Research On The Construction Of Calligraphy Criticism In Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji

Kang Youwei(1858-1927)was a famous politician,thinker and calligrapher during the late Qing Dynasty.He was not only a political leader who called for reform,but also a cultural scholar who dared to question traditional ideas.His ideas has a typical sense of "awakening" and demonstrate his theoretical accumulation of learning from both the East and the West,as well as a blend of scripture and history.As the most systematic and comprehensive book on calligraphy at that time,his work Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji includes his investigation of the changes of characters and styles,his comments on the tablets of ancient dynasties and his research on the practical techniques of calligraphy.Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji not only perfected the theoretical system of steleology,but also provided a reference for later generations of calligraphy research in terms of ideas and framework.Therefore,a comprehensive and detailed study of this work is important for grasping the aesthetic turn of Chinese calligraphy,improving the system of contemporary calligraphy criticism,and promoting the transformation of the discipline of calligraphy into modern scholarship.The academic community generally affirms the academic value of Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji,but the conclusions of most relevant studies only confirm or reinforce its influence,lacking a reverse reflection on its theoretical contribution,and few studies have taken a deeper look at the logic behind the generation of its views.Based on this,this thesis starts from a perspective different from previous studies,starts with the "construction of views",and attempts to consider the core discourse of calligraphic criticism and its theoretical foundation,the construction of the opinion generation stage and the presentation of texts,the dissemination and reception of the opinion diffusion stage,and discuss the practical significance of this research in today’s calligraphy criticism.To study the construction of the critical view of calligraphy in Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji,we must first extract the core theoretical discourse of the book.Kang Youwei’s idea of "change" as reflected in the phrase "there is no change in heaven and earth,rivers and lakes" is not only Kang Youwei’s basic attitude in politics,ideology,and art,but also the logical starting point of his theory of steleology and his view of calligraphy criticism.Through the analysis of Kang Youwei’s description and the dismantling of the structure of the whole book,it can be concluded that the Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji,under the guidance of the idea of "change",highly highlights the author’s "Respecting Wei and Belittling Tang" and "Respecting the Stele and Suppressing the Post" views.The two critical views at the core of the book fully reflect Kang Youwei’s historical view of calligraphy and his values in terms of calligraphic style orientation.Secondly,the author will discuss the construction basis of the calligraphy criticism of Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji.The book was written during a special period of social turmoil,when Kang Youwei’s political ideals were repeatedly thwarted,and he turned to his passion for epigraphy research after a disillusioned career.On the one hand,he was inevitably bound by feudal rituals,Confucianism and Taoism,and he studied western modern thought,which advocated freedom and change,in an era of collision between the East and the West.On the other hand,the prevalence of the discipline of epigraphy since the Qian-Jia period provided a great deal of research material for the rise and development of steleology.His predecessors’ exploration of the theory and practice of steleology,as well as Kang’s friendship,have influenced his view of stele and post to varying degrees.Under the dual influence of socio-political and ideological culture,the complex environment in the development process of artistic theory and calligraphic practice at that time gave rise to Kang Youwei’s both innovative and conservative theoretical views.Thirdly,it discusses the formation of the critical concept of calligraphy in Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji from two aspects:internal logic and external presentation.First of all,on the basis of his extensive collection of available tablets,Kang summarizes the factual evidence that supports his views and selects arguments that are both comprehensive and authoritative to justify his critical views.The emphasis on the principle of "when things reach an extreme,they can only move in the opposite direction" and the inductive reasoning of "use the previous world to check the future"are typical of Kang’s argumentative methods.In addition,Kang Youwei conducted calligraphy criticism under the guidance of his view of criticism.In the same vein as Kang Youwei’s political aspirations,the book Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji presents an overall style of learning from the past and opening up the present.He established his writing goals and evaluation standards on the basis of learning from the experience of ancient calligraphy criticism,and his figurative metaphorical criticism and categorized graded criticism of steles are inherited the criticism mode in ancient calligraphy theory.Finally,it sorts out Kang Youwei’s learning process and methods before writing the book,and then combines Kang’s calligraphy works after writing the book to examine whether his theoretical viewpoints and creative practice can be mutually confirmed.Fourthly,the meaning that has been articulated in the text needs to be diffused in order to have an impact.Therefore,it is necessary to examine the dissemination and reception of Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji comprehensively and analyze how the book’s critical view of calligraphy transmits and interprets its meaning through media activities.At the level of dissemination,Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji relies on the two major channels of mass communication and organizational communication to expand the scope of dissemination of the book through specific activities such as printing and publishing in commercial circulation,and conducting seminars on Kang Youwei’s calligraphy to obtain better dissemination effects.In addition,the advertisements of Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji in the press also play a role in promoting the diffusion of the book’s meaning.At the level of interpretation,scholars mainly communicate with the author through commentaries and research on the content of the treatise,while readers make individual interpretations by confirming or refuting the critical views of the book.The influence of Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji has also reached overseas,among which Japan is the most important.The translation and publication of its Japanese translation Liu Chao Shu Dao Lun has had a lasting impact on the Japanese calligraphy circle.Finally,it summarizes the limitations and inspirations of the construction of the critical view of calligraphy in Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji.Beyond the error of the view itself,there are many limitations in the process of constructing the critical view,such as the overemphasis on "change" and "ancientry",and the dislocation between the critical standard and the critical text.However,it should not be overlooked that for the art of calligraphy,the book marks a leap from calligraphy style to theory,from practice to doctrine,and for the discipline of calligraphy,it provides a reference for the transformation of classical calligraphy into modern scholarship.The construction of the view of calligraphy criticism in Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji also has theoretical value and practical significance in reflecting on the misconceptions of contemporary calligraphy criticism and summarizing the basic attitudes that should be upheld in carrying out calligraphy criticism.In summary,this thesis further explores the construction of Kang Youwei’s views on the basis of the previous theoretical framework of his calligraphy studies,with the hope of clarifying the construction of the critical views of representative works in the history of calligraphy,helping people to re-understand the concept of calligraphy criticism and to face the important role of "criticism" in literature and art,in order to promote the healthy and orderly development of calligraphy criticism.