Why is regular script absent from the "National Exhibition"?

During the two sessions of the National People's Congress this year, some delegates and committee members put forward proposals such as "calligraphy application", "Chinese character protection" and "Chinese character calligraphy education", which aroused widespread discussion and concern among delegates and all walks of life.

China's calligraphy has been revived for nearly thirty years. Regular script, as one of the four major styles of calligraphy, has many important calligraphy functions, such as "correctness, clumsiness, integrity and height", but it is ignored by various calligraphy exhibitions and becomes more and more boring. Compared with the development of cursive script, it is far behind. Especially in recent years, there are fewer and fewer regular script works in the "National Exhibition" (full name: National Exhibition of Calligraphy and Seal Cutting Works), which represents the highest level of contemporary calligraphy and seal cutting in China. Even if it enters the exhibition, it is mainly small characters, and Chinese characters and big characters are hardly seen in the "National Exhibition".

I think the main reasons are as follows:

First, the current calligraphy circle unilaterally emphasizes the technical function of regular script and ignores its aesthetic humanistic spirit. Just use regular script as the technical basis of other characters. Many people have written regular script for a period of time, and since they think they have mastered the skills, they turn to cursive script. Especially when teachers teach calligraphy, they all use regular script as the technical basis to train students, which is widespread.

Second, eager for quick success and instant benefit, unable to bear the loneliness of writing regular script. Zhang Huaiguan in the Tang Dynasty said: "True calligraphy (that is, regular script) is like a stand, running script is like a line, and cursive script is like a line." The word "Li" is very particular, standing is standing, "Golden Rooster Independence" is also standing, and "One Finger Zen" is also standing, but the difficulty is very different. Many people are eager to enter the exhibition, to become famous, to make profits, and can't stand the bitter silence of "sitting on the bench for ten years". Writing meaning in regular script may be more difficult than cursive script. Because when you write regular script, you should calm down and write that kind of calm, quiet and serene. Without determination, it's really hard to grasp. As Kang Youwei said, "I call calligraphy as well as Buddhism. It is better to start with precepts, to be good and to be wise, and to be proved by the source of mind than to be enlightened. To the extreme, it is not word of mouth. "

Third, lack of confidence in the innovation and development of regular script. There is a view that regular script reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty and can no longer be developed. This view hinders the pace of exploration and innovation of regular script. In fact, art is endless. At the beginning of last century, there appeared a generation of great calligrapher Hong Yi, who was famous for his unique regular script.

Fourth, the current exhibition hall environment requires higher regular script. The exhibition hall now has a big scene. Regular script strokes are very particular, and it is not allowed to be a little sloppy. It is too big to write. First, it is difficult, and second, it is not flattering. It's easy to tell good from bad. At present, the regular script submitted is generally written in small letters, six feet and eight feet. The words are dense and vague from a distance, losing the aesthetic function of communication.

Fifth, calligraphy professional organizations and exhibition critics have not paid enough attention to the promotion of regular script, and even the requirements for regular script are quite harsh. Especially for Tang Jie who contributed the manuscript, he was too picky. For a long time, people were afraid to contribute in regular script. However, the advocacy, excavation and research of regular script by professional institutions are relatively weak, and the reasons for the boring regular script are not carefully analyzed, let alone the supporting countermeasures.

Sixth, it can't keep up with the rapid transformation of contemporary regular script from practicality to artistry. With the demise of the imperial examination system, the popularity of pens, especially the wide application of computers, the practicality of regular script almost disappeared. On the contrary, its artistry is more strongly highlighted, especially in the noisy era when people are restless, pursuing material wealth, yearning for a calm, peaceful and harmonious spiritual home and comforting tired body and mind, the artistic function of regular script is more obvious. Because regular script "Auspicious and Quiet" (Liu Xizai), like an old monk knocking on a wooden fish, expresses a profound understanding of life with a slow rhythm. This is by no means a technical model, so it puts forward higher humanistic spirit requirements for writers.

"National Exhibition" has a strong guiding role for the public. The lack of regular script in the exhibition has objectively aggravated people's neglect and misunderstanding of regular script. Many students and teachers, in particular, lack the basic skills of writing regular script. At present, calligraphy education in China has been regarded as an important measure of "promoting traditional culture and strengthening protection and education". Therefore, it is reasonable to advocate attaching importance to regular script, writing more regular script and exhibiting more regular script. Recently, Shanghai Regular Script Invitation Exhibition was held in Shanghai, which is the first special exhibition of regular script held in Shanghai since the new century. Regardless of the level of the exhibitors, it at least sends a signal to the society that regular script should gain its due position in today's calligraphy field.