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| GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH ON CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MAN AND LAND RELATIONSHIP |
| ZHANG Jie |
| Department of Geography, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China |
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Abstract So far, the geographical study on calligraphy seems to be restricted to the regional differentiation of calligraphy without systematic consideration on man and land relationship. In this paper, the calligraphic landscape was defined as a portion of geographical space with certain visual characteristics and special sense of place result from layout of assembles of calligraphy as landscape elements. A basic research system of calligraphy geography were proposed and elucidated in this paper with three main areas as follow s:1)Research on calligraphy as a regional differentiated human landscape element, including spatial distribution and diffusion of certain calligraphic phenomenon and the related geographic backgrounds; 2)research on calligraphy as landscape element from man and land relationship, including influence of calligraphic landscape on human behaviour, environmental perception and formation of the sense of place; and 3)research on calligraphic aesthetics as a result of human and nature relation, including the influence of human and nature relationship on appreciation process of calligraphy.The criteria for the classification of calligraphic landscapes include scale, types of environment, status in environment, cultural attribution, and state-being of calligraphic works. The cause for regional differentiation of calligraphy was supposed to be regional separation, difference of the manufacture ways between the calligraphic works handed down, regional succeeding of certain calligraphic school, and existence of common preference of regional group of calligraphers. Calligraphic works as landscape element can play roles as follows:1)landmarks as symbols and indicator of space; 2)symbols of regional culture and place; 3)element of landscape atmosphere and aesthetic object; 4)self-identity in a place and restrain of behavior. Environment may influence appreciation process of calligraphy. The reliance of human society on nature could be the cause for the phenomena that description of natural landscape was widely used in classics of Chinese aesthetics of calligraphy. With prospect of future study, the application of the geographic research of calligraphy was also proposed as in the areas of tourism development, urban planning, commercial marketing, real property and art and cultural domain.
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Received: 27 August 2002
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2003, Vol. 18 
