Vsevolod Sventokhovsky
Minsk, Belarus
Artist, designer
Calligraphy is wonderful. I treat this art with a sinking heart.
The phrase “as if” is very often used now. This is a “parasite phrase” but it reflects what is happening not only with art but also with science now very precisely. The education level is downgrading and, consequently, the overall development level is also declining.
All of us have finished school. When we leave it we “as if” can write, read and count. Whether or not it is true is a serious question. We are interested in the issue of writing now. Whether we write beautifully or not is very serious. It reflects our inner world.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the word was in force, and now the image is in force. Being a calligrapher today, just as always, is everyday work. The seemingly easy flourish of a fountain pen on paper requires long-term practice and both physical and moral training. A true professional, before improvisation in public, gets prepared in the most thorough way, and it is in this way that we get a good result, looking at which you have an impression that everybody can easily depict what was created by the master. One should remember that, being “as if” ready, he stops being a professional.
As I mentioned above, the image is in force now. Many people want, without making any efforts, to achieve something that other people have achieved by toiling. As all knowledge is received very perfunctorily now we see the external casing only and we don’t know what is inside, what is the essence. That is expressed in everything – not only in art. Many things are now intended to just to pull the wool over someone’s eyes, without any hint at the content. A product costs as much as the brand is developed. It may be much worse than the other brand by many parameters but the first one will be bought because the brand advertising made this product almost the most desirable thing in life.
In this context, there is an ancient art of thoughtfulness and beautiful writing – calligraphy. Of course, it is difficult for it to fight the existing superficialism yet calligraphy requires precision, understanding and certain wisdom. Calligraphy is not only the moment of creation but also the outlook, because a calligrapher is a thoughtful nature who absorbs all of the live experiences and pours it on paper.
Yes, calligraphy may be a tool that can create a cultural and healthy future. It is very important to take care of tomorrow now. Everybody remembers the expression: “We are what we eat”. It can be conveyed in our steam: we are how we write. If we form the correct attitude to writing and then get down to it seriously, we can improve our own living standards. In addition, the expression “as if” should disappear from our speech because it embodies a superficial approach. One should forget the notion of “letting things slide”. We should treat everything we do seriously and all of this should be done professionally.
We are on the way to building a beautiful and healthy society.
Calligraphy is a kind of music not for the ears, but for the eyes.
(V. Lazursky)