Supplimentry report

PURPOSE:
A project I was working on named “Obfuscating Liberty” was the driving force behind the research I’ve done in micro-calligraphy. This research is a part of that project for which the abstract is found below:
Obfuscating Liberty

The work-in-progress currently Titled Obfuscating Liberty explores the dichotomies that exist in a nationally recognized symbol with the legislation and experiences of the people which are used to create a person sized rendering of the statue of liberty. The image is created with a technique called microcalligraphy (micrography to some) which utilizes letters to create the lines and shading for the work of art. What began as an investigation of United States history and cultural studies soon turned into a quest on the artistic side of how to create the image and convey the message and emotions (and even what should be conveyed). The words tell a story, one of opposition: legislation and government will has prevented the United States to live up to its ideals as immortalized through symbols. The Statue of Liberty represents freedom, liberty and equality. From afar, one sees the Statue of Liberty, standing for American ideals, but up close we see the backstage of the nation and all the polluted legislation and personal accounts. The image is created by using the legislation (e.g. the Immigration Quotas, the Patriot Act, etc. – old to new from bottom up) that devaluate the self-proclaimed freedoms of the United States. The research process entailed two main processes: researching legislation that opposes the American ideals and research regarding how artistic qualities can be used to created emotional entanglement with the work. The painting challenges the congressional interest and agenda’s as compared to American Ideals. One message is certainly a call of duty: This country needs to stop contradicting its ideals.

The research added depth and insight into the calligram that I created, but it was also the enabling driving force that overall made the drawing possible. The Statue of Liberty came from many pictures that I found online and overall used. In the process, I have blown many deadlines, and will blow many more: rushing the process for this type of artwork is a mistake. The purpose of this research is also for others trying to or inspired to try micro-calligraphy, or interesting in learning more.
 
INTRODUCTION:
A quick internet search will leave your head spinning. Without proper definitions and aims, the terms surrounding micrography and micro-calligraphy will quickly deteriorate into a semantic argument. Micro-calligraphy and micrograhpy will both be the term used when referring to letters, words, and sentences strung together in a manner and design which creates an illustration. Micro-calligraphy will be the preferred term used because micrography also refers to the microstructure analysis of materials using a microscope. As a Materials Science and Engineering major, I tend to favor less confusion and prefer the use of the term micro-calligraphy.

Micrography and micro-calligraphy both will be referring to the creation of a calligram—a calligraphy work that is designed as an illustration. Calligrams are of main interest and techniques using calligraphy to create lines and shading are used to create the image. Asemic writing—abstract in meaning, but recognizable as intended to be text—is often included in this category; however, it will not be discussed nor does the term micro-calligraphy include or segregate it.

HISTORY:
The internet has become such a dominant discourse that it would seem senseless to start anywhere else. A flow chart is the best way of showing a progression through the internet as time elapses. Soon after the initial search begins a flow of new but vaguely familiar terms arise: micrography, micro-calligraphy, Hebrew Calligraphy, Islamic Calligraphy, Arabic Calligraphy, calligram, Persian Calligraphy, pattern poetry, typography, and concrete poetry.

The simple question of “where did this style of art begin?” was found to be anything but simple. The origins seems to be favorably pointed to the Jewish faith. There are many pieces of art relating to the old testamite done in hebrew micro-calligraphy. In fact, most of the top results of the search engine google actually relate to hebrew or jewish micro-calligraphies. It seems fair to say that the artform was popularized in Jewish art culture. But a better answer lies within the origins of calligraphy itself.

The calligraphy entry in the Coloumbia Encyclopedia breaks calligraphy into three distinct types: European, Arabic, and Asian. To breakdown the grouping further (albeit still regionally) we can add Tibetan, Indian, Nepalese, Islamic (which is the same as arabic), Persian,, Japanese, Iranian, Western, and Maya calligraphy. To add to these types I’d also add the modern Typography which often uses ASCII characters to make pictures.

The art encyclopedia defines Microcalligraphy as “Minute writing arranged in geometric shapes or drawn as outlines of objects, animals or humans. Hebrew micrography is one of the most characteristic of Jewish art forms.” ("Micrography." ) “In the Islamic and Chinese cultures, calligraphy is as highly revered as painting.” (“calligraphy”) Calligraphy is represented in popular culture in such a way where the past is shown to respect calligraphy as an art, but the modern culture has lost it as an art. Calligraphy is an art. Microcalligraphy is as well, but size is often the feature of style that is being changed.

Calligraphy emerged in Europe during the 1st century. Calligraphy masterpieces began to emerge. From the 8th century the Irish Book of Kells cam and the English Lindisfarne Gospels.¬ Monks were trained to hand write scriptures with eloquent handwriting. Matteo Contugi, Gianrinaldo Mennio, and Pierantonio Sallando were well known for their calligraphy in the middle 15th century. ("European calligraphy.") Arabic Calligraphy was commonly practiced in the Qur'an. (“Arabic Calligraphy”)

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Works Cited
“Arabic Calligraphy” The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press., 2010. Answers.com 16 Apr. 2010. http://www.answers.com/topic/calligraphy
"calligraphy." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1994-2010. Answers.com 16 Apr. 2010. http://www.answers.com/topic/calligraphy
"European calligraphy." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press., 2010. Answers.com 16 Apr. 2010. http://www.answers.com/topic/calligraphy
"Micrography." The Concise Grove Dictionary of Art. Oxford University Press, Inc., 2002. Answers.com 16 Apr. 2010. http://www.answers.com/topic/micrography