhong, Qi Baishi, etc. He believes that the freehand brushwork of Huang Binhong and Qi Baishi fully brings out the characteristics of raw rice paper. He thinks that ink calligraphy can also present a richer state on raw rice paper. He often thinks about what kind of effect it would have if Zhang Xu's "Four Ancient Poems" and Huai Su's "Autobiography" were combined with the changes and rhythm of dry and wet shades of ink. Constant curiosity and exploration broadened his artistic horizons and allowed him to see the galaxy and the universe.

In the next stage of creation, he hopes to continue to specialize in the development of ink calligraphy and try to create whole-text cursive creations with a large number of words. At the same time, he conveys his thoughts and strives to express the quality of water into ink calligraphy works.

He likes:

The tolerance of water - the sea is open to all rivers, tolerance is great;

The humility of water - upright and unfathomable;

The majesty of water - heroic and romantic feelings;

The toughness of water - overcoming hardness with softness, combining hardness and softness;

The persistence of water - keeping a low profile as water, Silently growing;

The wisdom of water - it can be square or round, harmonious but different;

The free and easy nature of water - be at peace with the situation, smile at the dust...

? ?^4 He summed up the qualities of these waters and believed that water nourished life and nourished his creations. On the other hand, he also endowed water with spirituality in his creation, making flowers appear with his wonderful brushwork and turning stones into gold. A little water and a little ink, clear and light, transformed into turbulent clouds, smoke and rain, and a dripping atmosphere in his paintings. A drop of water changes the ocean, from crystal clear to inclusive, his works have become a good destination for a drop of water. ^4

Crossing mountains and seas, there are thousands of roads and hills;

Smoke makes rain, and a few strokes fill your mind.

Cheng Mo is a joking name among friends, and his ink calligraphy is indeed a spring of art that soothes people's hearts. He himself is also a breath of fresh air, embracing the romantic feelings of the breeze and the bright moon, constantly rising in the realm of art and life. Still water runs deep, and he is pursuing the character of water while also tempering the vastness of his thoughts and the remoteness of his poetry.