
Brandon Sadler USA, b. 1986
184.2 x 110.5 cm
The text of this work reads from right to left, top to bottom: “How can I find you? Who do you turn to? How can I find you?” describing a conversation with God or a higher power. Sadler’s calligraphy began in a formal and traditional framework, as he studied master works by Wang Xizhii and Mi Fu for the understanding of flow, balance, structure of Chinese calligraphy. Moreover, avant-garde artists such as Wang Dongling and Yuichi Inoue inspired Brandon to experiment beyond the confines of tradition. The resulting work thus released into a myriad of expressions, as Sadler commented, “I’ve begun to prioritize how I write and the sensory language I communicate – feeling, over legibility to the viewer.” Every single English word fits into Chinese character structure, which creates a unique symbol bound by a square format, together signifying the tea leaves in a bowl of tea according to which one gains insight on their life path, as well as the solitary space of one’s spiritual development while talking to their idea of a higher power.
这件书法装置作品以茶占仪式为隐喻,呈现三组英文问句,按中文阅读顺序从右至左书写:「How can I find you? Who do you turn to? How can I find you?」(如何寻你?你向谁求?如何寻你?),模拟人与神灵之间的对话。Sadler的书法实践始于对王羲之、米芾等古典大师笔意流动性与结构平衡的研习,又受王冬龄、井上有一等先锋艺术家的启示,最终呈现出多元化的表达形态。艺术家坦言:「我开始优先考虑自己的书写方式和传达的感官语言——注重感觉,而非文字的可读性。」作品将英文单词解构为汉字笔画,每个词皆约束于方形框架内,既模拟茶碗中叶脉交织的占卜图景,又暗示着人与信仰独处时的精神场域。