The Chinese Theory of Art: Shi Tao (Part IV)
Hills and Streams:
The substance of hills and streams embodies the inner law of the universe. One cannot attend to their appearance without regard to the inner laws, or attend to the substance alone without regard to the method. To avoid the violation of inner laws and the degeneration of method, the ancients tried to reach out to the One. For if the One was not understood, all phenomena would become obstacles; on the other hand, with the understanding of the One, all things have their place. The inner law of painting and the method of the painting brush are to catch the substance and appearance of the universe.
The hills and streams are the life and movement of the heaven and earth. The changes of light and darkness are the expression of hills and streams, their distances and distribution, their layout and rhythm, their expression of yin and yang, as well as their demeanor. That which is high and clear constitutes the standard of heaven; that which is thick and heavy forms the norm of the earth. Heaven binds the hills and streams by means of winds and clouds; the earth awakens them to movement by means of water and rocks.
The mountains and waters are immense, and cloud formations spread across peaks for thousands of miles. But with the one-stroke, man takes part in the creation of the universe. The artist surveys the layout of the land, examines the distribution of mountain peaks and observes the airy forlornness of clouds and mists. He looks at the earth spread out before him and takes a swift glance at the distant ranges, and knows they are all under the sovereignty of heaven and earth. Heaven has the standard to transform the spirit of hills and streams, earth has this norm to activate their pulse beat, and I have this one-stroke to penetrate into their very body and spirit.
The hills and streams have appointed me to speak for them. They are in me, and I am in them. I search out the extraordinary peaks and put them on paper. We meet and comprehend each other in spirit. Therefore all belong to Da Dizi.
Texture Strokes:
The texture strokes are for showing the surface textures. Some are rocks or soil, where such surfaces should be indicated, but these are not the natural textures of the mountains themselves. The different forms have different surfaces of all kinds. Therefore there are different kinds of texture strokes:
Curling-clouds, axe-cuts, split-hemp, loose-rope, ghost-face, skull-like, wood-pile, sesame-seed, golden-blue, jade-powder, bullet-hole, pebbles, and boneless. These must vary as the masses and surfaces demand. The strokes and the nature of the real surfaces have an inner relation. However, at the time of drawing, no one has the time to think of the particular kind of stroke used. One stroke follows another, all following the natural inner law of their being.
The life and movement of hills and streams are thus contained in the painting; the prevailing spirit of a painting lies in the ink, and the life of the ink lies in control. One who has mastery of the ink gives the impression of solid interior and spacious exterior surface. The ancients suited the solids and spaces to the interiors and exteriors, changed their methods as the went along without error, in the full possession of the spirit and atmosphere as they pleased.
Commentary:
From the book, “Taoism: The Road to Immortality“, by John Blofeld, comes a discussion of “dragon veins“. Since Yang pertains to heaven, and Yin the earth, there is way for them to mix and mingle. The ancients taught that in certain special places, there are dragon veins. These invisible lines are like passageways running down from the sky into the mountains and along other earth forms. They function much like the “qi” of “qigong”, “taiqi“, as well as acupuncture and yoga.
This concept is reflected in Chinese landscape painting where the veins are expressed as sweeping curves and contours of clouds, the waves of mountains and hills, and the vast expanses of oceans and vistas. Here everything in nature is vibrant and alive.