Gesture-Ink-Sound
Jan C. Schacher, Lia Wei · 2019
In calligraphy, a brush stroke is rooted in an inner image, breath and the uninterrupted flow of movement. The same can be said of a bow stroke on a string instrument or a note sounded on a wind instrument. This article documents the encounter between a specific, two-person form of calligraphic performance, movement analysis techniques, and the mapping of brush gestures to sound processes. It shows how, based on data obtained in motion-capture sessions, the link between gesture and sound is established. This enables different models of sound processes, their specific mode of operation, and the understanding of what makes a stroke. Questions and issues arising from this concrete work are collected and a reflective analysis is carried out via a diagrammatic process. A discussion of critical limitations and possible extensions in this configuration concludes the article.