Art-of-the-brush-Japanese-ink-painting-making-marks-inspiration

Unlike many traditional western painting schools where the dexterity of the artist’s brushstroke is utilised to create an almost flawless surface in traditional East Asian ink painting the quality of the work is measured by how the brush stroke reveals the inner world of the artist. Traditionally, in the west the brush is dexterously manipulated by the artist to create an intellectual charged work whilst in the east there is a sense that the source of the brushstroke is drawn deep from within the artist. In Japanese these paintings are referred to as bokuseki, ‘ink traces’ wherein the brushwork, as an immediate expression of the artist’s state of mind, takes precedence over the subject being depicted.It is natural that such an approach to painting should shun the representational in favour of a more abstract expression.

It is the sheer visual power of ink painting and its ability to encompass deeper meaning that has appealed to many western artists. By profiling four artists living in Australia who, through their emphasis on brush marks and inspired by or working in sympathy with the painting traditions of East Asia, The Art of the Brush will explore how these artists have responded in different ways to the ability of the brushstroke to stimulate them to produce works of both beauty and profound meaning.

As a means of revealing the mind of the artist calligraphy and painting in East Asia are seen as complimentary arts with both using the same brush, ink and paper to expressive ends. In calligraphy the almost abstract representation of Chinese characters is revered for its ability to reflect state of mind. It is said to be the most expressive of the person because, before executing a piece of calligraphy, the artist needs to empty their mind of any intention. Any distraction will manifest itself as an inhibited brush stroke. Having trained as a calligrapher from the age of five Junko Azukawa’s calligraphy has remained true to the roots of this tradition – in The World and Future the traditional form of two Chinese characters are adeptly spaced and animated through ink saturated strokes of black opposed to areas of ‘flying white’. Against a neutral background these characters would reveal an independence of spirit but Azukawa softens this impact by splashing soft hues of colour, mostly pink and/or blue, along the same directory as her dynamic calligraphy. With the borders of kimono fabric and interspersed with free flowing refined script this decorative treatment recalls the delicate quality of Japanese poems written on decorative papers known as shikishi. In opposition to the feminine qualities of Azukawa’s works John Bartlett’s densely packed blocks of black have an almost strident quality that recalls the audacious calligraphic statements of Japanese Zen monks. The boldness of Bartlett’s calligraphic-like mark is as much dependent on the inked area as the negative space around the work – each acting like counterpoints in a yin-yang-like symbol. Bartlett plays with this idea in his recent works by giving prominence to the areas of black that increasingly crowd out most of the white. Multi-coloured edges to these black forms add further complexity to Bartlett’s images. This has culminated in his two pieces entitled Portalwherein the areas of white and multi-colours are almost eclipsed by the dense areas of black – the result is an empowering of these coloured zones which in contrast shine forth like a vision into some mysterious space.

In a more playful mode Harriet Posner’s work demonstrates the calculated effect of one who sees within the free flowing forms of calligraphic script a regular pattern that can be exploited for decorative effect. For example, in her 2008 work No.7 Posner has loosely adapted the Japanese hiragana script. Like a photographic negative the ‘script’ is reversed as white-on-black, giving emphasis to the striations that make up each ‘letter’. In this context what could be seen as a calligrapher’s nightmare has become an ornamental pattern of seemingly connected forms. Making no conscious reference to Asian art Krista Stewart’s work is the exception within this group of artists yet her emphasis on pure form sits comfortably with the other paintings. In her work, by carefully positioning her monumental forms within the picture space and creating a dynamic movement within these shapes by giving emphasis to the trawled and interlocked broad sweeping stokes that form them, Stewart’s paintings take on the appearance of carefully composed calligraphic forms. These forms are enlivened by the addition of colour highlights that, through their careful positioning within the composition, further demonstrate Stewart’s sense for form and balance.

Cultural interaction is ongoing and these artists demonstrate that, despite globalization, a continuing creative dialogue can remain as a source of inspiration.