 "Photo: Brittanie Taylor | The Campus")
The calligraphy of Taiwan Art Professor, J.C. Cheng’s has made its way to Ottawa University’s Mammel Art Center. The exhibit will be shown between Sept. 1-15.
J.C. Cheng has spent most of his life mastering the art of calligraphy in Taiwan, where calligraphy, a decorative writing, is considered a national art. In Taiwan, art also was part of the curriculum.
“Making lines is one of the basic things that we have to do, and just being more aware of what is actually going on--the acts, the performance,” W.S. Cheng said.
W.S. Cheng was influenced by his father’s placid life as an artist, a professor of art for thirty plus years, and his knowing when to isolate himself and focus on his work as an artist.
Frank Lemp, curator for OU’s art gallery, has insight for how to understand an artist.
“I think you would have to start off with the beauty of lines, which are made by strokes, and the characters of the lines,” Lemp said. “What qualities does it have? The way the words look express closer the intent of the mark than the way we write.”
J.C. Cheng also grew up with many unfortunate happenings, such as the loss of his fingers as a young age, which leaves W.S. Cheng unsure of why his father chose calligraphy as his emphases as an artist.
As curator of OU’s art gallery, Lemp’s goal for any exhibit, such as J.C. Cheng’s, is not only to introduce a learning experience for the student’s, but he hopes to see, a certain appreciation for the even the simplest task.
“I want them to appreciate how much practice it takes, to feel confident and to be in front of huge white piece of paper and to start,” Lemp said. “There is a kind of daring that takes place with this kind of calligraphy, and it reveals your personality.”
Professor of Sociology, Kelly Fish-Greenlee, took time Friday, before one of her classes, to stop in and see the exhibit.
“Each character, very much, becomes an individual work itself, where any mistakes made only become apart of that individual work or character,” Fish-Greenlee said. “Yet at the same time all characters are related, seen in their unified state.”
Be the first to comment on this article!