Calligraphy

 

The Murals of Jalatlaco III.

Now and then during the course of my lifetime I have had a fascination with Chinese and Japanese calligraphy. I have enjoyed sitting before it in museums trying to understand my response to the construction on the sheet. And while I can appreciate its presentation of form in a spatial arrangement on a sheet of paper, eventually I became aware that those who read and write those languages have a completely different response to these art works. One Chinese woman I spoke with said that the meaning of the language was important and that there was indeed a sense of visual onomatopoeia. She also told me that when contemplating these works she began by focusing on the paper.

When letters and words are used in western art, especially in cubist works, they remain for me always specific letters and words, not design elements. I'm sure this must be true as well for many others who find art works that use the symbols of their native tongue. Thus I set out at one time to create designs using letters and words but in such a way that they were design elements not communication symbols. I am enclosing one of the drawings from my Calligraphy series to show you what I mean.

And now I hope you understand my interest in this mural which is on Aldama one half block below the previous entries. This script made with a sign painter’s brush thrills me no end. It uses script as a design element to create form to create an art work and it is purely a visual experience...it does not translate as “Mary had a little rabbit.”

It appears to me that this mural is unsigned. But I have seen the script used in other murals and so eventually the culprit shall be named.