Calligraphy is generally recognized as a visual art composed of various types of lines. Nonetheless, the process of writing not only embodies the aesthetic qualities of these lines but also implicitly conveys the quinta essentia of calligraphy. In other words, these lines do not rigidly serve as the components of characters, but come to life in the process of writing. Admiring and learning from classics help us grasp the quinta essentia of calligraphy. In sum, calligraphy is about writing characters rather than drawing lines.1 —Inoue Yuichi, 1985
Using a brush, the artist unrestrainedly applied the extremely dark ink on the plain and pure-white rice paper, which faithfully reflects his consciousness and physical motions at the very moment of writing. It resembles the birth of the universe, from which the primeval landscape in the artist’s mind came into existence. The bold and thick strokes can be compared to the ancient monoliths towering on the earth. The deft and ethereal strokes look like rain and dew. The hollow strokes whip along as fast as wind and lightning. The slow and dithery strokes reflect all his unspeakable cares. The artist’s intricate thoughts and flowing ponderings were solidified in the simplest linear structure and compressed in the thin layer of the rice paper. His works therefore become the everlasting legacies of the moments of no return. Besides, the stark contrast between black and white on the rice paper reifies the artist’s profound thought and creative mind.
At my first admiration for the calligraphic works by Inoue Yuichi (1916-1985), I was deeply impressed by their magnificent compositions. As an iconic figure of the post-war Japanese modern calligraphy, Inoue has broken the traditional rule that the characters must be aesthetically pleasing and elegant. With his creativity and unique posture, Inoue has transcended the confines of “classical calligraphy.” He not only pioneered an aesthetic engineering that reflected the Zeitgeist, but also responded to his living conditions. Inoue has not only repudiated the claim that he had been an activist of avant-garde Shodo, but also expressed obvious disdain for and abhorrence of avant-garde Shodo in verse.2 However, to objectively and comprehensively review Inoue’s unique achievement and status in the field of art, it is still necessary for us to treat the historical background and the environment in which he lived as the entry point. In other words, this article conducts a historical study on and a discursive analysis of Inoue’s life, formation of style, and artistic creativity, and thereby vividly reveals the quinta essentia of his calligraphic works.
Text / Sun Xiao-Tong
