抄録
"Avant-garde calligraphy" emerged in Japan after World War II and then developed rapidly. In my analysis and study of its development, I have paid particular attention to the group called Bokujinkai 墨人会 and have discussed their activities. In this article, I trace the development of avant−garde calligraphy through an analysis of the works of Morita Shiryu 森田子龍, a central figure in the Bokujinkai.
Morita's activities began with his encounter with his teacher Ueda Sokyu 上田桑鳩, a calligrapher who valued spontaneous creativity while also inheriting a respect for classical works and for individuality that had been advocated in the past. The magazine Sho no bi 書の美, which he oversaw, included an "α Section" as a "place for experimentation" that was for presenting works that were not written "characters," and it was later moved to the magazine Bokubi 墨美, edited by Morita.
As a result of Morita's activities associated with the magazines Sho no bi and Bokubi, changes emerged in his work, and I examine his œuvre by broadly dividing it into (1) works predating 1955, (2) works from 1955 to 1959, and (3) works from after 1960. In works predating1955 there is a shift from traditional calligraphy to experimental works. In works produced in 1955-59 it is difficult to recognize the shape and stroke order of the "characters," and sensory elements (weightiness, tension, etc.) suggested by the "characters" are added to and given expression in their form. In works from 1960 onwards, the shape, stroke order, and rhythm of the "characters" are easier to recognize than in works of the preceding period, and they are works in which expression is given to that which Morita saw in what was contained in the "characters."
The opinions of contemporary the oreticians with whom Morita fraternized are reflected in his works of each period. In order to clarify factors behind changes in his works, I also take up for consideration the magazines Sho no bi and Bokubi.
