功夫：中国艺术之要素 Gongfu: The Essence of Chinese Arts

自康德以来，西方美学极力强调创意。相比之下，中国美学较强调以适应过去模式与自然浑成之熟练或完美。这种强调在中文就叫‘功夫’。

华人书法可以说是一门功夫，意思是长时间在体力与精神上训练来完成高度完美。就此而言，与其他属于功夫类的艺术如武功与剑舞没有两样。功夫的概念包含了一个很重要的信息，那就是高水平及神似的艺术只有通过长时间的训练才能达到的。

华人书法的功夫是勤勉地临摹与书写历史上大书法家的著名法书而达成的。可是，要真正精通书法这门艺术，临摹要超越模仿。好的书家要掌握笔法、了解每个字的空间逻辑、明白通篇章法原理、与知晓各个书体变化。

无可否认，英语中以‘复制’来指中文字‘摹’、‘临’与‘仿’所指的过程，实在是粗俗。实际上，临摹法书，就是以徒手临摹来感受字体、结字、章法，这样才能为个人领悟这门艺术铺平道路。

在临摹法书时，我们我们应该避免盲目重复，而要找个方法来把它们据为己有。不然，坚持以临摹来达到完美会因太过依赖过去的模式而导致停滞不前。

.

.

In western aesthetics, since Kant, there has been a strong emphasis on originality. In contrast, Chinese aesthetics places more emphasis on mastery or perfection, both through orientation on past models and natural creativity. The Chinese term for such emphasis is known as gongfu.

The Chinese calligraphy can therefore be said to be a form of gongfu, which means that it aims at high perfection through long time physical and spiritual training. In this regard, it is often compared to other Chinese arts that the category gongfu also applies, such as martial arts, sword dance, etc. The concept of gongfu also contains an important message that high and spiritual level of the art can only be achieved after long training.

In Chinese calligraphy, the gongfu is achieved through the diligent copying and writing of famous calligraphic works of great masters in history. However, copying must move beyond imitation if the art of calligraphy is to be truly mastered. Good calligraphers must master brushwork, understand the spatial logic of individual characters, understand the principles of composition, and must be aware of stylistic variations.

Admittedly, ‘copying’ is a clumsy English word for processes that are subtly different in Chinese terminology: mo, to trace, lin, to copy freehand, and fang, to imitate in a freer manner. Indeed, the process of tracing great works, copying them freehand, and imitating them in a freer manner by experimenting script, size, and overall composition paves the way for the personal appropriation of the art.

In ‘copying’ the calligraphic works, one must therefore avoid blind repetition and find a way to make them one’s own. Otherwise, the insistence on achieving perfection through copying would lead to too much orientation on past models and therefore stagnation.