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Lampo Leong is a well-known Chinese painter and calligrapher, currently Professor of Art in Painting and Drawing at the University of Missouri, Columbia. In a recent presentation at UC Davis, Professor Leong explained the reasons that determined him to do research on the ‘Omega Curve‘, the use, and the tremendous importance of this shape. The Omega curve, Professor Leong said “is an important common shape, related to grandeur and loftiness (sublime) in visual art.” Fig 2
The author of the book “Visual Forces of the ‘Omega Curve‘”, (book that is about to come out in Chinese for now), Professor Leong talks about his research and his findings related to the ‘Omega Curve‘. This shape, he states, “has a majestic and heroic power”, and it is a stylistic pattern that can be found all throughout history of art and architecture. Artists and architects in every culture and every period of time turned to this shape to create movement and dynamism in their works. The Greeks, the Romans, North European artists, as well as Chinese and Japanese artists and calligraphers used ‘Omega Curve’ to bring life to their art creations. Consciously ot unconsciously, this technique seems to have been employed even by Michelangelo in the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
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Like in other arts - painting, drawing, or design-, Professor Leong explained, in caligraphy too, ‘Omega Curve’ plays a significant role, giving it continuity and rhythm by making the linkage between characters. He mentioned that calligraphy can be either correct, or just bad calligraphy. Correct calligraphy involves the correct use of lines and patterns, and a smooth transition from one character to the next.
One of Lampo Leong's major art works as a calygrapher, was the floor seal for the Who Hei Yuen park in China Town in San Francisco.
One of Lampo Leong's major art works as a calygrapher, was the floor seal for the Who Hei Yuen park in China Town in San Francisco.
At the end of his presentation, Professor Leong, amazed his audience with a demonstration of calligraphy. Smooth brush, dipped in black ink, he quickly points the tip of the brush on the rice paper, and then the show begins. He quickly makes wide and narrow marks on the paper, moving his body at the same pace with his brush. “When you are doing calligraphy, you need to transcend the energy from yourself into the brush, and from there into the paper!“|he explained.
Works Cited:
Fig 1 http://web.missouri.edu/~leongl/Biography%20file/Bio%20images/LampoLeong07Nr.html
Fig 2 http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&tbs=isch:1&q=omega
Fig 3 http://www.cedcc.psu.edu/khanjan/europe_images/025_sistine%20chapel.jpgFig 2 http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&tbs=isch:1&q=omega
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