The embodied art: an aesthetics of Chinese calligraphy

This thesis uses present-day aesthetic terminology to elucidate traditional Chinese calligraphic theories. It examines four aspects of Chinese calligraphy: (1) the calligraphic artwork, specifically stone inscriptions, sutra transcriptions, and letters, all of which underwent transformations from utilitarian writings to artistic calligraphy works; (2) calligraphic xing (form) and its dependence on shi (force; dynamic configuration); (3) calligraphic creation as a psychosomatic process, that is, the coordination between the mind (xin) and the hand (shou); and (4) appreciation of Chinese calligraphy is identified with the Confucian value of de (virtue), and the process of reconstructing the calligrapher’s creation of the work