육조시대 서예론에서 '형(形)' 과 '신(神)'의 관계 - '보이는 것'과 '보이지 않는 것'의 층위

Abstract

This study investigates the aesthetic implications of “xing(形, form)” and “shen(神, spirit)” as well as “xiang(象, symbolic image)” to illuminate the artistic aspirations of the calligraphers of the Six Dynasties period. The interrelation between xing and shen played an important role in explaining the nature of men and its relation to the world in Chinese thought. Along with the development of Xuanxue(玄學) these terms, ‘xing’ and ‘shen,’ expanded into painting and calligraphy theories. The literati of the Six Dynasties emphasized the role of the arts to express invisible qualities in their discussion on xing, the tangible, and shen, the intangible. As the expressiveness of cursive style in calligraphy became more stressed in the Six Dynasties, calligraphy began to be considered as a form of art in itself rather than a mere method of writing. The relationship between xing and shen in calligraphy theories is vital in understanding the artistic goal of the Six Dynasties’ calligraphers. While the xing-shen relationship in portrait painting can be summarized as ‘conveying the spirit(傳神)’ of the object, a calligrapher aims to reflect his or her own spirit in calligraphic expressions. Furthermore, calligraphy suggests a broader concept of shen related to nature, ‘shencai(神彩, vitality of nature).’ Shencai is the visual manifestation of the principle of formation and changes in nature, which can be sensed in the contrast and harmony of yin(陰) and yang(陽). The role of ‘xiang(象)’ as ‘symbolic image,’ which is created from creative variations on given shapes of characters, enables a calligrapher to express his or her own spirit-shen-as well as shencai. In calligraphy xiang, constructed between xing and shen, works as a medium through which the invisible and the visible are interweaved to induce a viewer’s sensory experience.