| Zen art emphasizes the essence of the subject, in | | | | To say that Zen art is simple is a conundrum, for the |
| that a statue of a sculpted marble ball may be the | | | | media itself may be as elemental as a simple stroke |
| earth, a marble, a beach ball, or a falling tear. Once | | | | of a calligraphy stylus in black ink that encompasses |
| the artist decides that the subject is a tear, he may | | | | the meaning of 'mountain slope.' Art that grows from |
| act in a flurry of motion, dizzying in its intensity as he | | | | this simple stroke may be as profound as a depiction |
| hacks and hews at the marble, grinding it to a | | | | of a guru atop the solitude of his mountain peak, |
| smooth polish as he journeys on his way to | | | | communing with his soul and Nature, or as simplistic |
| completion. To the Zen artist, deciding on a subject is | | | | as a mountain stream running downhill in a drawing |
| well over half the battle of finishing a piece of art. | | | | devoid of any human subject. The title of the piece |
| This may well be the part of the process that takes | | | | cannot be overemphasized, because the artist's |
| up the most time. In fact, the subject may be | | | | intention may be gleaned from a one-word name |
| reached upon deep meditation, as the artist probes | | | | such as 'Empathy.' How to depict such a noun that is |
| his mind and soul for a subject that speaks of his | | | | loaded with meaning is the work of the Zen artist as |
| inmost thoughts and intentions. | | | | he links his own understanding of the term to his art. |
| For the Zen artist, writing or calligraphy is not merely | | | | 'Empathy' may be one person holding another as he |
| to convey words, but is an act of beautification in | | | | weeps, it may be a doll into whose deaf ears a child |
| itself. Think of these marks upon a paper or your | | | | pours all her ambitions and tender words of love, and |
| computer monitor: they convey an article about Zen | | | | it may be as commonplace as a person viewing a |
| art, do they not? But aren't they also made up of | | | | tragedy on a newscast and reaching out with her |
| circles and curves, angles and lines, something of a | | | | feelings to hope for aid for the afflicted people. So |
| work of art? Even the font chosen for this article | | | | many complex emotions may be conveyed by one |
| makes a statement; for example, these words are | | | | simple word in Zen art. |
| not printed in hard-to-read Old English Gothic or | | | | The distillation of a subject into Zen art is not simple, |
| swirling Pristina script. No, they are in the font that is | | | | yet anyone can understand the finished piece, |
| pleasing to the Western eye, the most legible for the | | | | because symbolism is not used in Zen art. A mountain |
| purpose. In this way, you have skimmed the purpose | | | | is a mountain is a mountain, not a metaphor for |
| of Zen art, to arrange things in a beautiful and | | | | anything other than itself. A collector who is looking |
| meaningful way, perhaps unusual to you. Sometimes | | | | for the purest way to convey art will enjoy Zen art |
| it is called 'thinking outside the box.' | | | | all the more. |