My new calligraphy works, “When Birds Disappeard from the Sky”, were exhibited at RAW Gallery Exhibit in Oakland on August 6, 2010. Paying homage to my favorite poet Shuntaro Tanikawa, who is one of the most widely read and highly regarded of living Japanese poets internationally, I chose this beautiful poem for my new series of calligraphy pieces in hopes to bring the viewers an awareness about the relationships between humans and nature, and how the world is changing through the current stream of rapid civilization, industrialization, and modernization.
Each piece has one paragraph, and these five complete the whole poem. I used Tan-boku (淡墨: diluted sumi-ink) to soften the strokes, aiming to give the letters the feeling of lightness like feathers, and openness like a blue sky.
(Read from top right to left, vertically)
1 When Beasts Disappear from the Forest
2 When Fish Disappear from the Sea
3 When Children Disappear from Town
4 When Humanity Lost Oneself
5 When Birds Disappear from the Sky
When Birds disappeared from the Sky
On the day the Beasts disappeared from the Forest
The Forest held its breath
On the day the Beasts disappeared from the Forest
Humans continued building roads
On the day Fish disappeared from the Sea
The Sea hollowly groaned
On the day Fish disappeared from the Sea
Humans continued building ports
On the day Children disappeared from Town
The Town bustled with even more activity
On the day Children disappeared from Town
Humans continued building parks
On the day Humanity lost Oneself
All Humans were alike one another
On the day Humans lost Personality
Humans continued to believe in the future
On the day Birds disappeared from the Sky
The Sky quietly cried
On a day Birds disappeared from the Sky
Humans continued singing, Unaware
Poem by Shuntaro Tanikawa (1974), Shuei-Sha Publishing (1974)
What’s ironic is that Shuntaro Tanikawa wrote this poem in 1974 – 34 years ago -… we all know enough about the ignorance of humans, and we all know what is going to happen if we continue what we’re doing. As we seek better life, the more convenient our life become, the less sensitive our sense of reality become… we all know, but we can’t help it because it creates new standard of culture, lifestyle, and the society – Something “new” becomes something “normal”. Then we move on to look for something “new” again, and then it naturally leads to further development, innovation, construction, destruction, reconstruction… infinite loop. At least, I want to be close to the nature, which is the origin of our lives and the world we live in, by appreciating its beauty and importance through my own medium Japanese calligraphy.
Installation done!
Around 8:30pm.
w/ the curator Carly Ivan Garcia. Thank you Carly for your hard work!
