Tsao or Grass style is derived from Hsing

The skill of Chinese brushwork is demonstrated best in the Tsao (Grass) style, which is derived from Hsing but is a sketchier and more simplified script, almost like shorthand.

When Dr. Lin Yu-Tang stated that "Chinese calligraphy is nothing but dancing on the paper," he was referring especially to the Tsao style, which was first introduced by the two Wangs of the Chin dynasty (4th century through to the 5th century).

Tsao represents the best in the art of Chinese brushwork. The two great stars were Chang Hsu and Hwai Su of the Tang dynasty (7th century).

General Wang Hsi-Chih was the first master of the Grass style. His son, Wang Hsian-Chih, after his father's death was even more popular for a few decades. He created a continuous manner of writing, that is, he wrote a whole column of script without lifting his brush, producing a kind of spiral, word by word, from top to bottom. This technique gives an undisturbed one-breath feeling to the entire composition.

In the 7th century, there were three artistic giants: the poet saint Li Po, the sword dancer General P'ei Wen and the mad "Grass" calligrapher Chang Hsu.

Chang was a highly emotional person. After watching a performance by Lady Kung-Sun, a female sword dancer, he claimed he had experienced a deep inspiration which much improved his skill at wielding a brush.

As in Figure 46, the rising and falling rhythm of his calligraphy can, indeed, be compared with the movement of dancing. The brush to him is like the sword in General P'ei's hand; both arouse an emotional sensation.

In his works, Chang Hsu, like Jackson Pollock, is entirely absorbed in his own emotional drama, forgetting all about the established rules. In the Stomach Ache Note (Fig. 46) he did not care about the structure of the characters, but instead used distortion and exaggeration to the utmost degree to satisfy his own thirst for emotions.

This is a good example to illustrate that Chinese calligraphy is indeed an abstract art. Notice the two columns in Figure 46; there is one word on the left and five on the right. If a viewer focuses on either one of the columns, it seems to be leaning and falling over; however, the two columns stand comfortably together for they complement one another. The word "Han" on the left is more than five times larger than any word on the other side. Chang had mastered all the rules so well that he could afford to improvise.

Another famous artist's work, the Holy Mother Album by monk artist Hwai Su, whose Mad Grass, like Chang Hsu's, enjoyed much popularity. The chief difference between these two masters' work lies in the fact that Chang Hsu stressed the joints of the strokes more and hesitated longer at each turning point, while Hwai Su seldom stopped at turns. Instead, he kept going at an even rhythm, a kind of swirling and rotating movement. Both of them are considered action artists with tremendous power.

The Ch'i Shih Note is a wood block copy of Yu Shih-Nan's work. His Tsao style shows the influence of Wang Hsi-Chih. The structure of the characters is excellent. However, the composition seems to be too well polished and lacks spontaneity; consequently, it is feeble in expression. It could be said to be too pretty.

Su Tung-P'o, like his teacher O-Yang Hsiou, had a reforming attitude toward traditional arts, and he too tried to break away from established rules. Although he went through the academic training of brushwork, he imparted great freedom in his art. The expression in his Hwang Chou Han Shih (Cold Meal) Poem Album is full of spontaneous charm: There are infinite variations created by using different pressures of the brush. There is exaggerated contrast between his dense and loose composition of characters and between the negative and positive space.

Among the famous Ming calligraphers, Chu Yuen-Ming was the most popular. His favorite style was Hsing-Tsao, which is less sketchy.

Here, we are conscious of his natural, carefree handling of the brush. Notice the composition of the piece in one breath; there was no hesitation in the execution. One line runs into another, a constant flow. Because of the high speed of the brush, undefined parts of the lines are highly suggestive, creating much artistic interest and offering ample room for onlooker's imagination.

By the latter part of the Ming dynasty the Wan Li period (1573-1620), the most celebrated artist was Tung Ch'i-Chang. He was a well-read scholar and a popular art critic. The literary taste in his art is an outstanding characteristic. No one can deny his dexterity in handling the brush. However, in comparing his work with any of the Tang dynasty masters, such as Yen Ch'en- Ching and Chang Hsu, Tung Ch'i-Chang is far behind in competence, both in brushwork and composition. Although some Western scholars have maintained that Tung is the greatest artist in Chinese art, this is highly untenable.

-- Kwo Da-Wei