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SUMI-E HISTORY

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Suibokuga/Sumi-e is what?

Leonardo daVinci's classic icon "Mona Lisa" has no outline. Why? The answer is his words, "Every single thing reincarnates." A 13th century Japanese philosopher, Chomei Kamo said a famous phrase in "Hojouki", "Water keeps rolling, no water stays there". Water is not ejectable. Associated with the container, water changes its shape. He painted the fascinated woman's figure with his unique sfmato technique. The contour of the object is fading off just into the beginning of another object line. The outline of "Mona Lisa" dissolves into the river painted around the figure. If he metaphorically painted water for something, the Monalisa shape is a container. The painting embodies an image (Midori Wakakuwa). The sense of evanescent expressed by acient Japanese monks stands out no more than Davinci held "the splash of fertile humanity (Sachio Yashiro)". The abundant humanity out of the experience, however, would keep him in the marginal area. I have not met the intiment

In suibokuga, or sumi-e painting, you will not draw the line. Yet, the thirteen centuries Sumi-e painters drew the line so do the twenty one century's manga, comics. Professor Tadashi Kobayashi pointed out that in sixteenth century, the line grew to be area form which Professor Kobayashi calls "a mask line". The gifted painter like Sotatsu Tawaraya used baggy thick stroke to express object like a green bean. One thick stroke would become one green bean itself. The other important point Professor Kobayashi told is that Sotatsu would never try the "stereo-painting" effect. Like ukiyo-e or Takashi Murakami's Super Flat concept, Sotatsu simplified the shade and light and showed two-dimensional expression. Davinci tried to show the realistic shape on canvas by sfmato technique. Davinci and Sotatsu tried to dissolve the outline on their artwork. However, they achieved an opponent approach in terms of their aim. In short, Japanese sumi-e painters simplified object and Davinci tried get it real on canvas.

I moved on suibokuga, or sumi-e, not because of Japanese proud "simplified" art, but "stereo-painting", the cubical technique with one simple stroke. The modern sumi-e has acquired the historical progress, with which it apparted from the flat expression. It appears a cubic expression on the paper. The light, shade and shape eject with one stroke.

The sfmato technique of sumi-e is achieved by water perspiration. The edge of the shape remains in vague by an uncontrollably water dynamism. This is the sumi-e painters' humbleness and the reflection of the respect for the nature. "Logos" of Helakureitos, "Idea" of Pluto, the Substance in the ontology, Suibokuga painters express the hidden Substance out of vague edge line with water and black ink.

The edge line of black ink exists the end of water perspiration area. Painters reconstruct their recognition. In epistemology, the truth and belief has difference. Painters usually end drawing where they believe that the shape of the object ends. But in Suibokuga, painters can not control the edge line of the shape because of the water perspiration. Therefore, water move exposures the hidden truth of recognition of the existence, the substance of the un-recognition. That is, they see the Mu, whereas to non being. Where the Mu exists in suibokuga works? You can see it in the blanc on paper. Qualia is born.

Drawing is the expression of artists. However, suibokuga paiters emboss the substance of Mu by retaining blanc part on paper. What is the Mu in suibokuga art? That is emotion. The emotion is quivering between the painter and the watcher. Mu is deliberative and intention.

Without the attention, can the art be Mu? That is Kyo, hollow, vacant. Kyo exists all around the nature. The mountain dew or waterfall has kept splashed before the human being starts adventure. The art without attention is like this waterfall. Kyo is nature and out of intention.

Mu is not "no being". Mu is the existence of the infinity. Therefore, every single person has different Mu in his/her inside. Painters try to correspond the emotional dynamics in the Mu field with watchers. Only with consistence among their intense,