Calligraphy Off Hook

Law and freedom are originally the bridge and end point for the advancement of calligraphy - this is the charm of "Calligraphy Li Gou". It is not a simple technique, but an aesthetic treatise that deeply explores the transition from "rules" to "transcendence" in brushwork. "Calligraphy Li Gou" is a theoretical classic of calligraphy in the Ming Dynasty. It consists of ten volumes and was written by Pan Zhicong (also known as Wusheng, also known as Dazhai, a native of Qiantang). The book collects the expositions of former sages and discusses the three stages of "getting the hook", "swallowing the hook" and "leaving the hook". It advocates that calligraphy practice should first learn the method and get deeper into the method, and then "leave the hook" - reaching the high state of "doing the method without being able to do it". The whole book includes calligraphy style classification, calligraphy analysis, calligraphy commentary and practical guidance. Starting from the seal script, official script, regular script and running cursive styles, the text takes into account both theory and practice, and explains the profound things in simple terms. The author emphasizes that artistic cultivation and Zen cultivation go hand in hand, and calligraphers should go through the process of "acquisition - mastery - departure from the method" in order to truly integrate the pen and ink with the charm. By studying "Calligraphy Li Gou", you can not only understand the deep laws of calligraphy strokes, but also understand how calligraphers break laws within laws and create innovations within traditions. It is a calligraphy theory classic that combines art and philosophy.