ShihT'ao: a single stroke of the brush
ShihT'ao: a single stroke of the brush
“It must be known that to impregnate the paper with a single drop of ink is not a trivial matter: it is necessary for the heart to become immense and empty, without containing a single object” ShihT'ao
On this occasion I will refer to the figure of Shih T'ao 石涛 (1642 – 1707), who is considered one of the most important Chinese painters and theorists for his essential contributions to the field of oriental art. Shih T'ao was not only one of the "individualist" painters who revitalized landscape painting, but he also wrote a valuable treatise on painting, a mandatory reference manual for a better understanding of the art of ink. From his unique biography, full of displacements and discoveries, it is worth highlighting at least two events that determined his productions. The first of them has to do with the realization of numerous trips - at different times of his life - entering into the sublime nature made up mainly of gigantic mountains and pine forests. Through direct contact with nature, the ancient painters fostered receptivity, a condition that - according to the masters - precedes and determines the deep knowledge of things. Thus highlighting the importance of observing landscapes for this type of sensitive and intuitive art, which is based on the understanding of the nature of which we are a part. For traditional painters, painting is not a plagiarism of the world, but a parallel reality to that world.
“The painter's activity does not consist in imitating the diverse existing in Creation, but in reproducing the very act by which Nature creates. Pictorial creation is a process identical to that of the creation of the Universe; both are carried out in parallel” (ShihT'ao; p. 67). An art with its own logic of operation that aims to reach the root of things and, unlike the humanist conception of Renaissance painting, traditional painting in the East is inextricably linked to the Tao. For ShihT'ao, “Pictorial activity means the tireless search for Tao, authentic reality, and its realization in a visible and concrete form through one's works” (Kitaura; 1991; p. 359). Secondly, it is worth remembering that ShihT'ao, while still a child, and due to adverse political situations, was taken refuge in a Zen monastery, where he studied the work of the great masters: Lao-tse 老子 and Zhuangzi 莊子. In this context of discipline and rigor, the painter "stimulated an attitude of humble and attentive contemplation of the world in its most trivial, most intimate and most concrete manifestations, an attitude that was particularly fruitful for painting." (Ryckmans, 1970; p.66).
These learnings also permeate the “Discourse on Painting by the Bitter Gourd Monk”, a work considered to be the crystallization of his experiences as a painter. The idea of discourse is in line with the aesthetic treatises of the Chinese tradition that Shih T'ao knew deeply and respected in the same way. These painters were aware of the importance of learning from the old masters to expand their knowledge and at the same time to perpetuate the tradition through this system.
In these pages, the artist presents key themes that oriental painting deals with, seeking to transmit his teachings to other painters. The primary interest lies in “establishing the theoretical, solid and rigorous principle for this artistic activity, granting it a metaphysical and transcendental meaning, unique in the history of China” (Kitaura; 1991; p. 359).
The author refers to the one and the multiple of each brushstroke, highlights the virtues of the painter, the expressive intelligence and the procedures of expression, the specific technique for painting mountains and water in their different physical modalities, the compositional delimitations of the landscape and also warns about the defects of the vulgar painter. But it is fundamentally through the concept of the single brushstroke where the originality of his thought is glimpsed: the stroke without correction, condition of unrepeatable, irrevocable and irreproachable experience. Each unique brushstroke seeks to capture the essence of the motif to be painted: the vivid character of the birds, the irregular trunk of the plum tree, the delicacy of the orchid petal, etc. It is a method based on the connection with the absolute present that is equally applicable to painting and calligraphy. “The single stroke of the brush is the root and the pristine origin of calligraphy and painting,” he explains (ShihT'ao; p. 149). Since the Yuan period (12th century), an artist could no longer be considered as such without his calligraphy being on par with his painting; one could not do one thing without having knowledge of the other, both were in equal conditions and required each other.
Shih T'ao also examines the types, uses and qualities of ink, which he classifies according to their properties: black, white, dry, wet, thick and fluid. These properties are also due to the use of water as a vehicle, which enables the appearance of unexpected stains and textures. The preparation of the ink consists of slowly dissolving the ink stick in the stone inkwell with continuous circular movements. This is not only a practical matter, but also a moment of preparing the conditions of the spirit to undertake the sacred act of painting and writing. In this regard, the painter Guo Si 郭汜 (1020-1090) recalled to his father: “The day I began a painting, I needed to have an immaculate table near a clear window; “He would first burn incense to his left and to his right, and then, after choosing an impeccable brush and a superior ink, he would wash his hands and purify his ink mortar, all with the solemn gravity of someone preparing to receive an illustrious guest” (Ryckmans, 1970; p. 140). Wang Yu also recommended that, before painting, one should calm one's heart and put aside one's thoughts, in order to turn each stroke into a unique and unrepeatable life experience.
Article written by Luciana Rago, published in Verdemente magazine - November 2013