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Tao / The Way: Adam T. Bernard Harvest Mountain
Tao / The Way: Adam T. Bernard Harvest Mountain
Tao / The Way: Adam T. Bernard Harvest Mountain
Recent work by
The Way of Tea originally started with Chan priests in Song Dynasty China (960-1276 AD) and then spread to Korea and Japan. Tea was prepared as priests gathered for group meditation and instruction. The preparation and drinking of tea was a way of centering and preparing oneself and the group for the meditation session that followed. It not only served to keep one awake but also as a reminder that every one was here for the same purpose to meditate and learn about the true nature of our minds, to train them and quiet them. The way of tea became a method of teaching, of moving meditation, another way to train the body and mind to be aware and totally focused on ones actions and to strengthen and calm the mind so it would not be whipped around by thoughts, feelings, or desires, like a flag battered by the wind. As we move further through the gallery, the paintings on the wall change to plays in black ink, relating to the breath and movement of Qi in the human body. Upon entering the interior gallery, we are surrounded by giant ink paintings that are interpretations of Song dynasty rock gardens. These gardens, like their Japanese descendants would have been raked, cared for and attended to on a daily basis. Some of the basic philosophies of Taoism, Chan (Zen) and Buddhism would be expressed in them by a grouping of rock, trees or bamboo, forming a picturesque scene, like something out of an ink painting. However, the underlying meaning was not about the final look of the garden but the work that went into creating it and what the garden represented. All these actions are another way of practicing self-cultivation, of moving meditation, of focusing the mind and paying attention to the breath. Each action whether it be raking gravel, picking up leaves off the ground, grinding ink, the sweep of the brush on paper, kneading clay, firing a kiln, pouring or whisking tea, even the placement of one foot in front of the other as you walk down a busy New York street, is an opportunity at self cultivation, stilling the mind and reconnecting to your breath, of being aware of and becoming one with the moment. So as you make your way along the journey of this exhibition, traveling with me through eleven years of work and life in Taiwan, and now New York, it is my hope that some of the thoughts and feelings emanating from my work resonate with you. Thank you, Adam T. Bernard Harvest Mountain September 4, 2011 Year of the Rabbit
studied before, or as I once wrote following in the footsteps of the ancients, I must go beyond their words and deeds . Scroll Mounting and Conservation When Adam T. Bernard first arrived in Taiwan in Fall 1999, he began studying calligraphy and painting which lead him to the art of scroll mounting, and his work as a conservator and mounter for various private studios in Taiwan. He mounts all his own work in Chinese, Japanese, and modern styles, and has studied under and worked with Gu Xiang Mei of the Freer and Sackler Galleries at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and Ye Zhi Ming of the Palace Museum of Taiwan, . Tai Ji and the way of tea In his spare time Adam T. Bernard practices Tai Ji sword and fist and is a certified teacher and disciple of the Chen Family Style of Tai Ji fist () and Kun Lun sword style . His sword teacher was Meng Shi Ming and his Chen style Tai Ji teacher is Huang Jian Hao. When hes not busy working, he practices the way of Tea as a form of self -cultivation and inspiration, and researches the origins of the Chinese and Japanese tea ceremonies and their influence on the arts.
EXTERIOR GALLERY
Hanging scroll Ink and light color on gold flecked paper 130 x 45cm 2004 Painted in the style of Ma Yuan of the Southern Song Dynasty (11271279 ad) A scholar reclines in the shade of a rugged pine tree in the mountains. The calligraphy, a poem from Tao Yuan Ming, reads: In the east garden stands a green pine Hidden was its form by brush and creepers Not before frost had cut them down Did its lofty branches burst into sight None would have been aware of it in the forest Alone admiring the wonder it inspires I hang up the wine pot on its cold branches Off in the distance I turn my gaze Amidst the illusion of my life Why be harnessed by matters of this world of dust This is one of the first paintings I made that satisfied me, and that I enjoyed viewing. Even today, almost a decade later, I find when I hang it, it still is a very soothing and powerful piece.
Tasting tea
Hanging scroll Ink and light color on silk 162 x 39cm 2006 Painted in the style of the Zhe school of the Ming Dynasty (13681644 ad) a group of friends recline in a natural setting and drink tea. The joke here is that tea is usually drunk after a bout of drinking to sober you up so you can get home. You can see the cask of wine and cups near the table. What can I say? Most of my friends in Taiwan were artists by trade or nature and we spent a fair amount of time imbibing. I would hang this painting in my house to set the right tone, when friends would come over.
Hanging scroll Ink and light ink wash on gold flecked paper 203 x 37cm 2006 On a mist enshrouded, craggy peak, lone pines stand sentinel. The calligraphy in the upper right hand corner of the painting, written in slim golden style reads: Looking before me I cannot see those of ancient times, Looking behind I cannot see those who will come . . . In ancient times it was very common for scholars and officials who felt unappreciated to head off into the mountains to clear their heads and write poems of their feelings. This was one of the few acceptable ways of expressing themselves.
Visiting a friend
Hanging scroll Ink on cicada wing paper 132 x 45cm 2006 Uniquely mounted like an album page so friends could inscribe poems on it. Painted in the Po Muo Broken Ink style, a traveler with umbrella climbs through a misty mountain trail to visit a friend. The calligraphy written in Slim Golden style is of two poems. From left to right the poems read: A passing rain brings out the color of the pines As I follow the mountain trail to the waters source Stream and flowers, here is the meaning of stillness Too subtle it is for words In the mountains after seeing off my friend The sun sets as I close my thatch door When the grass of spring, next year turns green Will you return?
Stillness
Hanging scroll Ink on silk 36 x 131cm 2008 A lone figure reclines by a pool of water in the mountains, contemplating the waters ripples. When I first painted this it was to describe contemplating heaven and hell. When one sits and the mind wanders, and streams of thought lead you to remember past misdeeds or suffering, it is as though you were in the flames of hell itself. Conversely, when the mind wanders and you think joyful, fun, or exciting thoughts, its as though you were in heaven itself. But the thing about heaven and hell is that they are two sides of the same coin. You cant have heaven without hell, nor hell without heaven. One leads to another and back again. It is a continuous cycle that never ends, bouncing back and forth. Back and forth is really quite exhausting. This up and down is not constantit is impermanent. You are never always happy or always miserable, but fluctuate between the two states. So, perhaps the best way to be is in the middle, neither happy nor sad, just being. The mind fixed and aware of these passing impermanent thoughts and feelings.
Tian Mu Vessel
Painted in the style of the Southern Song master Xia Gui, a scholar on a mountain peak stares into the distance at a mountain range. The calligraphy written in Slim Golden style is a line from the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei, and reads: I sit and watch at the time the clouds arise I used to live by a mountain range in Taiwan, called Yang Ming Shan, or literally bright light of the Yang energy mountain range. On my breaks between mounting or painting I would jump on my motorcycle, ride to the summit, and look down as the clouds would sweep across the sky from the ocean. In the span of minutes it would go from shining sun to a sea of swirling, enveloping mists and you could feel the cool moisture of the mists on your goose pimpled flesh.
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Fisherman at Dawn
Hanging scroll Ink and light color on silk 50 x 128cm 2008 Painted in the style of the Southern Song master Xia Gui, fishermen set off at rosy dawn to prepare their nets for the days catch. As this still done today, you occasionally see fisherman in Taiwan preparing their nets and skiffs at dawn to go out for the days catch. There is a word in Chinese called xia (pronounced shia), and is used to describe a rosy redorange color of the sky as if molten metal cooled and you could watch the color change from orange to red. That is the feeling I was trying to capture.
Painted in the style of the Northern Song Dynasty (9601127 ad) a temple complex sits nestled in a majestic mountain range shrouded in clouds.
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Tea Pitcher
Female Immortal
Hanging scroll Ink and light color on silk 65 x 138cm 2007 A female immortal riding a crane passes by the rushing torrent of water among mist enshrouded rocks. In ancient times, emperors would build intricate rock gardens of great beauty on their palace grounds in the hope of enticing passing immortals to come and live there. In a way, I was doing the same thing by painting this image.
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The Hawk
Hanging scroll Ink and light color on silk 61.5 x 185cm 2005 A hawk dives on its unsuspecting prey as birds chatter at one another in a mountain stream. I was inspired by some of the paintings I had to restore while working at the Freer and Sackler Galleries in Washington, D.C. as well as a Zhuang Tzu story that tells of a butterfly that alights on a branch, unsuspecting of a mantis standing behind it about to strike. The mantis itself is unsuspecting of a bird standing behind it, ready to pounce on the mantis. And behind the unsuspecting bird is a hunter drawing his bow and taking aim at the bird. Finally, in the story, the hunter is not aware of the park ranger standing behind him ready to clap him in irons for poaching. And so it goes.
Fo Mo Zuen
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Cranes at play
Hanging scroll Ink and light colors on silk 40 x 151cm 2005 Frolicking among mist enshrouded trees, a group of cranes play while catching fish.
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Guan Yin is the goddess of mercy and compassion, whose name means to see and hear the suffering of people, in all the worlds, piercing through space and time. She sits on a lotus floating on the waves of the sea of suffering and stares up at gold shrouded Buddha-like beings. This is a very moving piece for me. The goddess, who sees our suffering and tries to help us, who can see us to the very core of our being, is floating on a lotus, which is a symbol for enlightenment. As a lotus grows out of the mud, we can gain enlightenment in this world of dust and suffering. The goddess looks as if in supplication or acknowledgement of our suffering, in a way sharing our suffering at these golden tranquil beings, a symbol for the peace and tranquility our minds are capable of, yet do not possess. For instead, we are battered around by the waves of desire, emotion, and craving, on this sea of suffering. In a way this goddess is the same as usall of us are battered around on the sea of suffering. I find this thought very poignant.
Orchids
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\ Unmoved
Stoneware, cobalt and iron under painting 24 x 24 x 24cm Unmoved comes from the phrase the eight winds blow but Im unmoved ( ). This would be written on a hanging scroll and hung during a tea gathering and would be used to teach the participants during in this form of moving meditation. Written in iron underglaze on the front are the large characters for unmoved () and to the side on the left the eight winds: Advantage Disadvantage Insults Praise Compliments Ridicule Bitterness Happiness These eight winds blow across our mind on a daily basis, upsetting our minds natural balance and we grab at and attach to the emotions these eight winds manifest, and take them for being real, when in fact they are impermanent, they do not exist, they our not our bodies, our minds, or things that we can control or poses. They are uncertain and impermanent. They are here and gone, like the morning dew, or a flash of lighting. It is our job to steady our minds, to train our minds to see things as they are and not as we want them to be, so we are not whipped around by the winds of our emotions, battered here and there by praise or blame, happiness, or sadness and thus suffering. On the right side painted in cobalt blue is Budai, a famous Tang Dynasty monk who practiced Qi Gong point upwards at our original nature. Painted on the left side in cobalt blue and iron is an orchid.
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This phrase comes from a story that takes place during the Eastern Han Dynasty in China and was the title of my last exhibition in Taiwan. In Chinese this phrase conveys a feeling of tranquility, of time slowly passingof contentment. In ancient times, gourd shapes and certain styles of pots and vessels were symbols of people learned in Taoist practices of health and longevity, and denoted the person carrying them or a building upon which the pot or vessel was hunglike a signas a healer or doctors office. Once upon a time sick man who had been unable to be cured of his ailment by a score of doctors sought out a famous healer, rumored to be an immortal, who was said to be capable of curing anything. Finding the healers location, due to the pot on the roof, he went into the dwelling and was quickly cured by the doctor. Convinced that the doctor was truly an immortal, the man waited patiently outside the office to see where the doctor would go after he closed shop. Late into the evening, the doctor finally emerged, locked up his shop, and in one great leap he jumped up and disappeared into the pot on the roof. Amazed the man stared and finally regaining the ability to speak, he called out, asking if the doctor was in fact a powerful immortal. The doctor flew out of the pot and appeared beside the man and
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said, Any person is capable of doing this simple task. Grabbing the mans hand, together they flew up to the roof and disappeared into the pot on the roof. Inside the pot, the man felt totally calm, peaceful, tranquil, energized, and at ease. His body no longer ached, he no longer felt physically weak, or spiritually drained, and his mind was no longer tormented by his sickness and fears about recovery or death. Thanking the immortal he took his leave and jumped out of the pot and down to the ground. It was daylight and people were slowly filling the streets, going to market and going about their daily business. Strangely enough, the clothing they wore was different in style, and the faces of the shop keepers he had passed by earlier that day on his way to see the immortal, looked aged; their once black hair now grey, and in some cases even white. The man went to the nearest stall of a fruit seller, who he used to buy from daily, and looking at the calendar nailed to the wall behind the surprised merchant, saw the date. Fifty years had passed. The pot in this tale is a metaphor for ourselves. We can find peace and tranquility within. With the right practice of meditation we can calm our minds and bodies improve our health and increase our lives. In this story, a small pot held just enough tranquility for one to know contentment and peace of mind. Inside the pot the man was not concerned with great success, riches or desires, but instead was content with what he hadpeace of mind. Of course, we do not live in pot, such a tiny place, but instead in a great world where we can have and do almost anything we desire. Why then are we unhappy? Because we do not know our own minds, we cannot still its tumultuous meandering and learn how to be content. Instead we focus on the externalobjects, people, situations, jealousies, perceived slights and our desireswhen we should turn inwards, quieting our minds and focusing on our breath. In the way of tea () the phrase In the pot, days and nights are long is often written in large Chinese characters, mounted in a hanging scroll and hung on the wall, during a quiet moment for a cup of tea. It reminds one to seek contentment in the here and now, to focus the mind on the moment, to find contentment with in, for we are all pots and have with in us the ability to find tranquility and peace.
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Written in Grass Script is an excerpt from the Tang Dynasty calligraphy master Huai Sus autobiography. Huai Su was a brilliant calligrapher who brought this short hand style of calligraphy to a very high level of sophisticationit is the soul of this flowing script. He was a monk in the capital of Cheng Du, and his love of calligraphy and wine led to him associate with many notable poets and artists of the time. It also led to his eventually leaving the clergy, as realized he enjoyed spending his time drinking and writing more than chanting sutras or sitting in meditation. The calligraphy reads: A distant Crane has no companions A lonely cloud has no where to perch When Im crazed the world means nothing When Im drunk it all makes sense I wrote this both in order to practice my grass script and because the movement and energy of his characters and the sentiment he conveyed moved me.
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Wake Up
Hanging scroll Ink on paper 27.5 x 180cm 2009 Pronounced in Chinese as He and Japanese as Katsu, it means to wake up. It comes from Crane style qi gong where the dantian, the spot just bellow the belly button where Qi (primal energy) is stored and stimulated as one cries He! This wakes up our Qi very quickly. In Japanese, Zen monks often shout this at people who fall asleep while sitting in meditation or when someone says something pretty stupid.
Jin Vessel
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Wu Wei
Hanging scroll Ink on paper 46 x 151cm 2001 One of the hardest phrases to translate from Chinese and explain in English, this comes from the phrase wu wei ar wei .It means to act without the pretensions of action, to act naturally, but in the sense of being aware and in tune with your original nature. It means to act and live with a mind unencumbered, unaffected by ones surroundings, situations, or emotions. To be free of the control of our senses and the desires that interacts with and stimulates them. To have a mind that is still, at peace, and not moved by the phenomena around it. This is one of the first pieces of calligraphy I wrote when I started studying over a decade ago that has survived. I was very much aware that I needed to find my own style and wanted to combine both my Eastern and Western influences, yet was unsure of the path and so stumbled along. Now, ten years later, I find myself still trying to understand what this truly means.
Fire
Hanging Scroll Ink and light color on paper 41 x 114cm 2001 This is the second piece of calligraphy that I wrote and kept from 2001. I tried to use color like the Abstract Expressionist painters of the 1950s but I later realized I didnt want to just imitate Jackson Pollock. Stumped, I stopped experimenting and focused on just learning the traditional styles.
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Wu
Ink and light color on paper 65 x 130cm 2010 What does it mean to be empty? Not empty in the sense of the West where it has the negative connotation of lacking or loss. But empty in the sense that there is space that can now be filled up with what you want. Space that is in its primal state of becoming. Space at the point where anything can happen. The point right before the Big Bang, where everything explodes into being. This is sometimes illustrated with the story of the master pouring tea for the student. The master pours a cup of tea for the student and doesnt stop until the tea overflows onto the floor. You are like this cup, overflowing. There is no space for my teaching or what you could learn. The master then takes the cup, pours it out and hands it empty to the student. You need to be empty like this. I keep coming back to this word, trying to understand its meaning and the various forms it takes. It was one of the first words I studied and wrote eleven years ago when I started to explore calligraphy. Wu or Mu in Japanese has so many ways of being written in so many different styles of calligraphy that I keep coming back to it again and again like a novice learning to write for the first time. Some say the original meaning and writing of the word comes from the ancient Chinese where is denotes the space of the locking mechanism between a harness and the cart of a war chariot. Yet some of the original pictographs look like the hearth inside of a home where plants are burned as fuel for cooking or warmth, and now the modern character looks like fire reducing something to ash. And so we come back to the questionwhat does it mean to be empty?
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Ji Zhou Style glaze and firing Stoneware, Broken Earth style throwing 26 x 26 x 24cm
Void
Ink on paper mounted on canvas 73 x 91cm 2010 From the series Inside the pot, days and nights are long .
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Yang Hu
Ink on paper mounted on canvas 65 x 195cm 2010 From the series Inside the pot, days and nights are long .
Yin Hu
Ink on paper mounted on canvas 65 x 195cm 2010 From the series Inside the pot, days and nights are long .
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Peach Blossom Hu
Ink on paper mounted on canvas 65 x 195cm 2010 From the series Inside the pot, days and nights are long .
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Breath
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Rock Garden 2
Ink on paper mounted on board 130 x 260cm 2010
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Jia Gu Wen
Ji Zhou Style glaze and firing Stoneware, Broken Earth style throwing 15 x15 x 29cm This piece is from a body of work inspired by my research in Jia Gu Wen, the first forms of Chinese writing from 5000 years ago and the 11 years I spent living and working in Taiwan. Jia Gu Wen were pictographs that were carved into primarily on the underside of tortise shells, and occasionally on the bones of oxen, and human sacrificial victims. They were the words of divination, of fortune telling; asking the gods and spirits of ones ancestors where to hunt, whom to marry, the reasons for sickness, success and failure in life. After the words were carved into the bone, it was then placed into a fire, where it cracked due the heat. After being removed, the shaman/priest would read the meaning of the cracks in the characters and give the spirits/gods response to the questions. The cracks on the bones gave new meanings to the words, leading to the creation of new words, and eventually lead to the Chinese script that is used today.
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Rock Garden
Rock Garden 3
Rock Garden 1
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Rock Garden 4
Original Nature
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Breath prt 2
ShuFa
Rock Garden 6
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