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| ‘Manual of Calligraphy and Painting’ (Chinese, 1633), |
There is a strange affinity between artists and rocks. By rocks I mean anything made of stone, from the humble pebble to a mountain. "To Chinese artists, rocks are the basic building blocks of landscape painting,'' says Robert D. Mowry, curator of Chinese art at Harvard University's Arthur M. Sackler Museum. ``Magnified in scale, the rocks are mountains. Embellished with details, trees and such, they become complete landscapes.'' In this instance he is speaking of scholars' rocks.
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| Brice Marden in his studio |
According to "The Spirit of Gongshi", Chinese scholars' rocks, also known as scholar stones or viewing stones, are naturally occurring or shaped rocks which are traditionally appreciated by Chinese scholars. This trend towards cultivating an aesthetic appreciation of scholar rocks began in Tang Dynasty China and has spread to the present day western world. American painter Brice Marden is an avid fan of Chinese scholar rocks. His collection is a source of inspiration which he displays along the window sill of his painting studio.
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| ‘Manual of Calligraphy and Painting’ (Chinese, 1633), |
Richard Rosenblum, sculptor and dedicated gongshi collector described scholar rocks as monuments to inner thought. The sense of space within the rock - the perception of almost being able to look inside a world contained by the rock - is what most draws his interest. It compares more with Western painting, he says, than with Western sculpture.
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| ‘Manual of Calligraphy and Painting’ (Chinese, 1633), |
"Rather than being solely about the solid form, and the space around it, as much conventional sculpture is, the rocks create their own worlds,'' he explains. I would suppose it is certainly the privilege of gaining access to that inner world which drives the collectors to keep seeking ever more unique and unusual specimens to add to their collections.
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| Movement charcoal 2013l sepia filter) R.Allen-Sherwood |
In my case, my interest remains firmly with Japanese Zen gardens, which have a presence and space all their own. But I feel there might be a kinship between us artists who get inspired by, and communicate with stone. It's almost like being in a special club of stone whisperers. Hold that thought. See you next time,
Image Credits
http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/PR-FH-00910-00083-00098/1
