Boat 1953

Qi Baishi made this piece called 'Boat' with ink, and probably a brush, sometime in the mid twentieth century. I love the way he’s captured the essence of a scene with such minimal means. Look at the varying thicknesses of the ink lines. In the foreground they’re bold and decisive, creating a sense of depth, but as your eye moves towards the boat and the far shore they become thinner, more suggestive. It feels like you can almost smell the water. The texture of the paper is important here too. It interacts with the ink, creating subtle variations in tone and density. Notice the way the ink bleeds slightly, softening the edges of the forms. It reminds me of some of the drawings of Cy Twombly, particularly in its combination of gestural mark making and calligraphic elements. Ultimately, this is art which is less about the image depicted than it is about the act of seeing and feeling.