Ink rubbing (DHWB-10-EN)

Ink rubbing

Single work

• https://www.gerstaecker.at/Original-japanische-Reibesteine.html
• https://www.gerstaecker.at/Chinesische-Reibetuschen.html
• https://www.boesner.com/chinesischer-reibestein-12558
• https://www.boesner.com/chinesische-reibetusche-nr.-7-12556

Materials as listed, fresh Water 20 °C, protective clothing and protection of the table and floor on which the ink is rubbed, because ink is very difficult to wash away.

5 minutes

Make sure you have protective clothing and protection of the table and floor on which the ink is rubbed, because ink is very difficult to wash away, as noted. Make sure you have a quiet and undisturbed environment.

In Japan, and many Asian countries, working or creating with ink is a long standing tradition, and a sign of being cultured, followed even by soldiers. It is also seen as a form of meditation, opening the mind, and permitting creative expression. In this form of Calligraphy, each letter is a work of art , often like a poem, and creative interpretation, reflecting the mind and accomplishments of the writer. Experienced artists are given the title of “living national treasure” in Japan, underlining the respect for this old tradition and the quality of a persons achievements.  In our exercise, the focus is on creativity, not on cultural knowledge.

Sho-do: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shod%C5%8D

Through this method/action, these benefits are achieved:

• Deep Concentration
• Inner calm or meditative state that is intended to promote the creative process.

To rub good ink for the Japanese art of writing (Sho-do = the path of writing), you must rub it slowly and with little force. First prepare a rubbing stone and drip water on the flat top of the rubbing stone . The best amount of water is about the size of a 1 euro coin. Slowly start rubbing the solid ink on the dripped water. At this point you can naturally relax and rub by drawing circles.
As the ink thickens, gradually add water. You can adjust the density of the ink by the amount of water you add at this point. Adjust the density, keeping in mind the image of the work you are drawing. Do not worry about the ink dripping into the sea (depressed area of the ink stone) and repeat the process until you have reached the amount needed to complete the work.
India ink is sensitive to the weather. Pay particular attention to temperature when rubbing ink in summer. The former causes the ink to absorb moisture and become soft, while the latter causes the rubbing ink to rot within a short time. In winter, on the other hand, the dryness of the ink contracts the ink and cools the rubbing stone, making it harder to rub.

The temperature of the water is also important. The adhesive contained in the solid ink hardens at temperatures below 18 °C. So if you use cold water for rubbing, the ink will not come out. Always prepare the water at a temperature of at least 20 °C.

It is said that the most important way to bring out the true colour of the ink is to use fresh water and to rub the ink slowly with such a weak force that only the weight of the ink acts on the rubbing stone.

Rubbing the ink not only serves to produce the ink solution, but also to calm the mind through the pleasant scent of the ink and the soft sound of the rubbing of the ink, as well as through the calm and peaceful feeling of spirituality that comes from reflecting on the ink colour, the brush and the paper.

There is a long tradition that says that "ink is best rubbed by a sick person or a young girl" and that "ink is best rubbed by a person who is sick or a young girl". Or: "Ink is rubbed by the weight of the ink". It is desirable to rub the ink, enjoying the feeling of contact between the ink and the rubbing stone, without straining. To obtain a beautiful ink colour, the ink should be rubbed so that the particles become fine.

Please rub the ink as patiently and effortlessly as possible.

The quality of the ink depends on the way it is rubbed.  The combination of rubbing ink and rubbing stone also affects the quality of the ink. Therefore, try to get a feel for the subtle differences by actually rubbing the ink. Solid ink is made by mixing carbon black from oil and glue, but freshly made ink is considered sticky and its colour cloudy. The true value of ink only becomes apparent several years or decades after it has been made. The colour of old ink is indescribably beautiful. The colour of the ink varies according to the type of oil used.The ink is said to glow in seven colours.

HANA USUI

www.hana-usui.net

Hana Usui (*1974 Tokyo) studied art history at Waseda University and calligraphy in Tokyo. In 1999 she left the Japanese "path of writing" (sho-do), she detached herself from writing altogether and has since devoted herself to the free visual arts. Her abstract drawings are made with white or black oil paint, which she overlays onto inkwash or photographs. Since 2014 she has been using her artistic vocabulary mainly to address injustices in the environmental, political and social fields and has become increasingly multimedial and installational. Exhibitions (selected): Fukushima – 10 years later, Berlin Art Week and Vienna Art Week (2021); Japan Unlimited, frei_raum Q21 / MuseumsQuartier Vienna (2019); Show Me Your Wound, Dom Museum Vienna (2018–19); The Esprit of Gestures, The National Museum in Berlin (2010); Sensai, Residenzgalerie Salzburg (2009); Works on Paper, Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, Cracow (solo, 2009). Collections (selected): Albertina Vienna, Dresden State Art Collections, Graphic Collection of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Kunsthalle Bremen, Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, Museum für Neue Kunst Freiburg, Museum der Moderne Salzburg, Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology Krakow, Otto Mauer Contemporary Vienna, The National Museums in Berlin, and Wien Museum.

Offers: KANJI-Sho-do-Workshops

German, Japanese