Friday, November 23, 2012
Big Bright Calligraphy
Yesterday I tried submitting some calligraphy to the Beyond Calligraphy website. Rona part of the Beyond Calligraphy team wrote back saying she loved this piece. I realized I did not have a photo showing it in it's full blazing glory, or with a picture with a person to get a size reference.
The characters read peace and ki - spirit. I wrote this about 6 years ago, but I believe I got the characters out of a small calligrapher's poetry inspiration book.
I have a history of doing large pieces in fluorescent colors. I display these pieces at dance/art festivals and I want them to be loud and intense. Under direct blacklight this piece actually flickers as your eyes try to take it in. I like the fluorescent colors. It gives them a bit of the magic glow.
When I wrote this I used a broom. I bound the broom tightly with rubber bands and trimmed it into a point with scissors.
Think this one is big? A few years before that for Burning Flipside I wrote a 18 foot tall piece. It is my favorite line from the Tao Te Ching - "the great way has no boundaries". One of my buddies labeled it the "Earth Sail Project" A piece of fabric this size is indeed a sail. But of the engineering on the structure was very aiki - how to have structure yet be yielding to energy. Sadly I never got a decent picture of this piece.
Thanks for taking a moment to look at some of my art. I enjoy it, and I enjoy sharing it with others.
For some reason the public piece of calligraphy reminded me of a hotel stay a couple of years ago.
ReplyDeleteThe room decor had a vaguely light Asian theme. I noticed that one of the paintings in the room contained the character for "qi." ... And was hung upside down.
ReplyDeleteWell at least I hung my right side up. I think.
Mishima Sensei's father was a well known calligrapher I understand. Sometimes as a gift for special occasions Kushida Sensei's would create a piece of calligraphy.
ReplyDeleteI remember being at a house warming party for one of the Dan ranked students. Kushida had sent over a gift which the host hung up and displayed proudly. One of the other Dan ranked students who was studying Japanese sat in front of it for hours.
The second student finally said - wait a minute. I know why I can't read it. It's upside down.
I very much enjoy your work. Thank you for sharing it with us.