Text as art

Strange sign for a coffee shop
Went to the National Art Center yesterday, as I was told they had a huge calligraphy show. The place was enormous and pretty cool architecturally, all glass and bulbous shapes. I browsed one of the other galleries before getting to where I wanted to be...so terrible, such a vast amount of crap, I couldn't look at it. I walked hastily through a mile of furiously bad paintings, trying to avert my eyes, as I thought I might scream in horror. Such a great building, such nice floors, and such bad art.


The calligraphy on the other hand was phenomenal. Miles of scrolls, huge and small in display cases, not one translation, just miles of texts, not a single character identifiable to me. The Japanese must walk through there with the words screaming at them from the walls, all I see is Cy Twombly and smidgens of my own scribblings and ink paintings! I have copied a fair amount of characters in my time, and could recognise a few, but have no idea what they represent. I spent hours in there, looking at the display process, crowded but impeccable, and the colours of the papers, wow. It reinforced what I do, and made me feel I am on the right track once again. Some had gold ribbons, which I assume meant they won a prize, and after looking at everything, I could see why. Such variation in the styles, and all black ink, though sometimes more grey as though washed out.
I am in love with calligraphy, I look at the signage and its just pictures to me, I see trees and they have a much calligraphic spirit as the letters do, and mean as much. Tree roots spell out ancient dynasties, the shadows on my wall from the sunlight peeking through my washing is calligraphy.
Went to Nobuhiro's opening last night, the stairs were bedecked with amazing orchids, a lot of them. I saw him right away and was glad. I met a New Yorker who lives here now and runs a gallery, and was so full of himself I had to get away. Nobu gave a speech, there was lots of clapping and then I left, after a couple of wines. I just lose my confidence sometimes and was kicking myself when I got home, as who knows who else I might have met. Silly me, I just get perturbed and desert the premises. Got stuck into some work at home, and the evening went past amicably.