BEYOND : THE WAY OF INK
... the choice of ink and its shades, the choice of an « in-between » space, perhaps the search for the middle way.
Below is a text that discusses the origin of ink painting, along with its philosophy, extracted from my academic thesis « The Use of Chinese Ink Painting as a Mediation in Art Therapy: Specificities and Potentialities » (René Descartes University of Medicine – Paris, 2014)
«…/… Eastern Chinese ink painting is unique in being the privileged medium of an entire spiritual tradition and cannot be reduced to a technical approach. It is linked to a philosophy that has evolved over centuries and has undergone continuous development despite periods of turmoil and conflict. This art does not limit itself to reproducing external appearances; it is the expression of an inner world, that of the artist, and more broadly, of a spirituality rooted in a tradition and culture.
Nature, animated by vital breath, holds a spiritual and philosophical dimension, which is reflected in the painting and gives it meaning; thus, landscape painting predominates because the act of painting allows one to get closer to the living.
This concept, developed by the ancient Chinese, who serve as the reference for every Chinese artist — who does not conceive of themselves as an entity separate from what surrounds them but as an element of a whole — is especially rooted in Confucianism and Taoism. These two great movements refer to the foundational work of Chinese thought, the Book of Changes , which marks the omnipresence of the idea of movement and transformation in Chinese thought. Taoism, in particular, relies on the concepts of Yin and Yang and of Void and Fullness. These two concepts are essential for understanding Asian painting.
Chinese ink painting is driven by the following principle: the Void is dynamic; it constitutes a living entity that manifests itself through the Fullness. Lao Tzu refers to this creative void in verse 11 of his foundational text, The Tao Te Ching. Through the medium of the Void (the white of the paper, the receptive element - Yin), the painter opens to form, rhythm, and movement through the Fullness (black ink laid by the brush, the active element - Yang), aligning their breath with that of nature and the universe. For this, ink and paper are the union of spirit and body. This primordial void manifests as a channel of creation, allowing the artist to unfold their imagination.
These key concepts would later be adopted by the pioneers and artists of Modern Art, who would study the conjunction of painting and thought and develop new techniques and visual languages from this foundation. Some of their research can be compared to the theory established by Shi Tao (17th century) in his work Talks on Painting. Shi Tao, known for being the Chinese painter of the « The unique brushstroke » theory, marked and directed Chinese painting towards a new path.
According to him, the first stroke of black ink, simple and elemental, carries the following possibilities: to create and transform, to express rhythm and movement, to possess both a unique unity and the ability to change. Shi Tao writes in Chapter IV: 'Painting results from the reception of ink; ink, from the reception of the brush; the brush, from the reception of the hand; the hand, from the reception of the spirit,' and in Chapter X,
« Do not get bogged down in these pedantic conceptions of three planes and two sections; instead, strike with vigor so that the full force of the brushstrokes may manifest ».
In Chapter XV, the artist also emphasizes mental preparation, body position, and the gesture, which are the requirements to be a good painter. …/… »
V.Terrieux 2014