I respect this gentleman. He taught me the meaning of art and generally any type of work. He taught me that every piece of work is holy and an art. His caligraphy makes sense to me. I don't need to understand Chinese or Japanese. Calligraphy in any language is a stroke and a flow. The gentleman here is focussing on his lessons and not on the quality of his trade. For example he was using poor quality of papers. He was not teaching calligraphy but history and types of calligraphy.
I enjoyed this video, thanks. I admire Mr. Shozo Sato, because he make a good explanation in English together with his writings. I am living in Africa and love to make Chinese calligraphy, too. I want to try same style of presentation writing in the same way someday here.
Mr. Sato, I love this video: the explanation of "chi" is so clear and understandable. Thank you so much for showing humility and Buddha-self. I saw you at the SF ASian Art Museum. Come again please! Barbara
After the almost complete destruction of Chinese culture, Japan is a treasure trove where you can still find the lost elements of ancient Chinese culture .... the intellectual and artistic freedom .... the culture of Zen simplicity and lightness ...
how can anyone put a bad comment on the man like master Shozo Sato??? Respect the art or just go play your video games or watch movies, don't comment something you don't understand...@ NorthwesternU, thanks for uploading this:)
Aside from Kanji, there are 50 Japanese phonetic letters. for most Japanese calligraphers, Kanji is considered the most advanced writing performance. The phonetic letters are omitted on purpose. Here we are not saying Japanese imitate Chinese without their own culture. The borrowed culture has been fermented to become Japanese one. Good for them.
Undoubtedly he wrote in Chinese calligraphy with Japanese touch. In Japan, The Chinese Kai (楷) characters are usually deemed the formal writing, which is the foundation of Japanese Kanji system.
Actually these five characters are Chinese. The first he showed is the style of Li of Han, while the third is a moving style (行書)or called half scripted style.
He used the wrong brush to write the Han dynasty script. The brush was too soft. He should have used on that is a combination of lamb and wolf hairs. The characters lacked the "worm's head and goose tail" （蠶頭雁尾）, the hallmark of the Clerical Script (隸書) used during the Han Dynasty. Also, the spacing was too close between the characters and the column did not preserve the linear strength (行氣) which is very basic in calligraphy. Lastly and very important is his failure to close the brush strokes. Every stroke has a beginning, middle, and closing stroke. (起 行 收筆）including the dots. This is the most important part of writing Chinese calligraphy.
If you were more familiar with Ch'an painters, and Japanese Zen calligraphy, you'd understand why it differs from hyper elegant Song and Yuan dynasty styles that still show their presence in your criticisms. Perhaps research the works of (Chinese) Huai Su, Huang Tingjian, Zhongfeng Mingben, I-shan I-ning, (Japanese) Ryokan, Hakuin. Zen includes in varying degrees 7 characteristics: Asymmetry, Simplicity, Lofty Dryness, Naturalness, Subtle Profundity, Freedom from Attachment, and Tranquility.
@808Twilight the fact that u have twilight in your name makes ur opinion count for nothing. if u enjoy twilight, then one would expect u to not be able to enjoy the subtle art of calligraphy
how can anyone appreciate this without knowing kanji or whatever the japanese writing system is called? if i don't know what the characters look like i have no reference point to judge.
Video muy malo: prácticamente no se ve cómo va haciendo la caligrafía. Si no se ve el proceso, nos habíamos ahorrado el video, con el producto final y las frases en dos minutos, estábamos
His calligraphy is kindergarten, not a matter of Chinese or Japanese style, or point of view. Take a look at the work of 井上有一, another Japanese. You will agree why Shozo is Kindergarten. He is only a good show for those westerners who know noting about Chinese calligraphy.
Trust me, only the amateurs will think his work is good. If you have learnt this art of calligraphy for a while and developed some aesthetic standards about Chinese Characters, you can easily tell the difference between a good one and this. I myself have learnt Chinese calligraphy for more than 13 years and with no arrogance and offence, I think the quality of this old gentlemen's work is only equivalent to a beginner's one who has just 1 year experience of brush writing.
Oh, good to know. Then I can have some hope. But AFAIK, he's a tea ceremony master and never claims to be a master calligrapher. The calligraphy in his books are done by master calligraphers, not him. He's more of a cultural ambassador, helping American to understand the nuances of Japanese arts, just a like a coach doesn't need to be an exceptional sportsman to coach others.
He is not doing here an artworks. He is giving a lecture. You can't lecture and demonstrate and perform good artwork at the same time. Can't you see that he was a bit nervous. Probably after his lecture he had showed them his true artworks and sold some of them. Art in public and in private is not the same thing. Personally I can't do artworks in public. I just can't.
When one is allowed the privilege of viewing a Zen Master calligrapher, comments seem trivial. Bravo!
Amazing! To think something so simple in principle can be so beautiful.
I respect this gentleman. He taught me the meaning of art and generally any type of work. He taught me that every piece of work is holy and an art.
His caligraphy makes sense to me. I don't need to understand Chinese or Japanese. Calligraphy in any language is a stroke and a flow.
The gentleman here is focussing on his lessons and not on the quality of his trade. For example he was using poor quality of papers. He was not teaching calligraphy but history and types of calligraphy.
I enjoyed very much the straigth forward way. A Humble approach. Thank you, just what i needed.
I enjoyed this video, thanks.
I admire Mr. Shozo Sato, because he make a good explanation in English together with his writings. I am living in Africa and love to make Chinese calligraphy, too. I want to try same style of presentation writing in the same way someday here.
Very nice demo, great lecture. Video angles not so great, but better than sitting in the audience ;-) "The way of Art is the Way of Buddha"
Mr. Sato,
I love this video: the explanation of "chi" is so clear and understandable. Thank you so much for showing humility and Buddha-self.
I saw you at the SF ASian Art Museum. Come again please! Barbara
After the almost complete destruction of Chinese culture, Japan is a treasure trove
where you can still find the lost elements of ancient Chinese culture .... the intellectual and artistic freedom .... the culture of Zen simplicity and lightness ...
how can anyone put a bad comment on the man like master Shozo Sato??? Respect the art or just go play your video games or watch movies, don't comment something you don't understand...@ NorthwesternU, thanks for uploading this:)
Aside from Kanji, there are 50 Japanese phonetic letters. for most Japanese calligraphers, Kanji is considered the most advanced writing performance. The phonetic letters are omitted on purpose. Here we are not saying Japanese imitate Chinese without their own culture. The borrowed culture has been fermented to become Japanese one. Good for them.
fully engaged in the art. I am Buddha....so beautiful and soothing and clarifying.....love this
That's so touching...
Undoubtedly he wrote in Chinese calligraphy with Japanese touch. In Japan, The Chinese Kai (楷) characters are usually deemed the formal writing, which is the foundation of Japanese Kanji system.
Very interesting...
very nice
Actually these five characters are Chinese. The first he showed is the style of Li of Han, while the third is a moving style (行書)or called half scripted style.
Hi NorthwesternU,
You could say, "He 'aint' heavy, he's my Buda"?
Take care,
mrbluenun
He used the wrong brush to write the Han dynasty script. The brush was too soft. He should have used on that is a combination of lamb and wolf hairs. The characters lacked the "worm's head and goose tail" （蠶頭雁尾）, the hallmark of the Clerical Script (隸書) used during the Han Dynasty. Also, the spacing was too close between the characters and the column did not preserve the linear strength (行氣) which is very basic in calligraphy. Lastly and very important is his failure to close the brush strokes. Every stroke has a beginning, middle, and closing stroke. (起 行 收筆）including the dots. This is the most important part of writing Chinese calligraphy.
If you were more familiar with Ch'an painters, and Japanese Zen calligraphy, you'd understand why it differs from hyper elegant Song and Yuan dynasty styles that still show their presence in your criticisms.
Perhaps research the works of (Chinese) Huai Su, Huang Tingjian, Zhongfeng Mingben, I-shan I-ning, (Japanese) Ryokan, Hakuin.
Zen includes in varying degrees 7 characteristics: Asymmetry, Simplicity, Lofty Dryness, Naturalness, Subtle Profundity, Freedom from Attachment, and Tranquility.
@808Twilight the fact that u have twilight in your name makes ur opinion count for nothing. if u enjoy twilight, then one would expect u to not be able to enjoy the subtle art of calligraphy
how can anyone appreciate this without knowing kanji or whatever the japanese writing system is called? if i don't know what the characters look like i have no reference point to judge.
cool story bro
@DaxterWay Why would you offend anyone saying that?
Everything Japanese is just so cool.
Video muy malo: prácticamente no se ve cómo va haciendo la caligrafía. Si no se ve el proceso, nos habíamos ahorrado el video, con el producto final y las frases en dos minutos, estábamos
His calligraphy is kindergarten, not a matter of Chinese or Japanese style, or point of view. Take a look at the work of 井上有一, another Japanese. You will agree why Shozo is Kindergarten. He is only a good show for those westerners who know noting about Chinese calligraphy.
alex ho What? I took calligraphy classes for 7 years and it is bot bad. So shut your stupid mouth you pathetic perfectionist.
Great showmanship. Non calligrapher.
Trust me, only the amateurs will think his work is good. If you have learnt this art of calligraphy for a while and developed some aesthetic standards about Chinese Characters, you can easily tell the difference between a good one and this.
I myself have learnt Chinese calligraphy for more than 13 years and with no arrogance and offence, I think the quality of this old gentlemen's work is only equivalent to a beginner's one who has just 1 year experience of brush writing.
Oh, good to know. Then I can have some hope. But AFAIK, he's a tea ceremony master and never claims to be a master calligrapher. The calligraphy in his books are done by master calligraphers, not him. He's more of a cultural ambassador, helping American to understand the nuances of Japanese arts, just a like a coach doesn't need to be an exceptional sportsman to coach others.
He is not doing here an artworks. He is giving a lecture. You can't lecture and demonstrate and perform good artwork at the same time. Can't you see that he was a bit nervous. Probably after his lecture he had showed them his true artworks and sold some of them. Art in public and in private is not the same thing. Personally I can't do artworks in public. I just can't.
Crappy camera work.
Haha people are hella mean. i thought he was really good
wow, chinese mastered tthe art of writing there language... awesome?...
poor indeed
this person doesn't know what calligraphy is. I feel embarrassed for him
FAIL!