SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART 1130 State Street Santa Barbara, California 93101-2746 tel: (805) 963-4364; fax: 805 966-6840 internet: www.sbmuseart.org
		• Abstraction and Expression in Chinese Calligraphy September 18 - November 21, 1999
			In China, calligraphy is revered as the highest form of the visual arts, uniting language and aesthetics, and reaffirming established forms while fostering individual creativity. This development was possible because the Chinese written words are mostly pictographs in origin, each word, or character, has a meaning and is a highly graphic quality. Writing developed in China more than 3000 years ago. Conscious manipulation of written forms for aesthetic effect seems to have begun around the 6th century B.C. Calligraphy emerged as an independent art form as paper became the preferred writing surface after the 2nd century A.D. This exhibition presents 25 works of calligraphy from the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644) to the present, drawn from the collection of H. Christopher Luce. Executed on paper or silk, the examples represent all four major script styles--seal, clerical, running and cursive--in the four primary formats: hanging scroll, handscroll, album leaf and folding fan. "This exhibition explores the expressive graphic beauty of calligraphy and seeks to make this unique art form accessible to Western audiences," said Susan Tai (Curator of Asian Art). Photographic enlargements of individual characters allow visitors to focus on the beauty, passion and humor of these writings as vehicles for the artist's personal expression. Included are works by Zhu Yunming (1461 - 1527), Wen Zhengming (1470 - 1559) and Dong Qichang (1555 - 1636), among the most celebrated calligraphers in Chinese history. The exhibition was organized by H. Christopher Luce and China Institute Gallery, New York. A 20-page brochure accompanies the exhibition.
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