today mengfu creek changed rather dramatically. i think it may be resolved.
a word about the title. zhao mengfu (1254-1322) was a leading calligrapher of his time. he was the first painter to equate painting with calligraphy. to emphasize that his paintings had the same self-expressive intent as handwriting, he described his creative process not as "painting" but as "writing."
in zhao's painting illustrated below, he "intentionally added his inscription directly on top of his rendering of distant mountains to emphasize that his painting was not about creating an illusion of reality. by inserting writing into the picture space, zhao forces the viewer to "read" his paintings as a set of calligraphic brush strokes on a flat surface.
quotes are from maxwell k. hearn's "how to read chinese paintings," published by the metropolitan museum of art in 2008.
mengfu creek 78x48"
acrylic & collaged paper on canvas
mikela looks at new work
work by zhao mengfu