Su Shi was one of the greatest calligraphers of the Song dynasty, representing individuality through a practice known as shang yi shu feng. His calligraphy is seen as innovative and one of the greatest artistic accomplishments of the period, potentially influenced by his personal character and impact calligraphic theory. In calligraphic theory, there were three developmental peaks which occurred during the Jin, Tang, and Song dynasties, named li (reason), fa (rule), and yi (intent). The Jin period led to development of various forms of Chinese written script, which was also seen as an art form. The best calligraphy was sought to possess the qualities of vividness, variation, proportion, and fluency – the inner aesthetic view of the script termed li.
On the other hand, Fa focused on outward aesthetic quality, particularly the rules of brush execution and uniform standards to spatial configuration. This came from the influence of the Tang dynasty where civil service became established, and good scholars were evaluated for content and good visual quality of writing. Finally, the Song period saw scholars seek to not improve the perfection of outward style developed during the Tang period, but to focus on the inner world of the calligrapher. This resulted in the emphasis of not attempting to mimic the styles of previous masters, but search for their own identities and expressions through the art of calligraphy, that came to be known as yi.
As known, Su Shi came to prominence during the Song period and highly valued the concept of yi when judging good brushwork. He was strongly influenced by masters Zhi Yong and Yan Zhenqing who developed myriad calligraphic styles and changes to characters respectively. Su Shi supposedly viewed yi as an expression of personal emotion and ideas, personal identity through calligraphy. This can be analysed through calligraphic style, brush technique, and spatial composition.
Su Shi was imprisoned at one point for voicing his opinion of an official. He is also known to hold Daoist philosophies towards life which emphasize the spirit of naturalness and simplicity. Although not a representative of Daoist calligraphy, Su sought to express himself freely and pursue the development of personality in his work. He never sought to retrace other masters but create his own style. Furthermore, in his calligraphy he uses generous space and broad strokes, conveying a sense of profundity and freedom. The characters have the freedom of movement, demonstrating Su Shi’s unrestrained and carefree disposition. Therefore, the beauty of his brushwork in relation to Daoism principles creates a meaning that goes beyond the art of calligraphy – not only being pleasant to the eye but touching the heart as well.
Therefore, it is evident that the unique artistic characteristics of Su Shi’s calligraphic style are a representation of his personal character, life experience, and philosophical convictions. Su Shi himself supposedly remarked that even if his style is not perfect, his knowledge of calligraphy is remarkable, because he has a deep understanding of his style. That is a direct example of yi, and it is something that is challenging to learn and model but allows for the full spirit of calligraphy. Studying calligraphy in an academic and artistic setting implies understand the rich history of its development and how various styles came to be. It allows for transition of these elements such as li¸fa, and yi into one’s own style as well as understanding the full extent of various masters that students may choose to model. In the end, calligraphy goes beyond visual art, but has profound aesthetic values and script-forms which embody unique beauty and characteristics of the artists themselves.