Li Yi's "Songyun Frontier - Qilu Songshan Cliff" is an album of rubbing exhibits, inscribed by Ms. Sun Xiaoyun, chairman of the China Calligraphy Association, inscribed by Mr. Xue Yongnian, Liu Zhengcheng and Mr. Mo Yan, and prefaced by Mr. Chen Zhenlian and Mr. Chen Chuanxi, compiled and published by Linqu Cultural Tourism Group Co., Ltd. Cliff calligraphy engraved between heaven and earth, is the calligraphy in the landscape, with the characteristics of cross-generation, permanence, Qilu Songshan cliff is one of the representative works of Li Yishushan calligraphy. The compilation of poems, calligraphy, engraving, and transmission are integrated, depicting the magnificent scenery of Songshan Mountain, and constructing a magnificent and majestic humanistic landscape, which embodies the unique charm of cliff calligraphy in the new era, and expands the beauty of the artistic conception of famous mountains and rivers.
The cliff carving is a shining pearl of ancient Chinese art. Cliff carvings in a broad sense include rock paintings, stone carvings, and stone inscriptions; In the narrow sense, the cliff stone carving refers to the stone carving calligraphy, that is, the use of natural stone wall lettering to record the lyricism, referred to as "cliff", and the latter is only referred to in this article. The cliff originated from the way of remembering in ancient times, and rock paintings are also among them, recording life in images. The ancient cliff was first seen in the Taishan carved stone of Li Si, and the first half was engraved in the 28th year of Qin Shi Huang (219 BC), which describes Qin Shi Huang's affirmation of decrees throughout the country; The second half is engraved in the first year of Qin II (209 BC), describing that Li Si accompanied Qin II to go on patrol to request the edict of Le, the body of the book is round and simple small seal, because the scale is shallow, after thousands of years of wind and rain, the words are many and diffuse. The cliffs of the two Han Dynasty, such as "Ode to the Western Narrows", "Ode to the Stone Gate", "Praise Slope Road", "Yang Huai Biaoji" and other arts, are mostly known for their simple and vigorous, sparse and indulgent style. The cliff prevailed in the Northern Dynasties, until the Sui and Tang dynasties and the Song and Yuan dynasties were endless, containing rich historical connotation and historical material value, it was a strange flower in the calligraphy art garden, and the cliff created with the whole mountain as the object in modern times is very rare. Mr. Li Yi is a well-known scholar and outstanding calligrapher who combines both literature and ink, theory and creation, and inscriptions.
Li Yi began his research on cliffs more than 30 years ago, and published a monograph entitled "The Creation of Environmental Art: On the Cliff Carvings of the Northern Dynasties". The ancient cliffs were limited by conditions, the scale was shallow, the wind and rain eroded, the handwriting was diffuse, and the treasures of the calligraphers gradually disappeared, so the idea of creating a contemporary cliff with deep carving, poetry and books being muddy, and reflecting the sense of the times was born. Mr. was invited to write about the cliff, so he mobilized his learning and talent, absorbed nutrition from the gods such as "Ode to Shimen", "Yang Huai Table", "Zou Cheng Tieshan Stone Carving", borrowed the ancient to open up the new, and swayed the heavenly opportunity to create a series of cliff masterpieces. After he wrote about Shimen Mountain in Qufu, Laojun Cave in Nanshan in Chongqing, and Nancamel Mountain Cliff in Qingzhou, he then created Qilu Songshan Cliff. Songshan is the second largest mountain in Linqu, Shandong, with an elevation of 760 meters above sea level and a total area of 180 square kilometers. At the invitation of Linqu Cultural Tourism Group for tourism development, the calligrapher has a rigorous attitude, and the next pen will be a thousand years of thought, and he has worked with the team to conduct a field trip to Songshan Mountain, select the cliff site, conceive the carrier text, and then climb the rock book, and engrave the vertebral extension by the craftsman, so it can be combined into a compilation. It took nearly two years from the start of construction in October 2021 to the completion of construction in September 2023. Li Yi's creation of Qilu Songshan Cliff is undoubtedly a comprehensive expression of his chest, education, talent, skill, and will to live, and it is a unique ingenuity and passionate creation. The difficulty of the form highlights the height of the aesthetic. The difficulty of cliff creation makes many calligraphers look away, Li Yi's comprehensive cultivation is superb, the techniques of each body are exquisite, and the will to life is strong. The calligrapher described the scene of creation in the article "Longitudinal Writing Qingya Recognizes the Old Mountain": "When I came to the mountain, I burned incense and worshiped the sages of heaven and earth, and then began to work as planned. With a pen in my hand and a long rope tied to my body, I climbed between the cliffs, moving up and down while putting a straight book. The natural stone wall is uneven, undulating and convex, when writing, you must hold the rope with your left hand, hold the pen in your right hand, move your feet back and forth, your head is low and high, your arms are bent or straight, your waist is suddenly stiff and bowed, the top is the blue sky and white clouds, the following is the abyss and ravine, between heaven and earth, and the feeling of writing on the desk on weekdays is very different. This depiction is reminiscent of the scene of the construction of the Hongqi Canal to open the mountain and dig the stone, which shows how difficult it is to create a magnificent and beautiful calligraphy between the majestic mountains and ravines. Reading this compilation, I am heartbroken by the artist's academic talent, exquisite skills, but also by his psychological quality, will to live, and his martyrdom spirit of perseverance and courage to carry forward the excellent traditional culture.
Any art must embody the principle of typification, and the cliff is a permanent figurative art, which must reflect a high degree of unity between form and content, and the harmony of the whole. The choice of style is just right, and it is not easy to reflect the skills of calligraphy's philosophy, aesthetics, historiography, and poetics. Songshan is different from other famous mountains of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, it is the original ecological natural landscape that has yet to be civilized, and writing this mountain and cliff contains cultural connotation, which requires the artist to have the spiritual thinking of empathizing with the scene, and writing a good text requires comprehensive literacy. Li Yi is a famous scholar, beauty critic, calligrapher, his true character is a poet, he wrote hundreds of poems in the old style, the love is smooth, the meaning is subtle, and the good poetic skills have laid the foundation for the creation of texts. In ancient times, the carrier and writing were often completed separately, while the ideological carrier and materialized form of the Songshan cliff were all original creations of the calligrapher, and the poetry carrier and the environment and scene were integrated, which added the cultural content of the cliff and expanded the broad imagination and association space. The ideological carrier is mostly elegant poems that cut the scene and feel the feelings. Songshan is steep and pulls Cui Wei, the valley is deep and secluded, the clear spring and the blue stream, the danger is beautiful, the scenery of the four seasons is beautiful, different scenic spots have their own characteristics, the poet has the insight to discover the beauty, the sight can see, the sight can think, the thinking can speak, the words can be elegant, the use of the image of the clear words, the joint product or the poem to be pointed, the text carrier is poetic. Words such as "Biqiong", "rippling" and "Ningrui" make people think of the peaks and mountains, auspicious clouds fluttering, and the dangerous scenery that can reach the sky, and "I am the peak" makes people think of the spirit of daring to be the first and rising up. There are several poems from the book, including five uniques, seven uniques, and seven laws, and "Songshan Fu" and "Songshan Duo" are lyrical sketches. For example, "Heavenly Mirror": "The mountain spring is secluded forever, and the dream enters the lake waves." When the wind is wide, the mountains are sunk and the snails are heavy. "The poem writes about the chic demeanor of the traveler who climbs high and overlooks, wears the shore, washes his chest, and thinks beyond things." The scenery of Haidai is unique and intoxicating, and the cloaking leads to hardships. When the wind is embarrassed and looks back, the fragrance is sent to early spring", describing the scene of arduous climbing, and expressing the feeling of watching the spring of the secluded forest as if I was intoxicated. "Songshan Fu" is a lyrical small fu, with a general description of the scenery of the resort: "Dongzhen Zuopu, Songfeng Cloud Fan; Show off Haidai, land and Luqi. See also the ingestion of close-ups: "The peach forest sandwiches the road, and the new flowers compete with the clouds; The spring water surrounds the mountains, and the streams and waves pass through the grass and trees. And it contains the comprehension of reason: "I am Chinese and its concentricity, and I will see the gradual luck of luck; Through the shade of the peaks and ravines, dare to teach the world to be new. These words express the poet's enthusiasm for the scenery and love for the motherland.
The text carrier also contains profound philosophical thoughts and folk customs, giving profound cultural connotations to the original natural landscape. The word "sit and forget" describes the quiet and secluded beauty of the scenic spot, and it seems to see the spirit of spiritual smoke and mist to sparse the five organs and bathe in snow, which is the expression of Taoist thought. "Sitting and forgetting" is a Taoist philosophical concept, which depicts the realm of forgetting and being one with the Tao, and utters the "Zhuangzi · Great Master": "Falling limbs, degrading wisdom, and detaching from form to know, the same as Datong, this is called sitting and forgetting." Zhuangzi's "sitting and forgetting" is roughly a method of cultivation to cleanse the mind, through the observation of things and meditation, into the transcendent outside of things, and return to the state of the original mind. "Contemplation of freedom" and "Huiguang shines" come from the cultivation ideas of Buddhism. "Contemplation of Freedom" comes from the Heart Sutra: "When the Bodhisattva of Contemplation of Freedom is in the depths of Prajnaparamita, he sees that the five aggregates are empty. "Diamond Sutra" Yiyun: "You should look at yourself, and there is no self in all laws." "The meaning of the three characters refers to looking at one's own heart, understanding one's own desires, attachments and troubles, and not being trapped, so as to achieve the nobility of peace and tranquility." The meaning of "Hui Guang Illumination" is similar to that of "Buddha's Light Illumination", which means that the wisdom of the Buddha shines brightly on all worlds universally and equally, eliminating ignorance and afflictions, and opening up the wisdom of all beings. These inscriptions subtly interpret the aesthetic idea of the Buddha as still empty and quiet. As for the words "Fu", "Shou" and "Fushou Kangning", they express the importance of folk culture and understand the ideal of the people's yearning for happiness and Kangning. Viewing the artworks, as if floating auspicious clouds, to tourists with spiritual comfort.
25 places of Songshan cliffs, respectively with Kai, line, grass, seal, Li five-body calligraphy, with the real Kai, chapter grass, the style is distinct, lyrical rich. The emotional movement of the materialized form of the carrier is either bold or beautiful, or naïve or sluggish, and it is deeply talented. "Qingjing", "Songgao Legacy Peak", "Ripple", "Heavenly Mirror" and so on are written in Kai, Xing, and Li, and the title of "Songshan Fu" is written in seal script, and the text is in regular script, which is majestic and clumsy, and is beautiful and strange. The cliff written by the predecessors, more with Kaili, also with the seal script, with the chapter grass rare, and with more chapter grass to write the cliff, Lang show the wonderful rhyme, should be Li Yi's originality. Appreciating Li Yi's cliff book on the spot, it naturally has a unique flavor. The rubbing will be three-dimensional cliff into two-dimensional plane black and white (black tuo) or red and white (Zhu tuo), change the dimension, shrink the dragon for the inch, although the aesthetic effect of the rubbing is far inferior to the original, but still can taste the specific and micro treasure of the book, poetry and the book, meaning and the environment, highlighting the shocking appeal and shocking power, Li Yi's cliff will be calligraphy imagery of the beauty of the beauty of the treacherous beauty almost pushed to the extreme.
Li Yi's cliffs embody the aesthetic characteristics of originality, and his simple and majestic style, simple and strange style is like the wind and sea and rain washing the mind, so that people suddenly have the ambition and pride of "being at the top of the mountain, and seeing the mountains at a glance". It is difficult to write large characters, and it is especially difficult to write huge cliffs. When it comes to large-character calligraphy, Kang Youwei pointed out that there are five difficulties in "Guangyi Zhou Shuangji": "First, the pen is different; Second, it is said that the operation and management are not accustomed; Three, the body changed suddenly; Fourth, it is said that it is difficult to imitate the week; Fifth, it is difficult to refine the pen. "Writing a huge book between the cliffs, the front of the pen, the spatial layout, the expression of force, and the poetic expression are subject to many restrictions, and it is indeed difficult to reach the majestic and wonderful realm. The natural cliff rock surface is rough, uneven and uneven, the drop is large, the pen is difficult to smooth, the knot is difficult to round, and the aura is difficult to send. In the creation of cliffs, the author feels the deepest understanding of the astringent brush. The sound of the pen and the wall rubbing is in the ears and hearts. He also found that writing cliffs also has a unique aesthetic feeling, the undulating cliffs provide an approximate three-dimensional expression space, providing a broad world for showing artistic ideas. To create "great beauty", we must go through "great suffering" before we can enjoy "great happiness". Under Li's pen, whether it is a few words or many words, the whole article is a tangible poem of Juli Qingqi. The word "Shou" is in regular script, 2.50 meters high, 1.70 meters wide, 0.23 meters high and 0.23 meters wide; "溰漾" is the official book, 5.60 meters high, 2.50 meters wide, 1.00 meters high and 0.30 meters wide (including printing); "Songshan Fu" is a seal script with a vertical row of three characters, 2.60 meters high, 0.70 meters wide, 9.00 meters high, 12.00 meters wide, 3.80 meters high, 0.70 meters wide, two sides of India, each side is 0.40 meters high and 0.40 meters wide. Savor these huge cliffs, still see the clear strength of the center, the harmony of the knot, the grandeur of the momentum, the elegance of the rhyme, not only shows the artist's profound skills, the poetry of the lushness, but also sees its broad chest, the spirit of life of the ambitious man, Songshan cliff is undoubtedly a symphony that praises the beauty of mountains and rivers!
Li Yi's regular script is based on Yan Liu, and he gets the charm of "Longzang Temple Tablet". "Longzang Temple Tablet" is the first Sui Tablet, Ou Kai's thinness is dangerous, cold and colorful, Yan Kai's heavenly bones are steep, dignified and clear, Yu Chu's Chanjuan Luo Qi, Zenghua is about to expand its spiritual source from this stele. Li Yi chewed and swallowed carefully in the "Longzang Temple Tablet", digested and absorbed, and absorbed rich nutrients from the cliffs of the two Han Dynasty and the North Monument. Looking at its creation, there are both the ancient clumsy and strong of the Northern Dynasty tablet, and the rules of Tang Kai are dignified, and the broken pen, the broken pen, and the square pen are used interchangeably, which enriches the technical language of the true Kai. "Qilu Songshan" four regular script characters, deep see the momentum of the North Monument, Rao Duolu Gong "Yan Qinli Monument" penmanship, high ancient and beautiful, graceful and majestic, and the willow body is cool and beautiful, the legacy of the strength of the bones, with the pen is clear, the body is sparse, the image is clumsy, and the artistic conception is clear. And "Songshan Persimmon" is a good prose product, for the official book, based on "Yiying", and the aftermath of "Ritual Vessels" and "Stone Gate", the knot is flat and neat, majestic and dignified, the flesh and bone are evenly matched, the waves are distinct, the pen is hidden, the pen is beautiful, the neat and beautiful, it seems to see the "Ode to the Stone Gate" and "Yang Huai Table" of the indulgence and sparseness, high and vast. Through the materialized form, it is as if I see the calligrapher in an orange-red persimmon forest. Writing the cliff in chapter grass is an unprecedented initiative of Li Yi, which not only shows the exquisite technique of Fengbo, but also highlights the feelings of transcendence and sparseness, forming the elegant rhyme of ancient wonders. Chapter grass is the shortcut of the official book, the outline of the subordinate, the rules of the destructive subordinate, the indulgence of the run, and the urgency of going to the vulgar. Zhang Cao takes Huangxiang's "Urgent Chapter", Suo Jing's "Moon Ritual Post" and Lu Ji's "Pingfu Post" as models, and contemporary Zhang Cao is often dominated by Wang Yu. Li Yi traced the Wei monument and the cliff of the Western Han Dynasty, wrote or observed in the simple silk, laid a solid foundation for specializing in chapter grass, and learned in Wang Yuchang's practice to take the realm of the gods. Wang is a famous philosopher, historian, calligrapher, its chapter grass "Thousand Character Text" is simple and dignified, the meaning of the rhyme is ancient, Li Yi chased Wang Yu Chang's wind god, casting learning and cultivating talent in a furnace, Han Yi Shenfei, borrowing the ancient to open up the new, unique face. "Fushou Kangning" is the auspicious language, the knot is clumsy and elegant, chic and strange, the lines are like the vine swaying, the ancient pine is upright, the knot is fluttering and self-indulgent, simple and smart, the book reflects the romantic atmosphere of smiling and arrogant, transcendent exaltation, and seems to see Shang Hao's serene steps and the style of singing in the wind. And the five laws of "Leaving the Dust Bridge as a Companion", studying the norms of the emperor and Suo Jing, taking the dexterity of Han Jian, the frankness of "Pingfu Post", the high hun of Wang Yuchang and the Qingxiong of Yu Youren, express their feelings, the spirit of the pen, the dew of "Xiao", the main pen of "Xiao" and "Song", the painting of "Goose" and "Short", such as boulders and clouds, such as Changhong drinking streams, such as repairing Huang Yuanna, reflecting a strong lyrical color. Because of the meaning of the form, because of the shape of the body, because of the body into the potential, the shape of the broken will link, the shape of the broken gas, through the materialized form, like the autumn day to climb the Songshan Mountain, like seeing the white clouds fluttering, the blue waves surging, the spirit bird flying, the mountains are swirling, the ancient wood forest, the waterfall splashes, do not feel the chest washing, the ease of breath is born, into the left thinking "Zhenyi Qianrengang, full of thousands of miles" realm.
Li Yi's cliff calligraphy creates the majestic beauty of overall harmony. In addition to the calligrapher's chest, bearing, talent, and skill, the strong body like a dragon, and the spirit of martyrdom that is high-spirited and risky, this is inseparable from the advancement of creative conditions and the cooperation of the team. It is very difficult to write the cliff, and the development of science has provided convenient conditions for writing mountains today, so although the calligrapher is in the cliff bush, he can still wave his pen, stimulate the will to life, and flow the vigorous heaven. Engraving is the second creation of cliff art, and a good carving hand makes the cliff creation icing on the cake. Songshan carved stone hired the local engraving master Li Jiyong, Li Yin father and son, they camped in the mountains and forests to eat and live for several months, using the round bottom (U-shaped) and pointed bottom (V-shaped) two carving methods, the depth of the carving is difficult to weather. Chuantuo also invited Wang Xiu and other masters, which lasted more than 20 days to spread out the first extension of Songshan cliff. The work is not only the ingenuity of the artist, but also the fruitful result of teamwork.
Liu Xian said, "Mountaineering is full of love in the mountains, and watching the sea is overflowing in the sea" ("Wenxin Carving Dragon· Divine Thoughts"), believe it! China's famous mountains and rivers are full of the heritage of Chinese culture, as the original Qilu Song Mountain, retain Mr. Li Yi's cliff boutique, the poetic connotation has been strengthened, the philosophical interest has been enhanced, and the folk customs have been highlighted, which has greatly expanded the space for the imagination and association of the aesthetician. Li Yi's "Songyun Frontier" is childish and simple, majestic and wonderful, and the magnificent artistic conception and dangerous scenery are harmonious and unified, which is the inheritance and development of cliff calligraphy, and it is also a unique artistic ingenuity. Try to conclude with three short poems:
(1) The ancient country is full of culture, and the original scenery is written on the cliff. The sage's hometown is a wheelman, and he dares to go to Songcen Mu Caixia.
(2) Wash your heart with enlightenment, and sweep away the smoke and open the picture. How to be afraid of the cliff, swear to pass on the fire and start the spring thunder.
(3) Take Yan Liu and the prince, and express the pride of Yinghanzhong. The ink is dripping with clear rhyme, and it stays magnificent and towering in the sky!
(Text/Jiang Liyu, professor of Xiangtan University, director of Rong Bao Zhai Shen Peng Poetry and Book Research Association, member of China Li Bai Research Association, famous cultural scholar, poetry, calligraphy and painting critic, poet, research expert for Shen Peng, Fan Zeng, Lin Fan, Zhang Hai, Yan Gongda, Zhou Junjie and other gentlemen)
(Source: Jiangnan Times)
About the Artist
Li Yi, born in Qufu, Shandong Province in 1957, is a Ph.D. scholar and calligrapher. He is currently a researcher and doctoral supervisor of the Chinese Academy of Arts, the deputy director of the Theory Committee of the Chinese Artists Association, the deputy director of the Academic Committee of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, and the director of the Chinese Painting Society. He is the 8th director of the Chinese Artists Association, and the 5th, 6th and 7th directors of the Chinese Calligraphers Association. He used to be the deputy director of the Institute of Fine Arts of the Chinese Academy of Arts, and the editor-in-chief of Art Observation.