The formation period of Mr. Xu's calligraphy thought can be divided into three sections:
(1) Before the age of 30, it is a gestation period, and extensive study and attention to the study of techniques have formed a technique theory that pays attention to "strength and potential".
(2)30-50 years old is a mature period, and I have learned a lot and formed my own "mellow and elegant" style theory.
(3) After the age of 50, it is a period of development, and there are many original ideas, striving for innovation, and forming an innovative theory of "The past is not good, and the present is different from the disadvantages".
First, technical theory.
Mr. Xu has a deep understanding of Shen's "wrist theory" and other viewpoints. On the basis of combining ancient books and his own experience, he formed his own technique theory. He believes that paying attention to calligraphy skills is the premise of achieving personal style. The main points are:
(A) hanging elbow hanging wrist theory
The ancients also emphasized "hanging elbows and wrists". For example, in the late Qing Dynasty, Xu Qian's "A Brief Exploration of Writing Techniques" talked about elbow strength: "Therefore, if you learn elbow strength, you will hang your elbow. Although the so-called elbow force lies in lifting the elbow, the force actually comes from behind. " The ancients used a pen all their lives. This is a general theory, but what should be done in practice? Xu teacher once specially consulted Mr. Shen, and realized that the beauty of using the wrist is that the wrist and elbow are suspended to increase the operating range, which is mainly based on his research on Chu Suiliang's regular script. He used lifting the pipe and hanging his elbow and wrist as the basis for practicing calligraphy. Shen said: "the key to using a pen is to first mention it according to the evidence, see the temperament, and point out the intention." "After seeing Mr. Shen's personal demonstration in Shanghai, xu teacher has a deeper understanding of pen.
(2) the theory of force and potential
The ancients discussed "force" and "potential" a lot, but they were all abstract. Just like Cai Yong said, "Write hard, skin looks beautiful"; Zhang Xu said: "The power lies in words" and "Don't make it cramped" are of reference value. Xu teacher believes that force is related to the sense of life, and it should be expressed skillfully and accurately. First, we should make use of the natural elasticity of the pen, such as the bristle pen he made in Chongqing, which has good elasticity and is suitable in both vertical and horizontal directions. The writer can break the rigidity into softness or change the softness into rigidity, and write lines with three-dimensional sense, so that stippling has a three-dimensional sense that jumps out of the paper. Second, in addition to the center, we should strengthen the flank and write. He realizes that the center is very important, but he can't do his best. The unsmooth sides of the pen holder are caused by human external forces, which enriches the potential of the pen holder. When discussing Chu Shu, he also said: "I used to be superstitious about the center, and Wang Xizhi's Mourning Post didn't look like it after reading it several times. Later, after repeated pondering, I confirmed that there were quite a few flanks, especially the words "heartbreaking", which were really drawn by the tip of the pen. Therefore, the pen is high and urgent, which is really similar. " We spent three days watching the Complete Works of Music in his later years, and everything was ready from form to spirit. It was really formed by the mutual use of the middle parties. Third, he believes that strength comes from potential. Mr. Xu changed Shen Lao's theory of "winning the pen" to "gaining the momentum", which is actually the inheritance and development of the theory of calligraphy in Han and Jin Dynasties. Cui Yuan's cursive script potential is China's first book on potential. The word potential has been studied in Cai Yong's Nine Potential and Wei Heng's Four-body Book Potential. However, the language is too gorgeous to understand. Zhang Huaiguan's assertion that "when you write a word, you must know the situation first" and Kang Youwei's assertion that "when you know the situation, you will win the battle" have always been valued. Xu teacher elaborated on the function of "potential" in detail. Potential is grasped by the rhythm of the pen, and it is obtained by writing with heart. He said: "Why can the eclectic and varied stippling be combined into a harmonious and unified whole instead of a contradictory chaos?" The trick lies in two words: "strength" and "potential". Force is the pen power, that is, the book written by Yin Yinni mentioned earlier, which is steep and fast. In the process of writing, the horizontal drawing is not dragged, the vertical drawing is not straight, and the pen is neat and not sticky. Potential is the gesture and posture, and being good at exerting strength and controlling the priorities of writing is the driving force. The diversity of stippling depends on this power and potential. In his view, the sense of force is one of the life and essential characteristics of calligraphy art, and the expression of spirit is only the melody expression of the sense of force. His own cursive script is very distinctive, and it pops up as quickly as a falcon's tail, which is considered as one of the characteristics of Xu Ti's calligraphy.
(3) Basic theory
Xu teacher likes to use Han Yu's old adage "You are ill and ignorant, but you are ill and die" to teach his disciples, and opposes quick success and instant benefit. 199 1 once said to me, "You should stick to your post and practice the strength of your wrist and elbow. You can write casually after fifty. " A seemingly ordinary sentence actually contains encouragement to me. In "A Brief Introduction to Seal Characters in Qin and Han Dynasties", he described that he had studied seal characters for more than 40 years and realized the samadhi of seal characters. You can write any style of writing with a powerful pen, solid kung fu and elbow hanging. From 65438 to 0990, he took eight calligraphy graduate students and their families to Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang for professional investigation, and wrote books for the reception units all the way, which was often exhausted and rarely failed. In retrospect, he wrote to me during the holiday and said, "The art of calligraphy depends on skill. If you don't advance, you will retreat. " So far, I have led it to the right. 1993 before changing books, the postscript said: "Books and records over the years have been discarded with waste paper. Since Gui You was seriously ill in February, he has lived in Chengdu for three days, so he can get a pass here, so he can keep it to check his entry into China another day. " It can be seen that he is so diligent that he doesn't know how old he is. In order to accumulate skills, he thinks it is necessary to (1) work hard on the finest works. (2) The boldest works should also be thoroughly studied. (3) refer to the classic works of ancient masters. When it comes to copying seal script, he said that beginners should not talk about the past, let alone pursue strangeness. He opposes the "carelessness" of beginners and does not seek perfection. The poem "On Xie Wuliang's Calligraphy" says: "My heart and hand forget each other, so my old friend's poem rolls clouds. The world suffers from a false reputation, and it is difficult to draw a tiger without wind ",which is a warning to those who take shortcuts to the south." "When writing seal script, he opposed the practice of cutting off the nib for the sake of hiding the front, thinking that it was tacky and frustrating because of the lack of mention.
Second, the theory of book meaning
The meaning of a book is simply the high interest or artistic realm hidden in the image of calligraphy. Xu teacher believes that after mastering the calligraphy skills, we must pay attention to the expression of the meaning of the book, that is, to express the calligrapher's concept of life consciousness. To this end, Lao Xu believes that four things must be done: first, forget each other; Second, books should have rhyme; Third, self-cultivation; Fourth, proficient in writing. Self-forgetting heart, self-forgetting hand, can freely express regardless of utility. He was traveling in Shaoxing, and he said, "Wild mountains and rivers are few and long, and Yonghe flowed here in those days." Secrets forget hearts and hands, and how to plan the future. "The beauty of this book in Wang Youjun's later years lies in his detachment from the common customs." Not far from the shelter, you will still see Chongshan when you come. "You can see his interest here. He praised Zhao Xi's calligraphy, saying that "heroes are quite out of date", and he said Huang Li's poems, "What's the smell of Fu Weng's books? "Or like returning to sweet and quiet tea. I want to visit the shrine in person, but I don't want to seek enlightenment and eat peach blossoms. " Simple and mysterious beauty lies in the distance between the hearts. Ni Kuanzan was criticized as a fake book, saying that this tablet lacked the preciseness of the Chu tablet and lost the ancient meaning of the Six Dynasties preserved in the early Tang Dynasty. This "ancient meaning" is the only meaningful and unspeakable "rhyme". He said: "The brushwork can be figured out in Linchi, and the brushwork also needs various accomplishments other than calligraphy. Su Dongpo said,' It's not enough to withdraw your pen like a mountain, you can only understand the spirit after reading thousands of books'. This is why many literati's seal script and elegant brushwork are better than specialized calligraphers. "Many young people deliberately pursue" mature young people ",which is actually not exact. It is very strange, but it is very strange. Xu teacher believes that writing should be full of energy, which must come from familiarity and has its own potential. He opposes the view that "every pen is the body and ink is the shape". Commenting on Wang Duo's scrolls, he said: "Because of the skillful calligraphy and familiarity with the rules, and the natural operation of the pen, it has formed an extraordinary effect. "The pursuit of' being good at' has been a common reading criterion of Neo-Confucianism since the Song Dynasty, which has promoted the development of abstract thinking. Xu teacher believes that familiarity is only a means, not an end. He prefaced the Collection of Dai Mingxian's Calligraphy, saying: His books and seal cutting learn from the past instead of from the past, and there is no craftsman's spirit of looking at the outside. He understood the true meaning of "painting with books as his heart" and expressed his feelings with books and prints, which was simple and natural. He opposed the practice of writing seal characters and burning pens. He said: "The mistake of burning the pen tip is that I don't understand that the seal script is whether there is a meal or not at first glance. In fact, there is still a meal. The beginning and end are clear, but it is just a latent gas that turns inward and is implicit. "The emphasis on hidden writing here is of considerable guiding significance.
Third, theoretical innovation.
Mr. Xu believes that innovation is the purpose and objective law of calligraphy development, and a history of calligraphy is a history of constant innovation.
There are two basic points in innovation: (1) It is difficult to innovate. (2) be innovative. Only innovation has a way out. To this end, he put forward the famous viewpoints of "the ancient is not good, but the present has different disadvantages" and "changing cats into cats"
(A) the theory of "what is improper in the past is improper in the present"
This famous saying of Sun was borrowed by Mr. Xu to express his calligraphy thoughts. After he carved it with Zhu Wen, he made a boundary and said, "These eight characters are my motto,' Doing nothing'. "... this idea became the goal of his life. In class, he repeatedly stressed that calligraphy seal cutting should be improved, first, it should be refined, and second, it should avoid craftsmanship and rusticity. If you don't learn from the ancients, your foundation is not firm. Only by combining the two into the spirit of the times can you create a style. Knife and brushwork are second. For dealing with the relationship between ancient and modern times, Mr. Wang believes that only things that have been tested by practice are reliable. It is the same truth to absorb the essence of ancient times and overcome the defects of modern people. To learn from the past, we should "learn from the heart and not follow the track." "He expressed his views on the" rocket pen "method initiated by Taoist Li Ruiqing in a lofty and exaggerated way:" I am not absolutely opposed to the rocket pen, but it is not worth taking. Books are precious to nature. This is a very important aesthetic principle of calligraphy art, which should be pursued hard and should not be deliberately violated. "He believes that innovation is a natural thing and should follow the development track of calligraphy for more than two thousand years. Yu Youren, Xie Wuliang and so on. Never talked about innovation, but they did. And innovation is to write model works, those graffiti works, and cursive scripts with crossbows, which are actually superficial articles. He said in "Picturesque Title": "Although cursive writing is like a drunken monk, it is a pity not to write banana. Good bird peeks at a person who hasn't been there for a long time, and her voice is mellow and fragrant. "Cursive script is also the product of the mind, not the external form of madness, and everyone who knows it knows it.
(B) the "wonderful meeting" theory
To innovate, we should not only study ancient Chinese characters, but also take the Wan Li Road, master the secrets, broaden our minds and broaden our horizons, all of which are necessary preparations for innovation. 1990: Take graduate students to inspect Mount Tai Diamond Sutra Chinese characters, Tieshan Cliff Stone Carving, Shandong Stone Carving Museum, and Anhui, the origin of Four Treasures of the Study. They did not shy away from difficulties and wrote several poems, but they were all tired. For example, "Poems on Huangshan Mountain" says: "The mountains and valleys are full of clouds and rain, and the soil is thin, and Shi Jian is long and golden. Whoever stays in the mystery will have a chance and he will succeed in doing things. " There are many books written by young readers in this poem, which has profound implications. There are many words in his seal, such as "the mountains and rivers are infinite", "the mountains and rivers can be enjoyed everywhere" and "it is very important to calculate the victory or defeat of the western hills today", which expresses his yearning for the magical mountains and rivers of the motherland, gets the help of the mountains and rivers, and nurtures the meaning of heaven and earth, which is a necessary means to enhance the calligrapher's personality. Visiting famous teachers is also one of the contents of going out. During 1990, Mr. Xu made a special trip to visit Mr. Wang and presented the newly published Selected Works of Dongpo. In Xu's epitaph, Professor Zhou said: "Although I inherited my family business and turned to many teachers for help ... or I followed them day after day, or I heard about them back and forth, and I respected them, so I could become profound; Climbing mountains and mountains, referring to historical sites, can get the help of nature, so it can become big. Only when there is inheritance can there be creation, and only when there is practice can there be communication. " This is an accurate summary, and there is no exaggeration. Xu teacher found Mr. Wang's calligraphy interesting, although he didn't talk about his own innovation. People who have no compassion make people angry, seemingly prosaic, but have a long lasting appeal. Reached the realm of natural beauty.
Fourth, self-cultivation theory.
Xu teacher believes that any art that reaches a certain level is the result of self-cultivation. In the "Calligraphy Course" edited by him, it is said that "calligraphy is an art and knowledge about Chinese character writing and learning. Judging from the result of writing, it is art, from the aspects of how to write, requirements, statutes, content, temperament, spirit and appreciation. It is a very demanding science, involving a wide range and far-reaching influence. " This view clearly defines the art of calligraphy as the study of self-cultivation for the first time, revealing the essence of traditional art. For this reason, Mr. Xu emphasized four points:
(1) Pre-emptive calligraphy theory: Since Neo-Confucianism established the Neo-Confucianism system in the Song Dynasty, the calligraphy theory of Neo-Confucianism has emphasized the ideal personality, praised the spirit of sages, pursued the happiness of Confucius and Yan, and cultivated integrity, in order to achieve the great goal of the unity of man and nature, and found a concrete and abstract goal for modern scholars.
(B) learn to cultivate artistic theory
Mr. Xu believes that as a literati calligrapher, calligraphy works should have the spirit of calligraphy and stone. He appreciated Liu Xizai's theory that "books are noble and clear, but thick" and put forward the theory of "high quality and rich learning". In "On Yang Shoujing's Learning Your Words", he said: "Mind painting is the source, and it can communicate with the heart, and it is necessary to accumulate wealth with high quality. There are hundreds of posts and monuments, and each has its own understanding. "
(3) a veritable theory
"Name" and "reality" have always been the concern of calligraphers, which are related to the influence behind them. Mr. Xu advocates living up to his reputation and opposes floating fame and notoriety. A gentleman's career is based on the right path. On Ma Xulun's calligraphy poems, he said: "The book is a golden lion hanging without elbow. But it is good for the body and mind, and the name is just a whisper. " Praising Mr. Ma's valuable spirit of not seeking fame and fortune, but seeking profit for the world, is actually a portrayal of his own pursuit.
(4) The theory of seeking books outside books and printing outside books.
Xu teacher emphasized extra-word kung fu and extra-print kung fu. Although it is the last skill of the path, he must have a good understanding of China's philosophical spirit in order to fully understand the essence of calligraphy. In the history of seal cutting, he emphasized: "Huang Mufu's seal is very simple and looks very old. The development of Qing Dynasty and India is related to the development of epigraphy. It is by no means a stone with a meat cleaver that can get married. " This reveals the common success of all artists. He commented on Mr. Yi Junshi: "His seal script is elegant, elegant and beautiful." That is to say, praise mr. yi's profound extra-literal skill in promoting book printing.
V. Style theory
The pursuit of calligraphy style is the pursuit of calligrapher's personality. Xu teacher told students many times to do the most exquisite works well and attack the most wild ones. After 50, he began to study and create "Big Grass". Especially for Huai Su, Zhang Xu and Huanggu cursive hand-copying, I am the most diligent. His copying is more convenient for literati's lyric style and pursues the combination of spirit and rhyme. Mainly reflected in the following points:
(1) is thin and hard.
(2) If you don't stimulate or do it, the wind rules will be far away.
(3) the theory of elegance.
Xu teacher believes that literati and calligraphers should control their emotions by their own cultivation, instead of pursuing wild and grotesque, they should pay attention to their own temperament. Mr. Xu praised many scholars in the article and used the word "mellow and elegant" to evaluate them. For example, it has been said many times that the seal script written by literati is more elegant, elegant and generous, unique in structure and beautiful in brushwork than that written by specialized calligraphers and Yi Junshi. Alcohol, pure and strong, elegant, clear and positive. Mr. Xu believes that elegance should have many characteristics:
First, elegance should oppose sweetness and vulgarity, which has the characteristics of freshness and naturalness.
Second, elegance is unique.
Third, elegance should be characterized by elegance.
Mr Xu's calligraphy thought is the theoretical crystallization of profound practice. Mr. Wang's life is magnificent, extraordinary and extraordinary. He pursued the return of academic spirit all his life and tried to advocate the style of scholars. University spirit is the most ideal goal for modern people in the dialogue with the ancients, and it is also the inevitable destination for modern people after their own ideas are lost in the blind pursuit of innovation.
Today, Mr. Xu's calligraphy thought has stood the test of time and is still fresh, radiant and dazzling, which makes everyone very pleased.