The Spirit of the Brush

Book excerpt: "Chinese ink painting is one of the oldest continually practiced art forms in the world. It first appeared in China in the fifth century, and soon traveled to Korea and then to Japan. As old and deeply rooted in East Asian aesthetics and meditation as it is, ink painting is credited with influencing the development of Western modern art. Its minimalist approach to painting continues to have enormous appeal. Artist and teacher Sungsook Setton, who learned the techniques with Chinese and Korean masters in her native South Korea, brings new excitement to this age-old art. While teaching the traditional disciplines for holding and using the brush, she shows students how to turn the techniques and inner meditation toward interpreting their own world: city views, music, and the essence of contemporary life"--