On Wednesday, we had someone come to talk to us about Chinese art and calligraphy. It was cool to learn the history of Chinese characters because it never occurred to me how they have progressed over time. The visuals provided were especially cool because, when comparing the oldest characters to the newest ones, it becomes clear how the oldest ones were essentially little drawings of what they were representing. Today, Chinese characters are extremely simplified versions of what they once were.
As for Chinese art, I really enjoyed the historical components of what impacted the way art looked the way it did. It was also interesting to see what impacted colors and styles, whether it be accessibility to colors or things like Japanese influence. The overall style was similar to calligraphy in the sense it is free flowing and not rigid. At the end of the presentation, the presenter let us use his magic paper and pen which used water to make black “paint” appear on a scroll, and as it dried, the images disappeared. It is an environmentally friendly and economical way to practice art and calligraphy. The presenter also showed us his art and let us each keep a print of his. Mine has cranes on it.