Guest performance

            I had the privilege of attending a lecture by Professor Lampo Leong. He is a very prominent Chinese calligrapher and was kind enough to come speak at my Asian art history class. He gave us a good overview of the history of calligraphy in China then mentioned briefly his current research about the Ω curve and its use in studying the quality of calligraphy. Leong began by telling us about his perspective. He is formally trained in calligraphy and studio arts. To him, this gives him a unique point of view on at history. He is able to analyze and judge works based on their artistic communication without having the historians fact based influence. He also attempted to explain the concept of  “qi” as used in the Chinese culture. The closet word we have in English to translate is energy but even that doesn’t fully capture the concept.

            So many words in English have loose definitions or even have opposing definitions/connotation in popular culture. Then, is it a big mystery that we don’t have the right words to understand such amazing concepts like qi? The art of calligraphy is ancient and has changed dramatically over the centuries but it has always answered to qi. As we look back we can still see the qi of the time. During periods of strict governmental regulation the writing was ridged and confined. As more freedom was given to the people, more freedom is seen in the writing. New styles were allowed to develop, some so far from the original and standard script that they seem unreadable. But you don’t even need to read the characters to understand the artist. Some of the more free flowing scripts hold just as much value in their visual appeal as the words the lines mean.

            Leong’s best comparison is dance. It is a partnership between the artist and the brush. The ink records the steps as the bush moves along the page, flipping and jumping, fluidly transferring its qi onto the paper. But dance still doesn’t fit for comparison fully. You are able to see every moment of the performance on the page, you can replay the moves as many times as you want, over and over again. Perhaps this is a more accurate definition of design? Could design be the exact translation of qi?

Here are some photos of the demonstration after the lecture. It lasted only about 15 seconds but  the history and preparation of this art was conveyed magnificently.

If you want to see more of his work, or just learn more about him, here is his website. http://web.missouri.edu/~leongl/