Su Zimei tasted and said: "The clear window is clean, the pen and ink are all extremely sophisticated, and they are also a joy in life." ”
Meng Yunfei's calligraphy and painting seal
The beauty of Chinese characters, at first appearing on top of tortoiseshell and animal bones, is later cast in bronze, guan bamboo Jane, stroke cloth, and then smell the ink fragrance between the papers. Chinese calligraphy, the ancient Mu of the Shang And Zhou Dynasties, the ancient Mu of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the solemnity of the Tang Dynasty, the meaning of the Song Dynasty, the divine posture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties... In the long river of thousands of years of history, the artistic style has been continuously enriched, constituting a brilliant and dazzling Chapter of Chinese calligraphy language. The beauty of calligraphy, Sun Guoting Zengyun: "The difference between the hanging needles of Guan Fu, the wonder of the falling stones of the thunder, the frightening assets of the Flying Beasts, the frightening state of the snake dancing, the momentum of the desperate shore, the shape of the danger; or the weight of the clouds, or as light as the wings of the cicada; the guidance of the spring, the mountain of Dun; the slender like the early moon out of the cliff, falling on the river Han of the judean stars; the wonder of nature, the power of non-force luck; the letter can be described as both clever and excellent, the heart and hands are smooth, and there must be a reason for the courage to move." Between paintings, it changes up and down in the sharp edge, and within one point, the special is frustrated by the boldness", the Chinese characters are horizontal and vertical, and the points are between paintings, showing the breadth and depth of Chinese calligraphy art.
Meng Yunfei's calligraphy works
When I first met Mr. Meng Yunfei, he was energetic, warm and humble but funny. Although he did not wear a cloak and a hat, nor did he have a long beard, he had the feeling that the warriors of the jianghu wanted to fight the sword. Stepping into his study, it is as if he has found a place of refuge in the capital.
The books are fragrant and elegant. His works are also quaint and dignified. On the terrace outside the room, there are martial arts equipment, green new leaves stretching out from the stone basin, although there is no silk bamboo orchestra, but you can pick the wind, listen to the sound of swallows, and enjoy the pleasure of self-satisfaction. In the dappled afternoon of light and shadow, the green shade is cool, the sparrows are three or two, and the tea is two or three cups, and we open a dialogue with him and walk into the calligrapher Mr. Meng Yunfei's Hanmo and jianghu.
Scrolls with bamboo
Pen and ink on the table
A view of the courtyard
Meng Yunfei's calligraphy works
Artist Profile
Meng Yunfei is a contemporary calligrapher and calligraphy theorist. In 1995, he graduated from the Department of Chinese of Henan University and stayed on to teach, and in 2001, he was admitted to Capital Normal University, where he studied for a doctorate degree in calligraphy under Mr. Ouyang Zhongshi, and then went to Tsinghua University Postdoctoral Mobile Station to engage in teaching and research. He currently lives in Beijing and works in the Counsellor's Office of the State Council. He is a member of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, a member of the Education Work Committee, and a member of the Presidium of the Calligraphers Association of Central State Organs.
A corner of the study
"Robb Report" interview with Meng Yunfei
Meng Yunfei's "Robb Report"
When did you become interested in calligraphy, and how did you later become a professional practitioner of calligraphy?
I was born in an ordinary rural family in Henan, my father is a local more educated person, what I remember is that every Spring Festival in my childhood, the villagers would come to my house to find my father to write the Spring Festival for them, I followed the study, and then gradually became me to help everyone write. At that time, the conditions were very difficult, and I used small glass bottles to ink, but I wrote with relish, and as a young man, I also got satisfaction from the praise of my neighbors, so I became more and more interested in calligraphy.
When I first wrote, I didn't copy the notes, and I wrote it completely according to my own feelings. Later, when I was in junior high school, there was a teacher who wrote very well, and I often asked him for advice. After that, I was admitted to the county key high school, and the old principal of the high school, Zhang Yanfang, was good at writing letters, and I was also influenced by him. In college, I was admitted to the Chinese Department of Henan University, we had a calligraphy class, the first lesson Ma Dengjiao teacher let us play at will, I wrote an assignment with a book, he felt that I wrote a good job, said that this course I can be exempted from studying, and at the same time recommended to me a higher level of Teacher Shi Ruxuan, he said this I think is very rare, but also made me very touched, he has the grace of knowing me. In 1995, I graduated from the university to work in the school, and later learned that Ouyang Zhongshi recruited doctoral students, and in 2001, I was admitted to the Institute of Calligraphy Culture of Capital Normal University, which is considered to have entered the road of professional calligraphy learning. Along the way, I am grateful to every teacher I have met and for the dedication they have given me.
Meng Yunfei's calligraphy works - Zhao Mengfu's "Illustration of the Autumn Suburbs of Zhou Dongcun by The Inscription Painter"
What impression did Mr. Ouyang Zhongshi leave on you? How has it affected you?
I studied with Ouyang Zhongshi for a Ph.D. in 2001 and didn't know him before that. I still remember the nervous and complicated mood when I came to Beijing for the exam - I stood on the train from Kaifeng to Beijing for one night, and after arriving in Beijing, because I had admired my husband for a long time, I was worried that crouching tiger, hidden dragon, the classmate who took the exam together, would lose the election, and I might not have the opportunity to meet him from then on. With the idea of not being worth the trip and leaving no regrets, I wanted to visit Mr. Li, but mr. He answered the phone and said: "Don't meet, take a good exam, and play seriously", which is the first impression he left on me. Later, I was successfully admitted to his doctorate, and the first class he gave us was the most impressive - at the beginning of the class, Mr. Ouyang Zhongshi shared with us a dream he had at night, in which people and animals were holding sports meetings, and the animals did not reach their destination, only people arrived. From this, the question of the direction and method of practicing calligraphy is derived. The direction is not right, the opposite is the opposite, and the goal can never be achieved. The method is not right, and no amount of effort will work. This is something I've always kept in mind.
I have always believed that the most important thing for people engaged in art is to cultivate, including the cultivation of cultural knowledge and the cultivation of moral conduct. Mr. Ouyang Zhongshi is a teacher with very high comprehensive cultivation, many people know that he is a calligrapher, and Mr. Ouyang Zhongshi is a philosophy at North University, and he also has deep achievements in the fields of opera and poetry. Mr. Ouyang was very fond of me, and at that time I had the honor of following him to participate in many academic exchange and seminar activities, and he once laughed and called me his bodyguard. My husband once gave me several paintings, one of which I have been hanging in the study, talking about writing: "The knot body takes the shape of the posture, and the dot painting is the momentum of god." The way of writing, that's all. "It means that words are like people, and writing must also respect the laws of nature and fonts, so that words can be written with charm."
Ouyang Zhongshi calligraphy hanging in the study
You have studied calligraphy for many years, what are the ancient calligraphers and works that you personally admire? Why?
Broadly speaking, calligraphy is the art of writing Chinese characters, and its carrier is characters. Chinese fonts can be divided into five types. In the book, I most appreciate Wang Xizhi's "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion", because I have been doing research on the calligraphy of the Two Jins and the art of calligraphy of the Two Kings for a long time. Wang Xizhi was a man of integrity, arrogance, and, in today's parlance, an intellectual with a conscience. I admire his personality, his integrity, which is what people often call Wei Jinfeng bone. His character structure is harmonious, his pen is elegant and flowing, and his words are beautiful and neutral. Personally, I think that the highest state of Chinese aesthetics is the beauty of neutralization, and Wang Xizhi's "Orchid Pavilion Preface" can be described as a model.
There is also Yan Zhenqing's "Manuscript of Sacrifice to the Nephew", the achievements of calligraphy art are very high, the author's firm and honest high character, and the loyalty and courage of martyrdom have increased my love and awe for his calligraphy works. In addition, Su Dongpo's "Cold Food Thesis", Wang Duo's Big Grass "Zhang Bao Yi GongZu Zhao Hu Ting", Huang Tingjian's Big Grass "Theravada Thesis", Sun Guoting's most classic Xiaocao "Book Spectrum", the Four Great Works of Kai Shu and the corresponding works, etc., are not all exemplified here. I appreciate calligraphy works, in addition to the tangible pen and ink, knots and chapters, but also pay more attention to the charm and charm of the works and the expressive emotions, these metaphysical things.
Facsimile of the Orchid Pavilion Preface
For non-professionals, how to appreciate a calligraphy work?
There are three major elements of calligraphy appreciation: appreciation of the subject, appreciation of the object, and appreciation of the environment. Appreciation of objects is the calligraphy works to be appreciated, focusing on the overall view of the chapter, close to the dot painting. In terms of using the pen, it is necessary to observe the strength of the line, which needs to be understood through continuous practice. Looking at the single word structure, different fonts have different structural principles and standards, taking the script as an example, it pays attention to the tightening of the middle palace, the harmony and symmetry of the left and right. Cursive writing is different, but the general law is to pay attention to harmony and stability of the center of gravity. In particular, the seal on the calligraphy work is also exquisite, the seal can not be covered randomly, it plays an embellishment and auxiliary role, not the more the better. Appreciate the subject is to appreciate the calligraphy works of the person, as the saying goes, for the ears that do not understand music, there is no sense of beautiful music, appreciate the calligraphy works to appreciate the subject's own calligraphy knowledge reserves and cultivation has certain requirements, such as the basic knowledge of calligraphy, the background of the creation of calligraphy works and so on.
A corner of the study
On July 30, 2021, the Career Development Center of the Red Cross Society of China,
Co-sponsored by China Foundation for the Development of aging
"Fraternity for China, Warm Veterans" and Heroes of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea
Tribute to the large-scale charity evening, Meng Yunfei donated calligraphy works.
Many calligraphy works have won high prices at auction, how do you think of the artistic and commercial value of a calligraphy work?
As far as the works at auction are concerned, first of all, fidelity must be made. But it really isn't necessarily good, and aesthetically pleasing calligraphy is usually both advantageous and distinctive. Nowadays, many people like to take the characteristics as advantages when evaluating calligraphy, and even promote some eye-catching "ugly" fonts, which I think is not advisable. Of course, the authenticity of ancient calligraphy works is limited, and in contemporary works, I think some of them are over-packaged. There is a saying in the "Orchid Pavilion Preface": "The future looks at the present, and the present looks at the past", which means that future generations look at us as we look at our predecessors. We now appreciate Wang Xizhi's calligraphy works, and we will not use his official position, family and other factors as the standard. Therefore, the art evaluation of contemporary calligraphy works should also start from the work itself, speak with the artistic standard of the calligraphy work, and do not overly consider other factors such as the identity and social status of the calligrapher.
Meng Yunfei's calligraphy works
People often say that "words are like their people" and "literature is like their people", how to judge this view from the perspective of calligraphy professionals?
The moral ideal of justice and loftiness and the aesthetic ideal of the unity of truth, benevolence, and beauty are the excellent traditions advocated and pursued by the Chinese nation, and the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation must always fully affirm, inherit and carry forward. However, there is no necessary connection between character and calligraphy, and the most important thing in the evaluation of calligraphy is based on the level of writing techniques, and the character of calligraphers affects the admirer's likes and dislikes of calligraphy, rather than the high or low level of calligraphers' techniques. In a general sense, "character is a book" and "words like people" summarize ordinary writing phenomena with a certain degree of truth. But if, in a strict sense, "love his book because he loves his people, and hates his books because he hates others", this attitude is also unscientific and rigorous.
For a calligrapher, his political views and moral qualities can not directly determine his pen and knot, let alone directly determine his chapter and style, usually said "words like its people", "wen as its people" in the "people" are the organic whole of the calligrapher's creative personality. It includes the calligrapher's life experience, political tendencies, outlook on life and world view, cultural accomplishment, aesthetic taste, temperament and ability and many other factors, the sum of the spiritual characteristics formed by these many factors is the calligrapher's creative personality, it is an organic whole, this overall influence, determines the formation of calligraphy style, and the calligrapher's moral quality is neither the center, nor the only, but only one of many factors, so it is very one-sided to regard moral character as the key to the level of calligraphers. Of course, since ancient times, the quality of books and personalities has been the pursuit of all calligraphy artists with wind and bones, and it is also what we should respect.
Meng Yunfei's Calligraphy Works - Chairman Mao's "Bu Operator Yongmei"
What are the benefits of practicing calligraphy? Some advice for newcomers who want to practice calligraphy and delve into calligraphy?
First of all, practicing calligraphy is able to practice both physically and mentally, and you can see that many calligraphers have a long life. The ancients said: "The bookkeeper, the traces of the heart", calligraphy can express the heart and cultivation. In today's increasingly developing society, the pace of life is getting faster and faster, everything pays attention to "fast", and people sometimes inevitably appear irritable and flashy mentality. Practicing calligraphy is a good way to regulate the spirit or relax, which can exercise both the limbs and the brain, and is convenient, easy to do, and the effect is good. People often regard calligraphy as a kind of cultural and artistic accomplishment, in fact, it is not only a skill, but also of great significance for cultivating a person's ideological sentiments and cultivating self-cultivation.
Art is the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty, and to cultivate the mind, we must first be calm and calm, and then gradually become quiet. Writing should keep the muscles of the whole body in a comfortable state, soft in the rigid, rigid in the soft, both. Gather the strength of the whole body to reach the shoulders, elbows, wrists, palms, fingers and even the end of the pen, and at the same time require the intention to keep the nib, flexibly and freely use each part, mobilize the qi and strength of the body.
Regarding the choice of posters, many people suggest starting with the lettering, which I think is not necessarily true. The so-called "book is the heart painting, words are the voice of the heart", it is most important to choose a word that suits your personality and temperament. The temperamental and atmospheric flamboyant faction may not be able to write the artistic conception of the gentle faction of "Xiaofeng And Remnant Moon". However, the font is also dynamic and static, seal, li, italic is static, the rhythm is slower, the line, grass is more dynamic, the rhythm is faster, it is recommended to try to start from the static. Secondly, we must choose a high level of art and a high quality of printing and editing, which is what we often call "taking the law from above". At present, the threshold for publishing books is uneven, we must pay attention to identification, and I personally do not recommend choosing the contemporary one, because it has not yet been tested by time. In addition, there are many famous forest of steles in China, such as the Forest of Steles in Xi'an in Shaanxi and the Forest of Steles in Qufu, Shandong, and the Forest of Steles in qufu, Shandong, if you have the opportunity to visit the field, you will also have different perceptions of the beauty of calligraphy. Finally, it is also very important to find a professional teacher to guide.
Calligraphy textbook co-authored by Meng Yunfei
Knowing that you love martial arts, how can these sports benefit you?
I have loved martial arts since I was a child, and I have a dream of martial arts. At that time, there were no entertainment facilities in the countryside, and I liked to read old-school martial arts novels and listen to the jianghu artists in the village. He is very yearning for the martial arts masters who fight in the sword world and walk the rivers and lakes, and worship their true disposition to eliminate violence and be good, to see righteousness and courage. So whenever I have time, I like to grope on my own, play sandbags, kick trees, and later practice Little Red Fist with relatives who know martial arts at home for a while. When I was in college, I began to practice Sanda with Mr. Qiao Fengjie, because our age gap was not big, and later we became good brothers who went up and downstairs as neighbors and teachers and friends, and now we all live in Beijing, and sometimes have small gatherings. A few years ago, I had the privilege of worshiping under Teacher Liang Yiquan. Chairman Mao once proposed: "Civilize its spirit, barbarize its physique", I think that physical weakness may lead to spiritual weakness, so in my opinion it is very important to cultivate both culture and martial arts. Practicing martial arts can be healthy, strong physique, and self-defense at key moments, which can be described as a lot of benefits.
Calligraphy and martial arts are common at a higher level, and the influence of martial arts on the practice of calligraphy is also subtle. Martial arts are about strength and speed, and so is calligraphy. For example, in the level of calligraphy expression, the dryness and wetness of the ink, the weight of the pen, the speed and slowness of the pen, the lifting of the button, the pen and the movement of the pen, etc. are very similar to the practice of martial arts.
Meng Yunfei inscription "Shaolin Kung Fu"
What do you like to read in your daily life? Can you recommend it?
I went to school for a long time, from primary school to postdoc, there are more than 20 years, the academic stage, while completing my studies, my reading scope is still relatively wide. When I was young, I liked to read novels, especially martial arts novels, and I could read one a day. Now, in addition to professional books, basically only look at traditional Chinese classics, such as "University", "Zhongyong", "Tao Te Ching" and so on. Many ancient Chinese classic books actually do not have many words, but I can think for a long time every time I read a sentence, and I like to think while reading. Zhuangzi once had a cloud: "My life also has an end, and knowledge has no end." With no end, there is no end, and it is gone! This means that our lives are limited, and knowledge is infinite, and it is very difficult to pursue endless knowledge with a limited life. There are so many books on the market that it is impossible to read them all, so my advice is to read more classics.
(Source: Robb Report)