IDEOCALLIGRAPHY
AN ILLUSTRATED INTRODUCTION TO ITS USE
Ideocalligraphy makes wordless thought visible.
Composite ideocalligraphs can represent a thought,
a concept or an awareness.
"A visual representation of meaning."
Tudor John's description of ideocalligraphs,
as we shared a bench outside Bornheim Library,
after seeing the exhibition there together.
[2.7.1988 Andrew Stevenson]
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Love within time
TWO EXAMPLES OF IDEOCALLIGRAPHY
USING COMPOSITE IDEOCALLIGRAPHS AND RADICALS TOGETHER:
A
friend commented, after looking at meta-ideocalligraph mandalas, "I believe it
is a language for the soul, that has no verbal substitutes". The two examples of
the use of mixed radical and composite ideocalligraphs shown below ('Bird of
Peace -Sunrise to sunset' and 'Now within Eternity') are indeed best read
directly, image to thought, without passing through an intermediate verbal
medium. However, for someone as yet unfamiliar with ideocalligraphs and their
mode of communication, these two examples below can clearly demonstrate, in
their messages and in their calligraphy, some of the basic ideocalligraphic
techniques.
Each example will require a tight paragraph of descriptive text, but the journey
I think is worthwhile - it is the simplest way of clarifying what the
ideocalligraphs can - without words - do!
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Bird of Peace - Sunrise to Sunset |
'Bird of Peace - Sunrise to Sunset'.
- A simple description of the ideocalligraphs used -
The constellation is made up of four composite ideocalligraphs, each of them a
focal point. The bird holds the peace branch in its beak, while the brush stroke
of the curve of its tail is also the radical for 'beyond', in this case
indicating 'beyond the sunrise'. And the curve of the bird's right wing forms
the uppermost stroke of the Deity ideocalligraph. Below the curve is a point
with horizontal lines to either side. Beneath them is the curvature of the
earth's horizon, showing sunrise and sunset. The Deity ideocalligraph is thus
made up of the earth below, the curve of the heavens above and the two lines
symbolizing the frontier between them - with the gap providing a glimpse of the
distant point we may be ultimately, beyond our imagination, heading for. So this
cluster of composites might be described as one hopeful ideocalligraph
constellation of the human condition!
Now you can return to the constellation illustration and look at it without
words!
And enter into that constellation.
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Now within Eternity |
'Now within Eternity'.
- A
simple description of the ideocalligraphs used -
In this example symbols have a role within and between the composite
ideocalligraphs and together they all establish a constellation. The ends of the
sun's rays are joined by the 'time horizon of the day'. The curved stroke above
that 'time horizon' is the symbol for 'beyond'. Thus: 'Beyond time' i.e.
'Eternity'. The short vertical stroke beneath the sun indicates 'time now'. The
point between the rays means 'in'. Thus: 'In Eternity now', or, 'Now in beyond
time' . The mathematical symbol below the short vertical stroke means 'combined
with'. To the left beneath it four space curves enclose the sign '3' or 'many',
and together they form the ideocalligraph for 'all'. The bottom space curve is
above a range of mountains; together they signify 'beyond'. Thus: 'Beyond all'
(or 'Beyond all space').
To the right is a 'time' ideocalligraph. Its left sun's ray is in this case also
the symbol for 'past' (a left-leaning diagonal, with a short second leg heading
left). At the top the 'time's horizon' has three short vertical lines midway.
Those lines are 'our'. Between the sun's rays you have the dot 'in' and the
'earth' radical. 'Time' 'past' and 'earth' together make the 'history'
ideocalligraph. Thus , with 'our', you get 'in our history'. So, together you
have: 'In Eternity now/combined with/ beyond all /in our history' Or: 'Now
within Eternity'.
Now you can return to the constellation illustration and look at it without
words!
And enter into that constellation.