How do digital technologies affect the aesthetics of Japanese calligraphy art and culture?

Abstract

In the recent decades, artists and researchers have shown an increased interest in applying new technologies to traditional arts in Japan, especially in the field of calligraphy art, painting, and the Zen culture. In one hand, modern calligraphers begin to use different media to create ‘digital calligraphy’ and collaborate with programmers to produce new experiences. In the other hand, media artists have been utilising audiovisual media to reinterpret the traditional aesthetics through emerging technologies, such as employing virtual reality technology to write the ‘spatial calligraphy’.Besides, concerning the menace of losing traditional skills, researchers have developed the motion copying system which can record the calligrapher’s movement precisely and reproduce faithfully as the original piece. They intend to use this technology to educate the young generation. However, following the rapid advance of technology and the permeation of digital media, there are several issues arose, such as : How can we evaluate ‘digital calligraphy’ and in which aesthetic standard? Without the mediacy of real brush and ink, can we express ourselves more directly by using fingers to write calligraphy on screens? How will the motioncopying system influence the relationships between masters, teachers, and students? By delving into threes dimensions—aesthetics, technology, and social institution, this thesis points out the lurking jeopardy of substituting new technology for traditional pedagogy. Meanwhile, it also analyses the irreplaceable core of traditional aesthetics and the dilemma of interactive media artworks to show how the emerging technologies transform the traditional culture value from the analog to the digital, and suggest the new interpretation of ‘aura’ to retain in the postmodern age of ubiquitous media.