Modern Calligraphy Ink Form

Modern Calligraphy, particularly referring to Chinese calligraphy from 1980s, enjoys a history of three decades. Although too transient to articulate the essence of modern calligraphy, compared with more than three thousand years of history, the three decades are unparalleled through the history of Chinese calligraphy in witnessing a irrevocable new trend in calligraphic practice. Both form and essence of Chinese calligraphy have gone through subversion, transformation, breakthrough, restructuring, departure and return.The drastic changes in calligraphic approach have not provoked much controversy or question for two reasons: first, the loss of calligraphic tradition in modern culture.Since culture has shifted from oral to writing transmission, hieroglyphic essence in Chinese culture leads to a prosperous calligraphic tradition, which not only carries profound concept of classical Chinese philosophy and aesthetics but also demonstrates a peculiar aesthetic taste and character of Chinese people.In early 20th century, the era of"New Culture"and reform in writing implement have marginalized calligraphy as a form of art for minority instead of a significant functional role to inherit culture and transmit knowledge as well as information. However, the reform in writing tools did not jeopardize calligraphy from within; people still practice strokes, taste their forms and feel endeared and acquainted with calligraphy with basic appreciative and aesthetic judgments.The end of 20th century marks a trend that keyboard input is probably to replace writing approach and thus add more difficulties to distinguish and understand calligraphy, let alone studies and development thereof. Reserved to minority, calligraphy has become a unique skill, and therefore reforms in the calligraphic circle drove hardly any attention.Second, the reform of modern calligraphy complements with contemporary art, establishing a unique features of Chinese calligraphy of the times. Calligraphic elements constitute links between contemporary art in China and tradition, the integration of art endowing calligraphy with unlimited possibilities. Today, calligraphy becomes part of modern life from all aspects by all measures. Just like Chinese character, a significant symbol of Chinese culture, calligraphy is presenting a visual form of Chinese culture as a distinctive mark.An Exploration of Modern Calligraphy is a book that, based on obstacles and opportunities facing calligraphy in a modern scenario, describes the history of modern calligraphy with detailed illustrations of works in an attempt to explore laws and inevitable trend concealed in calligraphic evolution from numerous practices of modern calligraphy.Besides, An Exploration of Modern Calligraphy makes depictions and summarize on current calligraphic practice, particularly the combination of modern calligraphic and digital media with calligraphic image, calligraphic installation and virtual calligraphic interactions included. In the meanwhile, the dissertation makes efforts to identify the current orientation of modern calligraphy whilst predicting and advocating future possibilities, providing positive examples for calligraphy to return to tradition and carry distinctive and abundant resources on as well as presenting innovative perspectives on explorations of wider areas with the help of new technology.The dissertation is based on large amount of examples to solidify viewpoints and processes calligraphy classics with image software to reveal distinctive aesthetic features of traditional calligraphy and to present new forms of calligraphic practice with media approaches combined.The presentation of modern calligraphy is an artistic process of changes and formation, the description of which consists of both theoretical generalization and selection. On such basis, an analysis and retrospect of modern calligraphy is bound to have reference value to the orientation thereof.