Rocks As Reading Matter: the Interpretation of Rocks in Contemporary Textiles

Rocks as Reading Matter: The Interpretation of Rocks in Contemporary Textiles

Li Hui

A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Philosophy

Art & Design

University of New South Wales

March 2017

THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: Li Other name/s: First name: Hui

Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: Mphil School: UNSW Art & Design Faculty: UNSW Art & Design

Title: Rocks as Reading Matter: The Interpretation of Rock’s Images in Contemporary Textiles

Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) The research project involves interpreting the textures and tactility of natural objects with textile materials, with a specific focus on rocks. The main purpose of this practice-based research is to explore textile textures through inspirations that originate from rocks’ historical, geological and cultural connotations, together with my personal experiences gained from rocks. A further aim is to discuss the inherent connection between people, nature and culture by exploring the meaning of rocks in humans' lives through the medium of textile making.

The written work provides a brief historical review of how rocks serve humans’ material life as well as their spiritual needs. More specifically, in the Chinese culture, stone appreciation activity and the use of rocks in gardens, demonstrate that stones fulfil both spiritual and aesthetic functions. The concept of 'Unity of Nature and Man' that is embedded in Chinese stone culture introduces further dimension to the relationship between stones, nature and people, which also offers a reflection on the process of artistic creation. The 'Unity of Nature and Man' conducts the project towards Chinese aesthetics and philosophy and has the potential to enrich theoretical research.

The formative processes behind geology not only sets up a scientific context for the practical research, but also offer methods and inspiration for building each art work. The relevance of geological time and the symbolism of the rocks’ contribution to the structure and visual images of textile art is examined as well. The practical investigation starts from rubbing and mapping rocks that provides pictorial construction, the significance of the action of rubbing being to connect myself with nature. A wide range of textile works and paintings which demonstrate rubbings connected with rocks has been studied, and there are many artists such as Ian Howard, Lin Lecheng, and Shi Hui who have been referred to in this research project. Gaining insight into humanity and scientific knowledge as well as Chinese aesthetic conception, produces a more accurate expression of the inspiration behind the artwork and the resulting visual images that are expressed through textile materials and the techniques used in the project.

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Date ……………………………………………...... Abstract

The research project involves interpreting the textures and tactility of natural objects with textile materials, with a specific focus on rocks. The main purpose of this practice-based research is to explore textile textures through inspirations that originate from rocks’ historical, geological and cultural connotations, together with my personal experiences gained from rocks.

A further aim is to discuss the inherent connection between people, nature and culture by exploring the meaning of rocks in humans' lives through the medium of textile making.

Howard, Lin Lecheng, and Shi Hui who have been referred to in this research project. Gaining insight into humanity and scientific knowledge as well as Chinese aesthetic conception, produces a more accurate expression of the inspiration behind the artwork and the resulting visual images that are expressed through textile materials and the techniques used in the project.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ...... 4

Table of Figures ...... 6

Chapter One: Introduction ...... 13

Chapter Two: Living with Rocks ...... 20

Chapter Three: Chinese Culture and Rocks ...... 25

3.1 The Chinese culture of appreciating stones ...... 25

3.2 The rocks in the Chinese gardens ...... 31

3.2.1 Constructing the tangible scenery and landscape ...... 31

3.2.2 Evoking the intangible image and scenery ...... 33

3.3 The conception of 'Unity of Nature and Man' ...... 36

3.4 Summary ...... 40

Chapter Four: Artists Response to Nature ...... 42

4.1 Case studies ...... 42

4.2 Summary ...... 50

Chapter Five: Rocks as Reading Matter ...... 52

5.1 Reading geology and time ...... 52

5.2 Recollecting memories from rocks ...... 55

Studio Research

Chapter Six: Applying Images of Rocks’ Texture to Textile Materials ...... 61

6.1 Rubbing and mapping the rocks ...... 62

6.1.1 Rubbing ...... 62

6.1.2 Mapping ...... 68

6.2 “Time marks” ...... 72

6.3” Soft rocks” ...... 74

6.4 “Miniature landscape” and "Chinese landscape" ...... 77

6.5 "Geological folding" ...... 81

6.6 Summary ...... 82

6.7 Artworks ...... 84

Chapter Seven: Conclusions ...... 94

Selected Bibliography ...... 97

Acknowledgments

Many people have provided support and encouragement that gave me the courage and faith to finish my research project.

First of all, I would like to thank my supervisors Associate Professor Liz Williamson and Wendy

Parker who provided continual support, advice and feedback throughout the project period.

They fortified my belief in research and artistic pursuits and were central to my at UNSW Art &

Design.

Second, I would like to thank Dr. Wenmin Li for her generous help both in study and life. She is like a family member in Sydney. When I felt frustrated, she was always ready to counsel and enlighten me.

Third, I would also like to thank Dr. Anna Munster and Dr. Shivaun Weybury who genuinely opened up the door of academic research for me as an international student. Dr. Shivaun

Weybury in particular, provided invaluable feedback after reading my thesis several times. She led me through a multiplicity of ideas and thoughts to the core of my research.

I would like to thank my editor Dr. John Blair who helped me to improve my academic writing in English. I appreciate his patience in correcting grammatical problems as well as helping me clarify concepts and meaning.

I would like to thank those who gave feedback after seeing my practice works, especially

Professor Ian Howard, Dr. Michael Garbutt and Associate Professor Fang Xu as well as my colleagues on Level Four. Their comments offered me inspiration and reflection during the practical research.

I would like to thank my friends and teachers in Sydney and China. Without their concern and encouragement I might have given up. Similarly, I would also like to thank my flat mate,

Yuanting Li who behaved like a sister to me, always standing by my side.

I would like to thank the members of my family for their unwavering support, patience, help, concern and love, most importantly my father Peihong Li and my mother Hongyan Gu.

Research is a journey. Not everyone can commence such a journey, become involved in it and understand its meaning. But I am proud of who I am as a result of going through this trip. So finally, I would like to thank myself, for perseverance, endeavor and courage.

Table of Figures

Figure 1: Qiang ethnic minority building with bai shi (white stone). 21

(http://baike.baidu.com/item/白石崇拜/7023971?fr=aladdin) Accessed 12 January 2017.

Figure 2: Rocks painting at Ubirr, northern Australia. 22

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubirr#/media/File:Ubirr_rock_art.JPG) Accessed 14 January

2017.

Figure 3: Rock painting in Dunhuang, China. 23

(http://www.nipic.com/show/2/27/04eb4d5244952158.html) Accessed 14 January 2017.

Figure 4: 'Diagonally-Oriented Rock with Cave' (1368-1644 Ming Dynasty), Dark gray Ying stone with white veins and inclusions, 24.5 X 21 X 9 cm. 26

(http://www.artnet.com/magazine_pre2000/features/mendelsohn/mendelsohn8-26-96.asp)

Accessed 6 December 2016.

Figure 5: 'Honorable old Man' (16th -17th Century, Ming Dynasty), Medium gray Ying stone with white and buff inclusions, 150cm. 27

(http://www.spirit-stones.com/2010/11/26/10-views-of-the-honorable-old-man-scholars-rock- museum-of-fine-arts-boston/) Accessed 6 December 2016.

Figure 6: Chinese garden of friendship in Sydney, Australia. 31

(http://www.darlingharbour.com/things-to-do/chinese-garden-of-friendship/) Accessed 30

January 2017.

Figure 7: Chinese garden in Suzhou, China. 32

(http://image.baidu.com/search/index?tn=baiduimage&ps=1&ct=201326592&lm=-1&cl=2&nc

=1&ie=utf-8&word=苏州园林) Accessed 30 January 2017.

Figure 8: Shi Zi Lin (Lion Grove Garden) in Suzhou, China. 33

(http://design.cila.cn/news36770.html) Accessed 30 January 2017.

Figure 9: Shi Zi Lin (Lion Grove Garden) in Suzhou, China. 35

(http://design.cila.cn/news36770.html) Accessed 30 January 2017.

Figure 10: Lin Lecheng, Lin Shui Die Shi (Rocks Setting by the Water), 2009; Wool, 200 X 170cm.

(Provided by Lin Lecheng, 2017)

Figure 11: Lin Lecheng, Shan Gao Shui Chang-4 (High Mountains and Long Rivers), 2010; Wool,

830 X 580cm. 43

(Provided by Lin Lecheng, 2017)

Figure 12: Lin Lecheng, Shan Gao Shui Chang-3 (High Mountains and Long Rivers), 2005; Wool,

400 X 2200cm. 43

(Provided by Lin Lecheng, 2017)

Figure 13: Shi Hui, The Fake Mountains – Think Visually in Different Cultural Situations, 2001;

Mixed materials, size unknown. 45

(Xu, J. (2014). The Thought of Pure White - Shi Hui's Art Works. Contemporary Artists, 5, 014.

)

Figure 14: Stephanie Marin, Livingstones, 2002; 100% virgin wool. 46

(http://www.smarin.net/en/) Accessed 5 October 2017.

Figure 15: Stephanie Marin, Livingstones, 2002; 100% virgin wool. 46

(http://www.smarin.net/en/) Accessed 5 October 2017.

Figure 16: Ronel Jordaan, Pebbles, 2005; 100% wool inners. 47

(http://www.roneljordaan.com/) Accessed 16 October 2017.

Figure 17: Sedimentary rocks in La Perouse, Sydney, Australia. 55

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 18: Rocks in Heishi Jiao, Dalian, China. 56

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 19: Hui Li, Mind map, 2016; Markers and paper, 14 X 22cm. 59

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 20: Hui Li, Rubbing pattern, 2015; Pencil on paper, 26 X 29cm. 62

(Hui Li, 2015)

Figure 21: Richard Long, Part of Slate and Limestone Drawings, 1994; Screen print on paper,

24 x 50cm. 63

(http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/long-slate-drawing-one-p78717) Accessed 20 August

2016.

Figure 22: Jude Roberts, Shroud for ancient basin, 2013; Charcoal on hosho paper, cotton and

rope, 360 X 204cm. 64

(http://www.visualartist.info/visualartist/artist/subpage.asp?ex=gallery&sub=5249&artistId=16

38) Accessed 23 August 2016.

Figure 23: Ian Howard, Chinese/North Korean border, Changbai Mountain site work,

2012. 65

(http://ianhoward.net.au/) Accessed 3 November 2016.

Figure 24: Ian Howard, Orford shoreline site work, 2011. 66

(http://ianhoward.net.au/) Accessed 3 November 2016.

Figure 25: Artist was rubbing and mapping on the rocks in La Perouse, 2016. 69

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 26: John Wolseley, Scrambling, climbing, flying and moving through the Cobboboonee

Forest, 2006-2009; Watercolour, carbonised wood, graphite on sixteen sheets of paper, 56 X

76cm each sheet. 70

(http://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/artists/1/John_Wolseley/1235/43748/) Accessed 14 January

2017.

Figure 27: Hui Li, Time Marks, 2016; Cotton line and digital printing, 16 X 29cm. 72

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 28: Hui Li, Time Marks, 2016, Cotton line and digital printing, 16 X 29cm. 72

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 29: Hui Li, Experimentation of soft rocks series, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 13 X

22cm. 74

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 30: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 20 X 55cm. 75

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 31: Details of soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn. 76

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 32: Rubbing with silk and wax, 2016. 77

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 33: Details of natural dyeing with rubbing pattern, 2016. 77

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 34: Hui Li, Miniature landscape, 2016; Natural dyeing, stitching, 25 X 60cm. 78

(Hui Li, 2017)

Figure 35: Figure 35: Hui Li, Chinese landscape, 2017; Natural dyeing, stitching, fish line, rocks,

60 X 280cm. 79

(Hui Li, 2017)

Figure 36: Hui Li, Details of Chinese landscape, 2017. 79

(Hui Li, 2017)

Figure 37: Hui Li, Geological folding, 2016; Natural dyeing, stitching, plastic card, 16 X 29cm

each sheet. 80

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 38: Details of Geological folding, 2016. 81

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 39: Hui Li, Time Marks, 2016; Cotton line and digital printing, 29 X 40cm each sheet.

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 40: Hui Li, Time Marks, 2016; Cotton line and digital printing, 16 X 29cm each sheet.

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 41: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 45 X 200cm. 85

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 42: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 20 X 130cm, 20 X 70cm, 20 X

35cm, 40 X 107cm, 90 X 110cm, 60 X 60cm. 86

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 43: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 40 X 75cm. 87

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 44: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 25 X 60cm,

22 X 45cm. 88

(Hui Li, 2016)

Figure 45: Hui Li, Geological folding, 2017; Natural dyeing, stitching, plastic card, 16 X 29cm

each sheet. 89

(Hui Li, 2017)

Figure 46: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2017; Natural dyeing, stitching, 40 X 90cm, 50 X 80cm. 90

(Hui Li, 2017)

Figure 47: Hui Li, Chinese landscape, 2017; Natural dyeing, stitching, fish line, rocks,

60 X 280cm. 92

(Hui Li, 2017)

Figure 48: Hui Li, The Exhibition of Read in Rocks in A&D Space, 2017. 93

(Hui Li, 2017)

Figure 48: Hui Li, The Exhibition of Read in Rocks in A&D Space, 2017. 93

(Hui Li, 2017)

Chapter 1

Introduction

The impetus for this research emerged from the countless number of times I walked on beaches, being drawn by the stunning surface textures of the rocks, which reminded me of the beach environment in my hometown in China. While interpreting the images and tactility of the rocks’ textures and converting them into textile works, the question arose: ‘what do rocks mean to people from the viewpoints of their visual interest and helping to connect them with nature’ Within this aesthetic, the meaning of the soft fabric rocks to artists as a representation of nature’s landscape and as a decorative interior environment, is also provoked. In order to answer the question, it is necessary to comb the cultural history and significance to humanity as well as the geological nature of natural rocks, since it provides the background for achieving the goal of this research, that is, the creation and meaning of textiles made through rocks.

I combine Chinese culture and philosophy as well as the rocks' scientific characteristics as the methods through which I create textile works from rocks. Being Chinese, I am influenced by the concept of the 'Unity of Nature and Man' residing in Chinese philosophy and the unique

Chinese stone appreciation culture which drove the research at the theoretical level. It has made me realize that I could not isolate myself from my Chinese cultural background, which further prompts my awareness of my cultural identity as I study in Australia.

The aim of this project is to discuss the relationship between people, nature and culture in terms of exploring the connotations of rocks in humans’ lives through textile making. Apart from representing the shape and colour of rocks, the art production emphasizes the appropriate employment of textile materials to interpret actual rock surface textures. This is done through inspiration that originates from the meaning of rocks from a number of historical, geological and cultural sources as well as integrating my personal experience with rocks into the interpretations. In this research, I use the terms of 'rocks' and 'stones' to imply the same thing.

With the rapid development of science and advanced technology, people are pushed into the network era and virtual environments where they immerse themselves in the information and graphics explosion. In modern life, the pace of innovation, especially technological development, is much faster than that of centuries ago. In contrast, historically the peasants cultivated food and fibre and lived according to natural cycles and the seasons were also used to record time in past eras. People are thankful for scientific and technological innovation but on the other hand, faced with incessant change, we feel time-pressed and out of balance with the natural rhythms of the world and at our deepest levels, sense fatigue and disconnection from nature. In order to retrieve a more balanced relationship with the natural world, contemporary people struggle to bridge the rift by re-building links to and experiencing natural objects. Getting in touch with the natural environment, then, is a channel to synchronize our internal and external worlds.

In this research, rocks are considered as an intermediary object playing an important role in connecting with nature, and in attempting to achieve a harmonious state in the relationship between nature and humans. Rocks as natural elements are valuable in connecting people and nature. The rocks connect the threads of human beings’ complex heritage and culture from ancient to modern times. The traditions of making tools and forming building materials are embedded in physical life but a significant cultural reservoir has also been built up, manifesting itself as spirit activities such as ancient totems, Chinese spirit stones or rock collecting. The oldest substance of the earth, stones have shown an innate ability to link human comprehension and appreciation of nature with worship, largely through observation and functional use of rocks in life. It is effectively, a symbiotic relationship.

Human beings need stone materials for psychological subsistence, and people's spirit cannot be separated from the rocks. However, no one can deny that humans could not exist without nature, both material and spiritual. Especially in the Chinese culture of stones, rocks play a significant role in daily life, fulfilling practical as well as spiritual functions. Chinese people view

14 indoor spirit rocks as miniature mountains and the rocks satisfy people’s demand for beauty.

Chinese people also use rockeries as garden ornaments which imitate the natural landscape, with the aim of building an environment to connect with nature and relax the mind. Based on these practical values, the objects that are rocks evoke imagination and inspiration in relation to the natural world as well as establish artistic concepts. It not only contains visual experience; it is also valuable for viewers’ inner morality.

The development of the stone appreciation culture originated from the worship of nature and then evolved into spiritual practice. In the artistic research reported on here, I create soft rocks with textile materials and put them indoors to express my feelings for, and connection with nature. They allow me to express my personal emotions as well as convey reverence for nature and express my artistic identity by learning from nature.

The spirit dimension and aesthetic concepts that rocks embrace, are closely related to the

Chinese understanding of 'Unity of Nature and Man'. The idea behind the concept reflects

Chinese Confucianism and Taoist philosophy. It contains three main associations that are, firstly,

'man is an integral part of nature'; secondly, 'emphasize the values of life'; and thirdly,

'harmony between man and nature'. The concept aims to improve our spiritual depth that enables unity among humans, humans and societies, and humans and nature to be realized.

The rocks are both representative of outer nature and inner world. Their abstract shapes and textures are the visualization of natural forces. Also, as natural objects, they trigger broad associations and a profound aesthetic interest, and enable where viewers to coexist harmoniously with nature.

Despite the inherent nature of my Chinese culture, there is another factor that explains the reason why my textile practice started. I chose soft materials to interpret hard rocks because of my experience with seaside rocks and the memories I have of them. These seaside rocks played an important role during two of the most formative periods in my life -- my childhood in my hometown in China and the period I have spent studying abroad in Sydney. I had many

15 enjoyable times at the beach with my family when I was a child in my hometown of Dalian, a city located beside the ocean.

In 2014 I arrived in Sydney to begin studying abroad. I usually spent my leisure time walking around the seashore in La Perouse, a peninsula in southeastern Sydney. The coastal landforms there give a sense of the unusual. It is like an alien space that I have not experienced before because it is constituted of sandstone that presents incredibly diversified configurations and a wide variety of detailed surface patterns. However, the solid rocks that I looked closely at and stroked in La Perouse were not sharp and hard. Instead, they delivered the feeling of a soft and pliable surface that my memory associates with families, homesickness and life experiences in

Sydney. The site even offers an opportunity for contemplation because the location brings a reminder that my family and I caught small crabs on the rocks in Dalian, and picked up beautiful shells and stones from the beach. All the recollections are positive and happy and bring a sense of safety and security for me.

The experiences related to rocks are rooted in my memories, which shift the impression of rocks to me. Rocks are normally associated with a nature that is unfeeling, persevering and silent, permanently standing in the environment like an observer to witness changes on the earth. However, as a result of my emotional experiences, the rocks have become symbols that represent my memory and experience with families in my hometown. When I walked on the sea rocks in La Perouse, at that moment, these rocks are bearing my homesickness as if they have become softer and warmer, and are not hard and cold anymore in my imagination. The contrasting tactility that occurs between substance and personal feeling is a stimulus to encourage me to employ gentle materials to complete the translation of rock textures - from an apparently harsh and aloof disposition to a welcoming warmth and softness.

The images of rocks that appear in the art works not only interpret rocks' physical characteristics, but also intend to express the meanings behind them, which are a reflection of environment, landscape and nature. Throughout the development of textile art, nature is one

16 of the eternal topics that artists express in their creations. From the beginning of the Arts and

Crafts Movement (1880-1910) which was the one of the most influential and far-reaching design movements in the contemporary era, the style of textile design was heavily influenced by nature. For instance, William Morris produced textile works and wall paper that depicted a variety of flowers. Looking back, Modernism design arose in the 1920s and emphasised simple and unpretentious drawing that was consistent with the connotation of nature instead of a curvilinear style. At present, contemporary textile artists adhere to the spirit of learning from nature. Not only do they take advantage of nature to express their yearning for nature, but also the textile landscapes bring an aesthetically beautiful scene into the interior environment and introduce rich textures into buildings. Therefore, the natural motif of the textile works plays an important role in artistic feeling and the conversion of the indoor environment.

This research project has focused on a process of interpreting rocks in textile practice. It combines geological concepts and knowledge that offer several methods for making textile works, apart from imitating the configuration and colour palette of rocks. In particular, the inspiration originating from actual rock textures has been emphasized in the process of art making. The seaside rocks' textures are formed by gradual erosion by weather, sea and wind and they record the passage of time and the action of natural forces. A sense of vicissitude and history is embodied in the aggregation of subtle and detailed rocks textures. The rich textures become readable material and each surface particle is like a script written by nature.

The sophisticated texture of rocks is described and generalized into 'Zhou'1, which means ‘the wrinkle on the surface’. It is also one of the aesthetic criteria connected with stone culture. The characteristic of 'Zhou' focuses on the rich surfaces of the rock that are similar to a miniature panorama of hills and mountains. There is much pleasure provides pleasure in discovering new details and rhythms, sensed on sight as viewers absorb the insights from the stones. The understanding of 'Zhou' and the microscopic textures of rocks offer practical ways to produce

1 Mi Fu (1051-1107) is one of the famous literati in Chinese art history, and he proposed four criteria that are considered essential to Chinese appreciation of rock culture. They are 'Shou, Zhou, Lou, and Tou'. (瘦皱漏透) 'Shou' means thin and lean; 'Zhou' means wrinkles to reflect surface textures; 'Lou' describes channel or groove; and 'Tou' means a foraminated or perforated structure. 17 textile works.

This research project, then, is situated in the context of harmonious relations between nature and human beings, particularly focussing on the natural element of rock. The practice will show how to interpret rocks’ textures and meanings, employing textile making, which permeates the

Chinese cultural background, Chinese aesthetics and Chinese individual experiences.

The question of how to extract the undertones of rocks and employ textiles as the medium through which rocks are interpreted, is answered in seven parts. Firstly, this chapter - Chapter

One - introduces the aims and background of research project. Chapter Two presents the historical perspective of humans living with rocks both in material and spiritual life. Chapter

Three focuses on rocks playing an important role in Chinese culture and aesthetic conception.

The chapter contains a comprehensive description of the 'Unity of Nature and Man' to describe the harmonious relation between nature and mankind. In the stone appreciating culture, stones become independent aesthetic objects and form a unique ethos that mirrors aesthetic interest and literati culture. On the other hand, stones are also used in Chinese gardens that represent to construct tangible landscape and intangible image, to satisfy ornamental and aesthetic demands. Therefore, stones provide an objective reality from which to evoke one’s imagination, which allows circumstances to be established related to the sentiments derived from rocks and the natural environment that the Chinese know as artistic conception. However, the concept of 'Unity of Nature and Man' is embedded in Chinese stone culture, and guides the aesthetic and spiritual dimension.

The main purpose of Chapter Three is to present the meanings of rocks in the context of

Chinese culture, philosophy and aesthetics. These have been crucial throughout the research because the theoretical and practical elements of the work concern the relation between nature and man. Chapter Four investigates the field of textiles in which artworks express rocks employing an artistic response through textile making. Although rocks and stones are expressed as objects, it is not difficult to perceive that artists actually intend to ponder the

18 relationships between nature, environment and humans. Several textile artists and textile works are introduced in this chapter as case studies.

Chapter Five explores the meaning of rocks through its value as reading material. Information about geology and time can be read from natural rocks, and my memories can be recalled and evoked by rocks. Thus, to further develop practical research based on rocks' texture and patterning, I combine my personal experiences with beach rocks to analyze what rocks mean to my personal growth as an artist and how they might have influenced the creation of my art.

The final chapter, Chapter Six, focuses on the practice of textile making and its interdependence with the theory. It documents the process of artistic practice, starting from rubbing and mapping which permits me to obtain patterns, but which also helps me connect with nature. Apart from rubbing and mapping, knowledge of geology and time contribute to methodologies that can be used in art practice. The methods are not separate from each other and are integrated into the art making process. Based on rubbing patterns, three series of textile works are developed applying the techniques of stitching, hooking and natural dyeing.

What is more, the intricate textures yield an invitation to walk towards them, even touch them.

As viewers approach the works, they discover more detailed textures that stimulate an evocation of nature. Therefore, on the basis of rocks’ outer qualities, practical research can focus on eliciting their interior characteristics, creating varied surfaces that become readable marks for viewers.

Chapter 2

Living with Rocks

Since ancient time, rocks, as one of the most common natural elements, are one manifestation of the material civilization of human beings, their use ranging from instruments of labor and the daily necessities of life to their use as raw materials for construction as well as for extracting metal ores for further processing. People rely on the physical aspects of rocks and stones to the same extent that they are dependent on other natural substances like water, sun and soil. Moreover, rocks have also been used to build a pathway to heaven or god in order to connect the human spirit to the divine in early society. As a result, rocks have great symbolic significance in the field of ritual and religion in both Western and Asian cultures.

Looking at the vast sea of human civilization, it is clear that it is closely bound up with stone culture. The earliest humans utilized natural rock as tools and weapons in the Paleolithic age and as chipped stone in the Neolithic age. Cave dwellers used simple stones for construction while modern architecture is built from special stones, like granite and marble, while ornamental stones are sculpted for graves and fine carvings as is jade for jewelry and handicrafts. It is clear that rocks have accompanied people from the beginning of human history to modern times. The theories and behavior that have been employed in connection with rocks constitute the basic content of rock culture. In this sense, the culture of stones is related to all times and to all regions.

The archeologist and anthropologist can deduce the presence of Homo sapiens through fossils that have recorded humans’ activities in the past. In Myra Shackley's book of 'Rocks and Man', a broad view of the relationship between rocks and humans is provided through archeological, anthropological and historical perspectives. Shackley summarizes the links as 'man in rocks' and 'man with rocks', a twofold meaning to describe that man develops from being a fossil, and man exploits rock resources.2 The discovery of ancient stone tools evidences their long connection with the human race. The progression of tool making is significant in the evolution

2 Shackley, M. (1977). Rocks and man. George Allen and Unwin. p. 19. 20 of human physical and cultural development. “Indeed it was Charles Darwin himself who first suggested that tool use is both the cause and the effect of bipedal locomotion.”3 Pre-history man exploited the use of rocks as raw materials to form single tools as well as stone tool kits with the stone tools varying according to different places and periods.

On the basis of developing tool-making, humans utilized stone materials to produce bricks for buildings when technology advanced sufficiently to allow quarrying for specific shapes and designs of materials. “The first stone-built houses appear in early proto-Neolithic times in the

Near East but usually stone construction was used for public buildings, tombs, temples and monuments, rather than for domestic buildings.”4 Sydney sandstone was favored by architects for its durability from the 1790s to the 1890s, with this type of stone being used in public buildings that expressed the features and personality of Sydney City. Such buildings suggest man's capacity for exploring and controlling the benefits of nature in the form of stone materials – an example of how ‘man lives with stone’.

‘Living with stone’ not only means that stones serve people's material lives, but also that stones can take on a supernatural power, embodying myths and beliefs. The Qiang ethnic minority5 is one of the Chinese national minorities with a long history and a rich, ancient culture. The Qiang people have religious views which allow them to revere natural objects as divinities. For example, bai shi (white stone), a 'Qiang Ge Da Zhan' (羌戈大战) folklore, documents the origin of bai shi worship in which three snow mountains are reincarnated as three stones that help the Qiang people to flee any fighting. The Qiang view the stones as metaphors for their god as well as functioning in a physical manner to build their homes. The white stones also have links to their ancestors. Consequently, the Qiang custom is to adore white stones since they symbolize gods and ancestors. Rocks are also used as metaphors of reproductive worship in the village of Bai ku, of Yao ethnicity in China6. Each family sets up a

3 ibid, p. 44. 4 ibid, p. 78. 5 The Qiang ethnic group mainly lives in southwest China. The worship of bai shi (white stone) is prevalent in Mao County, Li County, Wenchuan and Beichuan in Sichuan Province. 6 The Baiku Yao ethnicgroup inhabits northwestern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and the total population is 30,000. 21 totem stone in front of the house to represent the god of maternity. Every New Year and at festival times, the Yao people put red paper or paper money into the totem stone to pray for family harmony and good luck.

Figure 1: Qiang ethnic minority building with bai shi (white stone).

In the Paleolithic period (2.6 million years ago), humans started to experiment with rock shapes and investigate their properties. In the long period of association with rocks, the ancient inhabitants absorb thoughts of the objects and instruments of labor and a reverence is developed for the tools by pursuing practice. In the process of working with stone, tools are created to meet the particular needs of the occasion. Moreover, the tools were aesthetically pleasing when ancestors made them in ancient times. As people made more contact with rocks and being affected by pantheism, stones started to function as a universal item with which to communicate between heaven and earth, even going so far as to develop early forms of totem worship. Some of the Chinese early mythical stories, for instance Nvwa patches in the sky (Nv

Wa Bu Tian 女娲补天), manifest that hominids are depending on their own understanding in order to respond to their fears and confusion about unpredictable phenomenon. Totemic actions reflect the keen aspiration of man to conquer nature and suggest that the relationship between man and rocks entered civilization from early cultures.

Rock art has been painted on natural rocks that depicts human scenes, ritual activities and mythology, all made by past man. Rock art exists in many different regions around the world,

22 and it still plays a part in ritual and spiritual activities for indigenous people. In Australia, rock art records native flora and fauna, pre-European indigenous activities, and spiritual beings. The site of Ubirr in northern Australia preserves one of the best-known Aboriginal rock paintings.

As Eric Kjellgren said "The rock art of the Australian Aborigines represents the longest continuously practiced series of artistic traditions anywhere in the world."7

Figure 2: Rocks painting at Ubirr, northern Australia.

The function and significance of rock art is that it expresses the convergence of culture and aesthetics. Taking the Dunhuang frescoes, located in Gan Su province of China as an example, they are the most famous Chinese rock painting and are especially valued for their very large scale, totaling 50,000 square metres. Dunhuang was the transit node for the communication line between the Zhongyuan and the Western Regions from the time of the Han Dynasty. The

Zhongyuan culture propagated itself to Dunhuang, resulting in this region accepting Indo-

Buddhist culture at an early date. Therefore, the merging and collision of the contrasting

Western and Chinese cultures is reflected in the Dunhuang frescoes, and forms part of Chinese folk-Buddhist style. The paintings are a mirror of a life of material well-being and the spiritual world, especially viewed in the artistic conceptions and the aesthetics of the characters. They are not simply an unfolding painting of crafts and images before the viewers' eyes. For thousands of years, the mural has been recognized as reflecting religious and aesthetic activities, which gradually communicates with human emotions and the artistic spirit.

Dunhuang frescoes thereby become tremendously valuable as artworks and cultural images.

7 Kjcllgren, E. (2006). Ubirr (40.000 B.C.-present) Australia. Retrieved March 14, 2007, from http:'' www. met museum org/toah. 'hd/ubir/hd _ ubir. Html. 23

Figure 3: Rock painting in Dunhuang, China.

The long connection between humans and rocks is primordial. Rocks are metaphors for the backbone of the earth and provide a fundamental basis for people’s development as well as supplying materials for early tools. Rocks also have powerful spiritual and cultural properties for representing mythology and religious beliefs and man is still highly reliant on rocks in many ways. "The rocks of this earth are not only our most significant resource but also the only one which is completely irreplaceable."8

8 Shackley, M. (1977). Rocks and man. George Allen and Unwin. p. 19. 24

Chapter 3

Chinese Culture and Rocks

The traditional stone instruments of labor and the customs surrounding fetish stones are intertwined with human beings history and in that connective process people have developed an aesthetic consciousness with stones. It started with ancient peoples recording the facts and myths of magic on rock walls as the earliest form of communication, that is as stone art. Apart from rock painting in different regions of China, the Chinese have had a special affection for rocks that fulfill both spiritual and aesthetic needs. This is illustrated by images of rocks and stones appearing in many forms of Chinese art, such as landscape painting and gardening, and even in the ancient Chinese societies’ development of a culture of appreciating rocks. The rocks that are used in typical Chinese gardens play a significant role in rock appreciation and function as tangible landscape, and triggering intangible scenery. Meanwhile, the conception of 'Unity of Nature and Man' (Tian Ren He Yi 天人合一) is considered as a key point in an in-depth understanding of Chinese stone culture. This aspect will be developed further in the thesis as my research is explained.

3.1 The Chinese culture of appreciating stones

In rock art, the stone walls function as a surface or foundation and carrier for painting or carving, as well as supplying a multitude of stone shapes and textures involved in the composition of art-making. The rock materials stay in a subordinate position that provides the raw canvas and does not really take part in the aesthetic activities. However, rock as an object from the natural environment becomes the principal player in the Chinese custom of appreciating stones, considered an important component of Chinese traditional culture. It was established in the Wei-jin period in China, matured in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and then was inherited by the contemporary era.

The development of the culture of appreciating stones is rooted in mountain-worship. China has relied on agriculture since ancient times when scientific knowledge had not developed. A result of this is that mankind in the past was in awe of nature's mysterious and powerful forces

25 that have been deified as gods by man’s ancestors. As mountains are often massive and elevated they appear to be nearer to the sky and difficult to reach. They are therefore viewed as the place where sacredness is located. In Chinese culture, immortal beings often reside in high mountains and mediate the aura of heaven and earth. Consequently, people worship the spirit of the mountain that represents a totem of the junction of heaven and earth. This attitude has deeply influenced Chinese people’s attitude to nature. The Confucian idea of

'worshipping the universe' (Chong Tian Jing Di 崇天敬地) and the concept of 'respecting nature' (Fa Jing Zi Ran 法敬自然) from Taoism has had far-reaching impacts on Chinese culture, are born out of revering nature.

Stone appreciation started a period of great prosperity in the Song dynasty and it has established a series of theories for appreciating stone culture and its aesthetic standards. The

Song literati Mi Fu proposed four categories for appreciating stone, which are 'Shou, Zhou, Lou and Tou' (瘦皱漏透). Although there are many different ways of interpreting these categories, they are basically embodied in formal beauty, shape, texture and spatial structure. 'Shou' specifically means the rock has thin and slender shape, which also symbolizes independence of spirit by the Chinese. In the Chinese cultural context, the vertical, slender rock conveys strength of character paralleling a personman of dignity, and this symbolism is interpreted as upright, solitary and erect. 'Zhou' refers to intricate textures on the rocks surfaces. In stone appreciation, the wrinkles and furrows not only show changes in configuration, but they also represent an epitome of landscape and mountains; it is a case of little seeming big9. 'Lou' and 'Tou' means channels and hollows, which interconnect to form an exquisite and active space. Rather like a negative space, the openness and pathways form another space that contrast with the rock entity. The four features of the rocks mentioned above are all created by natural forces instead of being artificially made, and viewers praise highly the features of the dynamic shapes and organic textures they produce. The four features, therefore, indicate that the notion of emphasizing the characteristics and beauty of natural objects runs through the Chinese stone-appreciating culture.

9 Yi Xiao Jian Da 以小见大. This phrase comes from the Chinese language, and it is translated into English by myself. 26

Figure 4: 'Diagonally-Oriented Rock with Cave' (1368-1644 Ming Dynasty), Dark gray Ying stone with white veins and inclusions, 24.5 X 21 X 9 cm.

Additionally, 'Shou' implies a person’s lofty and dignified character, which viewers expect to resonate with their own qualities. Particularly, 'Shou’, describes the rocks' thin and slender configuration. Also, it has a metaphorical meaning describing a person’s independent and uninhibited persona. The slender stones give Chinese people inspiration which firms the will to live. In Taoist philosophy, there is a statement that human beings are tinted different colors or even mixed colors that have the effect of cultivating and influencing us, although humans still need to remain independent and personable. The stones have been shaped by the natural forces of weathering and polishing, but they remain upright and unbowed, and this induces people to associate with the rocks’ experiences. Many poets also intend to use 'thin' to describe objects which express feelings of honesty, frankness and independence. Hence, stone appreciation embeds the functions of inspiration and encouragement for people.

Besides preferring thin and slender shapes, people can feel the vicissitudes of history from the wrinkled texture of rock surfaces, namely, 'Zhou'. The rich textures are a result of the stone experiencing a long geological history, as if they have concentrated the natural power over time. The essence of 'Zhou' is subtle, and the tiny wrinkles and markers demonstrate natural erosion and weathering that evolved over billions of years. Therefore, when people view the

27 stones, 'Zhou' evokes emotions which meditate reflect on the past. Moreover, 'Zhou' also enriches the feelings which arise in appreciating stones because the surface details and their individual wrinkles act as a microcosm of the whole piece of stone and gives the same visual insight.

Owing to the rocks' wide variation of shapes, the activity of appreciating stones seems a journey of discovery, interplaying with one’s imagination and associated with individual experiences and aesthetic sensibilities. Spirit stones are abstract forms rather than fixed objects or meaning. Each viewer projects a different feeling and reflection in terms of his or her experience and knowledge, and the processes of appreciation become a personalized aesthetic encounter. On the other hand, the image of the organic shape of stones continues to change every time people look at them. "Honorable Old Man"10 is one of the most important recollections for Richard Rosenblum, a rock collector from America. This particular rock enables people to form an association with an image of an elderly, bearded gentleman, although

Richard said “but he looks like other things too. He looks like the tallest peak you could ever get to. He looks like rivers running down the rocks."11 The natural rock is not like a permanent fossil. Their visual characters can be transformed through one’s imagination. It can transform into something unique through the imagination. It is an artistic experience.

Figure 5: 'Honorable old Man' (16th -17th Century, Ming Dynasty), Medium gray Ying stone with white and buff inclusions, 150cm.

10 http://www.spirit-stones.com/category/scholars-rocks-in-museums/. Accessed 20 December 2016. 11 http://articles.philly.com/1998-02-06/living/25755236_1_chinese-scholar-rocks-treasures. Accessed 21 December 2016. 28

At the birth of Chinese stone-appreciation culture, the forms of stone developed from garden rockery to bonsai, and then become art objects with custom-made stands displayed inside buildings. The mounted stones introduce wild nature into the indoor environment and the stones become the medium bridging nature and man. They are like a microcosm of mountains that meet people's desire for appreciating exterior landscapes. On the other hand, a natural, unique rock can be converted into an art object along with its mounting or stand, and can be placed on shelves for aesthetic purposes. When people look at the rocks, their imagination and experiences are evoked by rocks' characteristics such as their shapes, textures, or colours as well as their geological sources and mode of formation. They are highly evocative objects.12

Despite discussing the particular type of stones that meet the standards of stone appreciation culture, these ordinary rocks are described as possessing the physical features of man in western and eastern cultures. For example, in the book, 'Reading the rocks: the autobiography of the earth', Marcia Bjornerud used metaphors to describe "stone deaf, stone cold, stone silence."13 However, the Chinese literati extends the meaning to personify the relation between humans and rocks. There is a famous poet named Lu You who composed a poem along the lines of "if flowers could understand what humans say, flowers will meddle and be annoying. Stones are lovely and adorable because of their silence."14 Although stones are inert, they are enchanting. Stones are compared to friends who one can talk with. "A piece of cold rock can communicate with people."15 The rocks seem to be unfeeling and lifeless, but to people who cherish stones, they are considered as sentient beings. The process of anthropomorphizing of stones narrows the distance between human and rocks and the metaphorical description signifies that stones and rocks are close to human beings.

12 Turkle, S. (2011). Evocative objects: Things we think with. MIT press. p. 257. 13 Bjornerud, M. (2005). Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth. New York: Basic Books. p. 4 14 Lu You (1125—1210) is a famous poet and historian of the Southern Song Dynasty. 陆游《闲居自述》 “花若解笑还多事，石不能言最可人”. 15 "A piece of cold rock can communicate with people." This is the postscript of the book of Shi Pu, which is written by Zhu Jiuding (Birth and Death is unknown). “寒山一片石，可共语也。”此语是诸九鼎《石谱》中的跋。 29

Rocks also urge viewers to connect with particular personalities and moral qualities and pursuing these inwardly enriches the rocks’ aesthetic appeal. For instance, the symbol of age is commensurate with permanence; heavy corresponds to modesty and steadiness; hard corresponds to being independent and firm. As viewers realize the value of moral qualities, the more they prefer stone-related properties. In the act of stone-appreciation, lofty moral ideals are included, a characteristic which highlights the distinction between Western and Eastern culture in stone appreciation. Ian Wilson is a well-known contemporary American gongshi collector who states that "western study is objective and scientific and generally lacks or downplays the spiritual challenge of Chinese art."16 In the west, stone interpretation refers to rocks as geological objects rather than spiritual symbols and is suitable for acquiring scientific knowledge rather than aesthetic experiences. However, most Chinese people treasure rocks not only because they have a collector’s value through their historical, rare and unique qualities, but also because people gain an enhanced spiritual capacity and life appreciation through a piece of rock that has existed for thousands of years or more.

There are two English terms used to describe stones in the field of Chinese stone-appreciating culture, 'scholar's rock' and 'spirit stone'. The name 'scholar's rock' is given to gongshi17, but

'spirit stone' is closer in meaning to Chinese stone-appreciation culture since it mainly focuses on the spiritual aspects of the totem. The term 'spirit stone' carries the full weight of spiritual symbolism and subjective aesthetics that are original interpretations and are much sought after for artistic experience in this cultural activity.

Chinese stone appreciation culture has a long history which enhances the emotional reflection of humans regarding Chinese traditional culture and its relationships with nature. The emotional connection draws on the reverence for high mountains and natural rocks that people had since ancient times. Meanwhile, under the influences of the literati spirit, the culture of stone-appreciation has developed a special form, that is using stones to idealize

16 http://www.spirit-stones.com/2008/03/07/spirit-stones-by-ian-wilson/. Accessed 20 December 2016. 17 Gongshi refers to the stone having natural shape, texture and colour, which is displayed on shelves or tables. 30 personality, the sentiment underlying places and to express feelings. The theory of stone-appreciation culture and stones' external features are a manifestation of the essence of literati culture and the Chinese nation's attitude to nature. In essence, the process of appreciating stones is the point where nature and culture integrate into oneness in Chinese culture.

3.2 Rocks in Chinese Gardens

Stones are the unique element in Chinese gardens. Stones play an important part in building landscapes, beautification and aesthetics as well as producing artistic conception18 (Yi Jing 意

境). The essence of stones in Chinese garden is functioning as tangible landscape, and triggering intangible scenery. It signifies that artistic imagery cannot be constructed without foundation, namely, the actual and virtual impacts are intertwined into one object -- stone.

3.2.1 Constructing the tangible scenery and landscape

The function of stone in this case means that it is organized into rockeries or landscaped in accordance with physical shapes and forms. In other words, stones create a real scenery. In the garden, a stone landscape is like a miniature natural mountain. Chinese classical gardens are famous for imitating natural scenery through using stones. “Stone mountains and rockeries are treated as the skeleton of Chinese gardens, and they also become the focal point in building the garden. Therefore, 'mountain scenery' is the most significant element of the garden to be constructed.”19 The real mountains and deep cliffs cannot be moved into gardens, but "the ancient garden designers chose different shapes, colors and textures of rocks to simulate hills, slopes, cliffs (caves) and peaks. The miniature scales of natural landscapes aroused association with high mountains and even enabled people to place themselves within nature."20 Thus, stones are utilized to organize rockeries, and rockeries become the most representative images

18 The artistic concept unifies form and spirit, which refers to objective existence and subjective feeling. The subjective feeling is in artists or viewers' minds and sentiments are aroused by art works or in the processes of art making or appreciation. The representation element of art is an integration of objective significance and subjective reflection. Thus, artistic conception is not about emotion alone, it is a feeling interdependent with physical objects. 19 He, P. (2005). The Aesthetic Analysis of Artistic conception of Stones in Chinese Gardens. Journal of Southeast University Philosophy and Social Science, 7(5), 55-59. 20 Zhou, Wuzhong, Art, Nanjing University of the Arts. (2001). An Ideal Home. p. 135. 31 of nature in the Chinese classical garden.

Figure 6: Chinese garden of friendship in Sydney, Australia.

In addition to building rockeries and landscapes, natural rocks are widely applied to garden architecture, such as paving and miniature pavilions bridges. Stones are both construction materials and decorative elements that provide a foundation for artistic creation with the organic shapes of rocks fashion defined as splendid works of nature, their textures, colors and patterns beyond the creative capability of humans. The stone materials that are used in construction are rarely carved but used in their natural form. This encourages people to focus on their natural qualities, thus contrasting with stone changed by manual work. The irregular and asymmetric form of rocks not only displays variation but also conveys nature's vitality and creativity. Rocks, with their static status and lifelessness are actually dynamic and full of life.

Furthermore, stone landscapes also have the practical purpose of arranging and organizing space as well as enlarging sense of space in the gardens. The stones create the context for triggering artistic conception. By carefully arranging the rocks, the open space is divided into several sections, where people can see different scenery, moving about the gardens.

Unobstructed space becomes a well-designed feature, which in poetic language is called 'a winding path leads to a secluded spot'(Qu Jing Tong You 曲径通幽). The elaborate arrangement of rocks adds more interest and diversity to gardens as well as expanding viewers’ perception of space and enriches viewers' sensory and aesthetic experiences.

Figure 7: Chinese garden in Suzhou, China.

Above all, natural rocks allow mankind to build tangible landscapes that establish physical environments from which to implement artistic ideas. Tangible landscapes become an artistic object and spaces that allow artistic imagination to roam freely, even though it is just a set of material objects.

3.2.2 Evoking the intangible image and scenery

The virtual or intangible impacts of stones firstly engender human emotions and aesthetic contemplation as natural entities. Secondly, natural stones have inherent aesthetic qualities, which enable us to expand associations and our imagination further. People’s aesthetic pleasure is not limited simply to visual images. What is more, appreciators' aesthetic feelings that are evoked by the physical qualities of stones are bound to reflect nature's beauty, a dynamic beauty of unique dimensions which are deep and unembellished.

The organic forms of stones are created by natural forces rather than by man’s carvings.

Especially in the culture of stone-appreciation, once stone is sculpted by manual labor, the stone’s aesthetic and emotional value will be greatly reduced or even lost. The most prized rocks are born out of nature which gives them unusual configurations and intricate textures, treasured for their natural beauty. The dynamic nature of their beauty is embodied in the aesthetic demand for natural structures built with stone and the shapes of rocks. For example,

33 the vertical and upright stones with many perforations, give a sense of looking at infinity within the confines of rocks.21 However, the notion of primordial chaos permeates the beauty of natural stones and describes the chaotic world of prehistoric times in Taoist philosophy.

Because natural rocks are always considered as the oldest objects on the earth, their configuration and surface textures are monuments to time and its movement.

Figure 8: Shi Zi Lin (Lion Grove Garden) in Suzhou, China.

It is interesting to speculate why the Chinese people have a deep love for the rocks, almost forming a 'if no rocks, there is no garden' attitude. It may be because the rocks are enshrined in a sophisticated philosophy, which is excavated from the physical nature of rocks and refined through metaphysical inference in order to reach a broad and profound inner space. In essence, stones perform as an abstract of the passage of time. The Chinese classic gardens embrace the natural landscape, and simultaneously, fully embodies history and time. The clever use of stone elements constructs an intersection of space and time. It is another characteristic of artistic conception. Artistic conception covers a variety of scenarios and feelings that not only coincide with the present moment, but also with the past, which already exist in the mind.

The aesthetic activities of art making share the past along with the here and now, and are what

21 http://www.spirit-stones.com/2008/03/07/the-symbolism-of-chinese-rocks-by-richard-rosenblum/ Accessed 20 December 2016.

34 enable the conversion of time and space in a metaphysical sense. In the sphere of artistic conception, people escape the limitations of space and time, and achieve spiritual freedom."22

No other elements in the completed garden can capture the special relationship with space and time, except rocks and stones. Rocks challenge us to visualize history and time in the garden design since both are relatively invisible, though recordable. Every piece of stone keeps traces of what time has left and nature has created. Viewers simultaneously have a deep emotional connection with nature's forces and the power of time. Wen Zhenheng (1585-1645), a painter of post-Ming Dynasty, suggested 'rocks are associated with a nostalgic tone' (Shi Ling

Ren Gu 石令人古)23. "Stones lead tourists to a sense of unlimited space and time, which enables them achieve an understanding of the philoso0phy of history, life, and even the universe."24

Figure 9: Shi Zi Lin (Lion Grove Garden) in Suzhou, China.

22 Zhu, L. (2001). Aesthetics. Higher Education Press. p. 221. 23 "Rocks associate with nostalgic tone, water with far-reaching." -- " Wen Zhenheng Chang Wu Zhi" Wen Zhenheng (1585-1645). He was a painter of post-Ming dynasty. 石令人古，水令人远。-- 明. 文震亨《文震亨的长物志卷三水石》. 24 Ye, L. (1988). Modern aesthetics system. Bei Jing: Peking University Press. p. 133. 35

Rocks' formal characteristics and symbolic meanings become the most significant components for constructing Chinese classical gardens. Firstly, the static rock itself has a ’dynamic harmony' in the rhythms of their structures"25. Secondly, rocks and rockeries create unlimited room for the imagination to roam in the available space where humanity and emotion is fused. Beneath the abstract shapes and rich surfaces of the rocks hide the quintessence of spiritual forces. This is exactly what the Chinese artistic aesthetic sought -- "Transcending specific and finite objects, scenes and events to access the infinity of time and space. It ultimately achieves philosophical understanding and spiritual insights of life, history and the universe."26

3.3 Unity of Nature and Man

The images of rocks appear in many forms of Chinese artistic expression, such as in the field of stones appreciation culture, gardening and landscape painting. All are important and have taken a leading role in Chinese art. As discussed above, Chinese stone culture is influenced by the conception of 'Unity of Nature and Man', which is an in-depth exploration of a united relationship between nature and people. Additionally, the 'Unity of Nature and Man' is considered as an aesthetic state that ultimately approaches a perfect state of spiritual harmony.

The 'Unity of Nature and Man' is the fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy and aesthetics, the significant spirit of Chinese traditional culture, which originates in the Spring and Autumn Period. It aims to expand spiritual awareness that "systematically expounds on the relationship between man and nature, man and man, man and himself, man and state…...The

'Unity of Nature and Man' is the summation of the main thought of the Chinese traditional culture, and history witnesses that Chinese civilization is hereditary and long-developed."27

Whether Confucian or Taoism philosophy, the ideological level of the 'Unity of Nature and Man' is held in high regard, each in its own way.

25 http://www.spirit-stones.com/2008/03/07/the-symbolism-of-chinese-rocks-by-richard-rosenblum/ Accessed 20 December 2016. 26 Ye, L. (1988). Modern aesthetics system. Bei Jing: Peking University Press. p. 132. 27 Chen, Z. (2016). On the Core of Chinese Traditional Values - The" Unity between Heaven and Man". International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 6(4), 282. 36

The Unity of Man concept is highly regarded by many Chinese philosophers. Qian Mu, honored as a master of Chinese classics considered 'Unity of Nature and Man' as the ultimate destination of the entire Chinese traditional culture."28 Another well-known literati, Ji Xianlin, was one of the phenomenal figures in the field of Chinese culture, linguistics and history, who greatly valued the concept of 'Unity of Nature and Man'. Ji suggested that "it represented the principal keynote of Chinese ancient philosophy, which is one of the most important and meaningful notions in Chinese culture."29 The concept of the 'Unity of Nature and Man' not only impacts Chinese ancient politics and ethics, it also penetrates into Chinese aesthetics and arts. However, here the influence of politics and ethics are not the emphasis of the research project and are not considered further.

The conception of the 'Unity of Nature and Man' as a lofty aesthetic, is not only the essence of

Chinese philosophy, but also the philosophical cornerstone of Chinese art. Throughout Chinese philosophy and art history, the 'Unity of Nature and Man' is the state that philosophy and aesthetics pursue together. Zhang Shiying, in his book 'Introduction to Philosophy', claims that

"aesthetic consciousness is a fusion of humans and the world, which is described by the philosophical term, the 'Unity of Nature and Man'. Here, 'Nature' refers to everything in the world."30

Regarding aesthetics, Baoying Fan, a Professor of Aesthetic in Zhejiang International Studies

University, proposes three aspects of interpreting the 'Unity of Nature and Man'.31 Firstly, the conception of the 'Unity of Nature and Man' is regarded as a macro life model that addresses heaven, earth and human beings existing in an identical eco-system. Fang Dongmei (1899-1977) was a Chinese modern philosopher, who commented that "The kernel of all the Chinese

28 Qian, M. (1991). Chinese Culture Can Make a Contribution to the Human Future. Chinese Culture, (1), 93-96. 29 Ji, X. (1994). Rethinking the Conception of "Unity of Nature and Man". Chinese Culture, (1), 13-22. 30 Zhang, S. (2002). Introduction to Philosophy (Vol. 84). Bei Jing: Peking University Press.p.105-106. 31 Fan, B. (2002). Aesthetic Spirit of the "Unity between Nature and Man". Jiangxi Social Sciences, (7), 9-11. 37 ideologies is formed by this type of holistic viewing".32 Hence, the domain of the 'Unity of

Nature and Man', it presents a state that all things are inseparable and interdependent as an organic integrity in the universe. Secondly, the 'Unity of Nature and Man' deems that the universe is filled with vitality, and it can flow through the natural world. In Chinese philosophers' opinions, the universe is not only the site of all inanimate and living matter, but also a repository for spirituality and mysticism.

Chinese artists capture the beauty of nature by depicting its vitality and they have pursued it in expressing their individual interests. With their creativity, artists reveal the spirit and energy of objects, which arouse audiences' emotion and provide experiences at the same time. The result is that Chinese artists focus on presenting the inner spirit and aesthetics, rather than imitating nature. Thirdly, the 'Unity of Nature and Man' is an intellectual model that lays emphasis on holism and breeding the aesthetic spirit of harmony and integrity. The Chinese aesthetic viewpoint is that beauty is a blend of many different elements together. However, all components of an artwork should act in conjunction with each other so that artists can describe the details of an artwork while taking into account its overall essence.

There are a number of interpretations of the concept known as the 'Unity of Nature and Man' in Chinese stone culture. Firstly, stones embody Daosim, which is considered as the origin of man and nature, as this poem illustrates.

"Dao engenders one. (Tai-chi)

One engenders two. (Yin and Yang)

Two engenders three. (Combinations of Yin and Yang)

Three engenders everything.

Everything carries Yin and embraces Yang.

The mixing of Yin and Yang becomes an entity."33

32 Fan, D. (1978). Fang Dongmei's Speeches. Li Ming Cultural Enterprise. p.184. 33 Tan, H. (2003). The Wisdom of Lao Zi: A New Translation of Dao De Jing. Aspley, Qld.: H. H. Tan Medical.p.163. 38

In Daoism, Dao encompasses everything. "Dao is an amorphous entity."34 It arose before the dawn of time, and gives birth to all things on the earth, including human beings. "According to the concept of Dao, the world is in a state of constant flux, and there is rhythm and pattern which nature follows."35 Dao is invisible, rocks being products of heavenly creation and natural power as well as Dao. People are obsessed with rocks because rocks create a channel for them to communicate with Dao endlessly. People and rocks are gathered into one by Daoism.

Apart from the Daoism viewpoint, people can feel the links and similarities between the qualities of the rocks and peoples’ personalities to an extent. Chinese literati traditionally anthropomorphize stone with human characteristics to convey personality traits like durability, stability, quietness and so on. It follows that the Chinese aesthetic involves not only the exterior beauty and form of objects, but also links individual characteristics, moral qualities and ideals with art objects through the emotional exchange with humans. Consequently, laying emphasis on the inner connection of stones and people is the essence of Chinese stone culture and it demonstrates aesthetic significance of the concept of the 'Unity of Nature and Man'.

Secondly, the interpretation of the 'Unity of Nature and Man' in the field of stone culture is that human's affection for nature can be released and placed on the body of rock, because rocks are seen as the tangible demonstration of natural power and natural spirit. Whether in the scholar's rocks or garden stones, they are considered as a representative miniature landscape not just because of their shapes, materials or textures. They are also the concentration of the mountains’ vigour and natural force. The stones echo the extraordinary power and force of the universe, which includes the veneration of nature. In the process of appreciating stones, the yearning for nature is satisfied and converges with the rocks. Indeed, people appreciate the energy and spirit that nature has left rather than being absorbed with an unusual configuration of rocks.

A final explanation of the 'Unity of Nature and Man' is aesthetic since it can be seen as a fusion

34 ibid, p.16.

39 of feelings with the natural setting of rocks. It underlines the oneness of the objective and subjective world. When people project their aesthetic interest onto natural stones, their coldness impersonality is anthropomorphized with the sentiment spreading into the inanimate substance. In the meantime, viewers enter into the realm of the metaphysical where they create their own oneness between the human and natural worlds. Human emotions and natural objects become one.

The Chinese concept of the 'Unity of Nature and Man' provides a theory to discuss the harmonious relationship between nature and man in general, one which encourages human beings to reach a high state of spiritual consciousness. However, the concept does not specify how to build harmony between nature and man, something which remains to be done. Natural objects are different to humans and cannot control or restrain themselves in order to adapt to man. Therefore, in order to live in harmony with nature, people not only need a grasp of the philosophy of the 'Unity of Nature and Man', but also need to understand the laws of nature.

3.4 Summary

The notion of the 'Unity of Nature and Man' has a long history and rich connotations in China, which has displayed far-reaching influences in many fields. However, in this research, I have tried to interpret it from a Chinese stone culture and aesthetic viewpoint. In the process of contemplating and investigating the meaning of the 'Unity of Nature and Man', I realized that it provides a profound cultural context for this research project and has the potential to enrich theoretical research as well as bridging my contemporary artistic creations and Chinese traditional culture.

Chinese traditional culture and aesthetic spirit offers rich ideas and unique insights in art making and practice. Firstly, through understanding the significance of wrinkled surfaces in the culture of appreciating stones, I discovered the aesthetic value of rocks and was able to trace their meanings and textures from Chinese tradition culture. This allowed me to establish links to my textile works. Secondly, rocks are seen as miniature landscapes by the Chinese and are

40 used as a reference for inspiring creation. Therefore, not only do I attach importance to transferring the richness of the texture of rocks to textiles, but they are also organized to imitate natural landscapes to attract the viewers’ attention and evoke their connections with the nature world - indulging in the micro-scopic world of textile landscape. Thirdly, exploring the Chinese traditional culture has provided more possibilities for expressing form and artistic language in ongoing research and practice. Lastly, my textile rocks are the point at which my individual feelings, natural spirit and Chinese culture meet.

Chapter 4

Artists Response to Nature

Natural rocks are one of the most enduring inspirations for textile practitioners working in a wide range of materials and forms to express ideas. Artists are enthusiastic in interpreting the configurations and textures of rocks as well as exploring their meaning in nature and culture.

All artists’ artwork delves into different materials, crafts and processes, bringing a wide range of creative possibilities to present their ideas about rocks and nature. Here I introduce four case studies to demonstrate how artists express the nature of rocks in terms of their artistic experiences and creative ideas.

4.1 Case studies

Artists project their sight onto the object of rocks, and apart from a fascination with their natural qualities of color, shape and organic texture, artists also attempt to mine and reveal rocks’ nature and depth of meaning. Professor Lin Lecheng is a leading figure in Chinese contemporary fiber art, and an initiator of the 'From Lausanne to Beijing' international biennale fiber art exhibition. He has created many series of wool tapestries depicting Chinese landscapes, and in particular, has portrayed rock surfaces and majestic mountains. The tapestry of 'Rock setting by the water' (Lin Shui Die Shi 临水叠石, Figure 10) depicts Tai hu rocks. Lin uses wool materials and the Goblin technique to weave a plain tapestry that reflects various organic shapes and intricate textures, while the conjunction of curves and straight lines as well as subtle shades of colours, build three dimensional rocks, which appear in front of audiences.

Figure 10: Lin Lecheng, Lin Shui Die Shi (Rocks Setting by the Water), 2009; Wool, 200 X 170cm.

In Chinese art, Tai hu rocks are a symbol of traditional culture. In Lin’s work, they are depicted in a contemporary woven language, to indicate the inheritance of ancient culture. Rocks have long been important in Chinese art and their use can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (7th -

10th Century), when a group of poets and scholars such as Li Bai, Bai Juyi and Liu Zongyuan, participated in the activity of appreciating stones and collecting them. By the Song Dynasty,

(10th -13th Century) the culture of appreciating stones had matured and formed an aesthetic criterion that has deeply influenced later generations. The ancient value placed on collecting and appreciating stones, did in fact, stem from the idea of 'Dao imitates nature' (Dao Fa Zi Ran

道法自然), which means 'the ways of Tao by the self-so'.36 Chinese people show their reverence of nature in aiming to pursue the integration of objects and human beings. They also place their aesthetic interest in the natural world on the Tai hu rocks, through which various shapes provide unlimited possibilities to one’s imagination.

'High mountains and long rivers' (Shan Gao Shui Chang 山高水长, Figure 11) is another of Lin

Lecheng's tapestry series that describes the landscape of magnificent Chinese mountains and rivers. As in all his artwork, he starts his tapestries with a sketch or painting that provides the design drawing for weaving. The brush strokes that he paints are vigorous and forceful, capturing the rocks' character and texture. However, the soft wool and warm colors add a sense of tenderness or sentiment to hard and towering mountains and textured rock surfaces.

His textile works are all inspired by the natural landscape and Chinese traditional landscape painting (Shan Shui 山水). As Chinese art critic Shui Zhongtian states: "landscape painting has run a long history. It is not only the most valuable treasure of Chinese art, but also it mirrors

Chinese spirit and historical changes."37

Moreover, what is embedded in Lin’s art works is the spirit of the Chinese nation. The key to his work is creating harmony between nature and humans. With this thoughtful influence, he

36 Chen, W., & Ebooks Corporation. (2015). Chinese environmental aesthetics (Routledge contemporary China series). New York, NY: Routledge. p.4. 37 http://art.china.cn/voice/2010-02/25/content_3393074.html Accessed 3 August 2016. 43 forms an aesthetic approach to discover nature's beauty, and this silent transforming influence of his aesthetic interest is expressed in the textile works. Apart from respecting nature, Lin prefers to depict mountains and stones that imply moral character. Chinese people often compare natural objects to virtue when aesthetically admiring natural beauty.38 For instance, people with a noble virtue and steadiness of moral principle choose mountains to admire, so mountains are used as an analogy for their character. The name of 'High mountains and long rivers' also symbolically refers to one's nobility of character as high as the hills and as long as the rivers, whose reputation can last forever.

Figure 11: Lin Lecheng, Shan Gao Shui Chang-4 (High Mountains and Long Rivers), 2010; Wool,

830 X 580cm.

Figure 12: Lin Lecheng, Shan Gao Shui Chang-3 (High Mountains and Long Rivers), 2005; Wool,

38 Chen, W., & Ebooks Corporation. (2015). Chinese environmental aesthetics (Routledge contemporary China series). New York, NY: Routledge. p.4. 44

400 X 2200cm.

The representation of mountains and rocks are enhanced by the texture of the fabric and by weaving crafts. Lin Lecheng enjoys the challenge of interpreting mountains and rocks in soft textile materials. In his work, there is a striking contrast of soft wool used to represent hard rocks. Working with Goblin techniques, he weaves the structure of mountains in a way that situates them between abstract patterns and realism painting. The weaving landscape embodies the uncanny workmanship of nature, while it results in a rich textured surface that audiences can experience when they observe the artwork from close proximity.

Artists use the images of rocks not only for the sake of admiring nature's beauty and creating an analogy of moral virtue, but also the rocks as the representation of traditional culture can evoke reflection of their modern context and conventional culture. Shi Hui is a professor in the

China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China, who devotes herself to researching three-dimensional textiles, also called soft sculpture. Her artwork, titled, 'The fake mountains -- think visually in different cultural situation' (Jia De Shan – Yi Ge Bu Tong De Wen Hua Qing Jing Zhong De Shi

Jue Si Kao“假的山——一个不同的文化情景中的视觉思考, Figure 13) is a paper sculpture that is placed in a western-style garden, so it borrows the configuration of rockery that is one of China’s classic garden elements to express her aesthetic pursuits. She speaks of her intention in creating this artwork - "in the typical western garden, we place several pieces of representative eastern rocks there. It builds a dialogue between western and eastern, past and present. However, this phenomenon of culture dislocation becomes more common, which brings the beauty from the comparison, and triggers much reflection."39

However, the fake rockery made of paper pulp is used to induce contemplation of a cultural collision in the context of contemporary art. Although the art work reflects the features of rock structures and the rhythm of their surfaces, they are analogous to the rich texture of contemporary sculpture. In Shi’s art project, the rockery object plays an important part in

39 Xu, J. (2014). The Thought of Pure White -- Shi Hui's Art Works. Contemporary Artists, 5, 014.

45 representing eastern culture with the purpose of interacting with western culture, more so than functioning as 'image beyond image, scene beyond scene' (象外之象，景外之景) in the garden.

Figure 13: Shi Hui, The Fake Mountains – Think Visually in Different Cultural Situations, 2001;

Mixed materials, size unknown.

In the process of making this paper sculpture, Shi Hui utilizes a combination of conventional and modern techniques. She models directly from rockery with wire mesh and paper pulp, and then arranges each piece of modeling together. This method is similar to the Chinese rubbing technique. Shi Hui's art making starts with exploring the cultural connotations of rockery and from this she produces the master piece of art 'fake rockery'. The important aspect of Shi’s work is that she uses objects, their formation and their materials of construction as well as the contextual environment, as elements in the artwork. She has made decisions on all of these after careful consideration in order to reflect her artistic conception. Shi Hui integrates into her sculptures the characteristics of stones appreciation that aims to create interaction and fusion.

The natural rocks not only provide inspiration to artists using tapestry, painting and sculpture to interpret rocks' characteristics, but also to many designers who have also referenced rocks in developing their products. French designer, Stephanie Marin, chose to take inspiration from pebbles for the prototype of her eco-design entitled 'Livingstones'. Oversized pebbles were

46 created in Bultex foam rubber and covered by pure virgin wool or polar fleece. 'Livingstones' are a modular concept that people can arrange in varying sizes, shapes and colors.

Arrangements of 'Livingstone’s' are made in terms of different environments, reflecting the users' mood. 'Livingstones' can be placed in public spaces or domestic environments for both practical use and decorative aims. People enjoy sitting on the soft and comfortable pebble cushions and the pebbles' appearance helps to meet the yearning to return to nature.

Therefore, Stephanie's project is situated between art and design, and offers connections with nature and play with cushions.

Figure 14: Stephanie Marin, Livingstones, 2002; 100% virgin wool.

Figure 15: Stephanie Marin, Livingstones, 2002; 100% virgin wool.

Ronel Jordaan is a textile designer and resident of South Africa. Jordaan has designed a series

47 of realistic rock cushions, known as ‘felt rocks’, which have become noteworthy products in her home country. Again, this series was inspired by nature including rocks, and she extends this conception into a variety of designs. The rock cushions are composed of dyed felt, created by rubbing wool fleece by hand. The smooth curves and natural colors of these cushions seem to be real, representing the rocks' qualities as if made by nature’s forces. Jordaan develops her own brand and advocates an eco- friendly concept. She seeks harmony between design and nature, which means not only transforming inspiration from nature into tangible production, but also emphasizes the materials, creative processes, and the residual waste that causes no harm to the natural environment. Natural dyes, for example, are used in the process which brings an idea of environment-friendly design to customers.

Figure 16: Ronel Jordaan, Pebbles, 2005; 100% wool inners.

We can see that these artists and designers are using rocks as a metaphor for nature. Although they describe the images of rocks through textile materials and forms, the artists actually interpret deep meanings about nature that are hidden in the rocks. Throughout textile art history, the motif of nature has been one of the most important components of artistic creation. Human beings have always considered nature as a resource and environment. Apart from exploiting the natural resource for living, the environment provides an aesthetic refuge in

48 which to enjoy and to experience nature's beauty. The shape, color and texture that exist in the natural world offer inspiration to artists and designers. They not only represent nature by way of textiles, but also utilize textiles’ form to satisfy the desire to return to nature, even seeking for a place for their spirit to dwell. As the Chinese say – ‘Nature attracts people into its arms’, a saying which expresses our appreciation of nature.

Many artists and designers bring textile works depicting natural objects into interior spaces, to help people feel closer to nature and to appreciate the natural world. These works not only express the artists' aesthetic interest and art concepts, but also provide a natural scene for people, to which are attached the emotional qualities of nature. Meanwhile, these textile works are closer to people on account of the materials used, since they are familiar in life and extracted from the natural world. For instance, wool, silk, cotton, linen and paper are the materials often chosen by practitioners. Their natural qualities make them suitable in representing the textures and shapes of natural objects. Lin Lecheng weaves the curve of the mountain with wool; Shi Hui uses paper pulp to capture the rhythm of Tai Hu stones; Stephanie

Marin and Ronel Jordaan transform the hard beach rocks into soft and intimate cushions.

Therefore, to a considerable degree, textiles have captured the inherent essence of the natural world.

Due to these gentle, natural materials, textile art works add one more layer of grain to architecture, and act to soften artificial hard and cold building materials. Considering the need for stability in construction, concrete and wood materials are used to build structure and space.

It inevitably gives a sense of coldness and distance to residents. However, textile art complements the deficiencies of architecture and artists employ a variety of textile materials and crafts to develop a wide range of textile products that convey warmth of feeling.

The natural style of textile works make connections between humans and nature and fulfills the desire to be close to nature. The style seeks harmony between humans and nature and the conjunction with natural materials creates an emotion embedded in textile art that should be

49 understand as a way of pursuing nature. In this way, the motif of nature unconsciously immerses itself into human's life and spirit.

4.2 Summary

The renowned artists and artworks described above, have successfully built images of rocks from diverse materials, perspectives and angles. They all express the natural meanings and humanistic connotations in the rocks. These artists pay close attention to the emotional and aesthetic concerns they intend to express and share through their work. In Lin Lecheng's weaving works, we can see that he deconstructs and reconstructs rocks and mountains through different forms, colours, and wool materials. His tapestries inherit the values of Chinese culture and spirit, but also challenge the use of soft fabric to weave hard rocks. Artist Shi Hui places rockeries made of paper in the western style garden. With these she contemplates a cultural collision between East and West in the context of contemporary art. Meanwhile, in the field of design, artists consider how to convey to people, the natural spirit and aesthetic embedded in rocks, while maintaining the practical function of cushions as soft sculptures for people.

On the other hand, as artists try to employ a wide range of materials with which to interpret rocks, the properties of the materials used are worthy of discussion and exploration. Wool, felt or paper are substitutes for stone materials, which contribute to the motif and emotions of contemporary art. Lin Lecheng expects viewers to get closer to nature by virtue of viewing his weaving works. Therefore, wool as a familiar natural resource, has an intrinsic ability to connect with people. Soft wool does not impair the original richness of the rocks’ textures; instead the woven form draws attention to the textural details and every individual thread. The resulting contrast of using soft materials to present solidity and hardness, gives viewers a very new experience. When looking at Shi Hui's paper pulp artworks, we can feel the contrast between strong and weak: "Underneath the gentle and white appearances, her works contain innate tenacity."40 The white upright rockeries standing in the western garden are actually an articulation of Chinese culture by artists who struggle to speak with their voice in

40 Yin, S. (2010). The Nest of Life -- Poetic Space in Shi Hui's Art. Fine Art, (12), 61-67. 50 contemporary art which western artists dominate.

In the process of appreciating or using these artworks and products, people interact with them within a specific space, especially interior space. Such spaces are changed and enriched through the introduction of textile rocks, as if building a natural landscape. Firstly, owing to a range of different materials derived from the construction industry, soft works make up the sense of coldness that is produce by reinforced concrete. Secondly, the woven patterns and quality of the felt add more texture to the space.

Above all, these artworks are examples which broaden our insight and enlighten our understanding of creativity with rock. They have provided considerable insight for my research project. They alter the impression of rocks which was associated with hardness, coldness and even stubbornness. However, the wool and felt rocks express a sense of approachableness, warmth and comfort. This feeling is exactly what I hope to convey and share. My individual experience with rocks was one of happiness and of relaxing times that I spent with my family in childhood. It was the starting point for my artistic creativity. Additionally, I have drawn experiences from the four artistic case studies’ and their expressions, forms, techniques, colours and concepts. These artists’ presentations provided me with the train of thought and understanding of how to organize all these elements into this document and how to state my reflective thinking.

Studio Research

Chapter 5

Rocks as Reading Matter

"Like the dead-seeming, cold rocks, I have memories within that came out of the material that went to make me. Time and place have had their say."41

- Zora Neale Hurston

Dust Tracks On A Road

The impetus for this research is derived from an interest in the variation and textures of rock surfaces and my personal feelings towards rocks in my childhood in China and during my time studying abroad in Sydney. Rocks are seen as reading matter, because they are testimony to the geological history of their enduring qualities and hard materiality. The configuration and textures of solid rocks also visibly demonstrate the impact of the earth’s changes and of time gliding by. At the same time, for me, rocks record the time that I stayed with my family at the beach. When I see and touch rocks, I recall these feelings deeply imbedded in my memories, as if I can read past time from rocks.

5.1 Reading geology and time

We read geological history through the rocks and we perhaps understand the Earth and nature through anthropomorphizing, a way which allows people to become closer to the ‘reading matter’. The rocks are analogous to an autobiography that records geological history over time.

They record masses of information about the past events of the earth and nature. Marcia

Bjornerud, geologist and author, suggests these qualities and meanings of rocks are viewed as the Earth’s autobiography: “… land, rocks and landscapes are the Earth’s unsystematic chronicle of its past – its unintentional autobiography.”42 This autobiography contains Earth’s past that is recorded unofficially and quite literally. The manner in which most of the letters are written, is

41 Bjornerud, M. (2005). Reading the rocks: The autobiography of the earth. New York: Basic Books, a member of the Perseus Books Group. p.1. 42 ibid. p.4. 52 by crustal deformation and external forces. Waves, tides, and weather create the variation in rocks, and leave many physical details on their surfaces. What is more, the rocks’ story is a diverse one, containing records of microbial metabolism and landscape building, which parallels humans quotidian diaries with their multiple clues about. The rocks bear witness to the upheaval and violence that has occurred to the earth in many varied forms. They maintain traces of past eras and we can reconstruct the earth's history through rock research.

A knowledge of geology was considered essential to set a scientific background for this research project, and to contribute to an understanding of rocks’ qualities. This knowledge has also been beneficial for eliciting the meanings of rocks as a reading material and essential for understanding the literary genres written in the three main classifications of rocks - igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Therefore, from Marcia Bjornerud's viewpoint, she elaborated the rocks’ characteristics as metaphors in literature and language.

There are three main types of rocks: firstly, sedimentary rocks are the products that are fully recycled from the erosion and weathering of existing rocks. They are processed by sedimentation or gradual deposition of small particles of mud, sand or fossils, which forms and are formed in fine layers and buried during past climates, environmental action or the movements of water bodies. As Bjornerud states “sedimentary rocks are the best reference works to consult if you are interested in past conditions on the surface of the Earth.”43

Secondly, unlike sedimentary rocks, igneous rocks are formed from condensed molten magmas from an inaccessible realm beneath the earth’s crust. The high temperature magma melts the rock which is forced upwards by extreme pressure and heat where it flows across the earth's surface. Igneous rocks include granite, basalt and dolerite. From Bjornerud’s perspective, the metaphor 'hard rocks' in the phrase "hard rocks have their own cryptic syntax, and reading them requires more insight and perseverance."44, is important.

43 ibid. p. 33. 44 ibid. p. 39. 53

Thirdly, metamorphic is the third classification of rocks. They are formed from pre-existing rocks that are influenced by extreme heat or pressure such as from tectonic activity or magmatic flow, which alters the mineral composition and original rock structure to create new rocks. In the rock world, metamorphic rocks chronicle their journeys through the crust like a travel writer, because they change form and structure as they encounter different environments.

As a part of the planet, rocks constantly cause changes in the Earth's structure and environment, and record geological history and timelines. Geology and time are intertwined in the rocks. "Geology is the science that deals with the materials that constitute our Earth, and with the dynamic changes that have affected the Earth from its origin about 4,600 million years ago to the present time."45 Robert Macfarlane is a British writer who talks about the timelessness of the rock and mountain in relation to the fleeting nature of human lifespan. As he states ... "geology makes explicit challenges to our understanding of time. It dazes the sense of here-and-now...... crushes the human instant; flattens it to a wafer ... to acknowledge that the hard rock of a mountain is vulnerable to the attrition of time is of necessity to reflect on the appalling transience of the human body."46 The rocks have an identification that runs through ancient to modern times and symbolize eternity in ancient civilizations. They seem to have been an eternal presence in every epoch, even though constantly changing and regenerating following the action of weathering and erosion. Therefore, movements of the

Earth, accumulation of time and space transformation are reflected on the rocks in a form of textures and layers.

In this research project, sedimentary rocks are the major source used to amass rock textures, since sedimentary rocks are a valuable source of data for probing the environment and earth history and for transferring into textile works. This trait, generalized from a geological perspective, matches my artistic ideas, so I regard rocks as reading matter to understand the past. The rocks have their own memories and record of the distant geological past, but at the

45 Johnson, D. (2009). The geology of Australia. Cambridge University Press. p. 15. 46 Macfarlane, Robert. (2003). Mountains of the mind. New York: Pantheon Books, p. 43. 54 same time they embody my memories of beach visits with my family.

5.2 Recalling memories from rocks

I am quite familiar with rocks from an emotional rather than a science perspective, as I have lived in the city beside the sea since I was born. In childhood, my family took me to the beach in their spare time for our family outings, where we picked up pebbles, conches and hermit crab as well enjoying the vistas of the sea and we took many family photos to record these happy times. When I grew up, my parents and I moved into a new house that was closer to the sea and we usually walked on the beach to enjoy the evenings. In 2014, when I first came to

Sydney for postgraduate study, I was struck by the beauty of this coastal city. I was fascinated by the landscape of sandstones in La Perouse when I first visited. The beautiful view of ocean and rocks helped me relax, and my memories of hometown were revived at the sight of familiar landscapes of rocks and sea. So, rocks are not only the scenery in front of me, but also the scenery in my mind to relive and bring back memories and experiences.

Collecting patterns sourced from rocks was the first step in starting my practical research. It allowed me to learn geology and the local history of where I chose to gather rock samples, La

Perouse in Sydney and Hei Shijiao in Dalian, which is my hometown in China. The process of field visitsis an opportunity to build connections between my spirit, body and natural objects, which contributes to reinforce my feelings towards rocks. The art practice with rocks likewise provides a channel to recollect memories for me.

The type of rock located on the La Perouse peninsula in south-eastern Sydney, is sandstone, a sedimentary rock that forms the bedrock of much of the Sydney Basin. The importance of La

Perouse as an early settlement site in Australia plus its significance as a location of Australian indigenous communities is noted.

La Perouse was named after the French navigator Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de

Lapérouse (1741–88), who landed on the northern shore of Botany Bay, west of Bare Island on

26 January 1788.47 The La Perouse peninsula is notable for its old fortification at Bare Island and Botany Bay National Park. Apart from fortification facilities on Bare Island48, the rocks that have been shaped by natural forces are highly attractive. These stunning rocks change their shape and surface as time flows by. They witnessed the islet being transferred from a fort in

1877 to a museum and tourist attraction in the present day. However, the rocks not only experienced Bare Island’s altered functions after one hundred years, they also acted as a companion to the people who have spent time on the island. This includes present day tourists since Bare Island has become a popular spot for hiking, taking photographs and picnicking.

Figure 17: Sedimentary rocks in La Perouse, Sydney, Australia.

The understanding of landscape can be changed by learning and comprehending geological knowledge. Robert MacFarlane's Mountains of the Mind expands: "To understand even a little about geology gives you special spectacles through which to see a landscape. They allow you to see back in time to a world where rocks liquefy and seas petrify, where granite bubbles like stew, and layers of limestone are folded as easily as blankets. Through the spectacles of geology, we are forced to reconsider our beliefs of what is solid and what is not."49 Rocks are seen as solid, unchanging material within the human time frame, although they are transformed and impacted by the Earth's movements. Sandstone is one type of sedimentary rock that I chose as

47 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Perouse,_New_South_Wales Accessed 17 October 2015. 48 Bare Island is located in Botany Bay, and close to the bay’s northern headland. It is on the list of the State Heritage Register and is important as an almost unique example of coastal defence technology in the late nineteenth century. This islet was a part of the traditional land of the Gweagal and Kameygal Aboriginal tribes. 49 Macfarlane, Robert. (2003). Mountains of the mind. New York: Pantheon Books, p. 43. 56 the main target for collecting resources. This type of rock does not have the hardness of granite, so that sandstones show the influences of time and the elements quickly since they are softer.

As Macfarlane says, it has allowed me to see back in time and translate my appreciation into artworks.

The other location where I collected rock patterns is Heishi Jiao, located in the southwestern part of Dalian, my hometown in China. Heishi Jiao is the nearest natural attraction to downtown Dalian. The winding coastline of Heishi Jiao was formed billions of years ago with its black rocks lying around a cape. The rocks look mysterious, barely visible at high tide, while spectacular and standing upright in the sea when the tide is out. When I was a child, my grandparents used to bring me here. We had an enjoyable time at this beach. In fact, the reason that the rocks are black is because there was an abundance of algae covering them -- red algae, brown algae, gulf weed and so on. Dead algae and dead sea-creatures remained on the surface of rocks, so their colour turned black after accumulating layers on layers of dead marine life over time. However, the original color of the rocks was dark grey, because limestone is the major ingredient of the black rocks in Heishi Jiao. If you break the black rock open, you will find the outside is quite different to the inside -- black on the surface and grey inside. For thousands of years, the tiny algae, which have no hearing or sight, have constructed this great project by using their remains over many generations. These black rocks sit on submerged sand banks and are scattered along the shoals like stars in the heavens. They are hard and heavy, forming a mysterious landscape. Imagine how the water washed out onto the rocks over millions of years, again and again, and finally building up the rocks' appearance and character of today.

Figure 18: Rocks in Heishi Jiao, Dalian, China.

After investigating these two locations, I have understood the history of places and causes of rocks' formation, and have described them from an objective angle. At the same time I have focused on the subjective emotion of rocks because it is the motivation to start practical research because it directly influences what materials, artistic forms and colours to choose.

Consequently, I write diaries to pull my feelings together, which assist me to draw out the key words that are relevant to art making. Even writing diaries is a way to articulate the thoughts that are in my deepest memory.

At the beginning of 2016, I went back to the beach where I used to play at my home to look for rocks and collect materials, and started to keep a diary for the first time.

Diary: 01/02/2016, Heishi Jiao, Dalian, China

It was a sunny day but with cold winds from the ocean. I reached Heishi Jiao (black rock beach) in the afternoon. The characteristic of Heishi Jiao can be understood from its literal meaning – the place where black coloured rocks with rugged textures spread. It is different from La

Perouse beach.

Once again I went to Heishi Jiao. It reminds me of happy times from the past. When I was in primary school, my grandparents usually took me to Heishi Jiao in summer vacation. My grandfather liked fishing at Heishi Jiao, because it was a good venue for fishing. I would pick up shells and sea snails as well as catching small crabs in the rocks. When I was tired, I leaned on my grandfather become relaxed and comfortable. The sea breeze blowing, seeing the sea and bathing in the sunshine are the memories that is still fresh in my mind. That was a simple form of happiness for either a little girl or a grown up. The past clearly reappears before my eyes as I stand on the rocks today.

The scenery of Heishi Jiao has changed, and it is not a popular place for visitors nowadays.

However, Heishi Jiao and its rock scenery is still important for the people who spent enjoyable times there in the past, such as me.

Diary: 15/07/2016, La Perouse, Sydney, Australia

I do not know how many times I have come to La Perouse. Today is cold but the sunshine is warming. The ocean feels freezing without actually touching and its colour appears more blue than in the summer time. The darker colour gives a feeling of heaviness and strength. In contrast, the yellow, white and light grey colours of the rocks do not look sharp and hard; they become mellow and soft. Rock surfaces are sculpted into different layers by weathering and tides, and the layers’ present fluent curves in their massive bulk. It allows me to imagine how powerful the sea water and wind must be to produce rocks that have so much variation in texture and shape. The waves are constantly moving towards to the shore, and they sound like they were whispering something to me.

Leaning on the rocks and overlooking the sea makes me feel peaceful. The transitory quiet helps me to escape the anxiousness of the research project and loneliness of living abroad. The mood and environment that I am in evokes images of the coastline and rock scenery in my hometown. Although the weather is cold, there are many people visiting La Perouse, fishing or taking photographs. All these things remind me of the time I stayed with my family in Heishi

Jiao.

I touched the rock surface to feel the sense of history, which accumulates year by year. The granular sandstone become more obvious as I look at it in a close range. Although it feels rough, the sandstone texture looks like the cross section through woolen yarn that is woven and assembled together. It is as if the striations of the sedimentary rocks are the embodiment of stable and soft woolen sculpture. I think the merger of two very different materials are the results of my imagination and my experience with rocks. The rocks are so familiar, and I am moved by what I see. They are the objects bearing my home sickness and releasing my emotions. Nature is our home and every time I am immersed in the natural landscape, I feel I have returned home. The rocks and I are family members at that moment.

Writing diaries has recorded the feelings I had when I went to visit the coastal rocks. The feelings and emotions are an essential part of practical research. I extract the keywords, such as relaxing, comfort, quiet, stable, soft and so on, which come to mind as I write in my diary.

These words are concerned with the materials, techniques and form of expression that I choose in my practice. The initial artistic ideas in interpreting rocks' textures are visualized in the process of reflection and experimentation in the art making process.

Figure 19: Hui Li, Mind map, 2016; Markers and paper, 14 X 22cm.

In conjunction with rock formations and their symbolic meaning as well as analyzing my experience with rocks, I realize that geological knowledge and personal feeling greatly inspire artistic practice. Rocks are metaphors of reading material that require people to approach and observe the objects closely. The process unconsciously influences people to contemplate nature. For me, rocks are natural objects that can evoke recollections and enlighten the imagination. Through artistic expression, the beach rocks have changed the impression of coldness and roughness to become soft and warm.

Chapter 6

Applying Images of Rocks' Texture to Textile Materials

This research project involves an investigation into the characteristics and connotation of natural objects – rocks - through the discipline of textiles. The written material in this thesis acts as an explanation of how the project was carried out, which includes the cultural background, geological knowledge and personal experience. Textile art making is the major component and outcome of the research. The theory of 'Unity of Nature and Man' plays an important part in the historical review of the unique Chinese culture involving rock, that helps to provide an appropriate understanding of the Chinese aesthetics embedded in rocks. The scientific knowledge of rocks is studied for the purpose of developing different techniques methods for the process of creating the artworks. Meanwhile, my own individual feelings towards rocks have directly influenced my artistic expression. All these elements are organized harmoniously into the textile creations.

In this project, the studio research concentrates on interpreting rocks' textures and patterns with cotton fabric, woolen yarn and silk as well as combining with textile crafts, such as stitching, hooking and natural dyeing. The focus of attention is how to express, in the most appropriate way, textures and patterns that show that these textile art works are created from inspiration derived from natural objects. The art works are generated by observing, rubbing and mapping to produce sketches prior to their being made in textile materials. In order to describe a wide range of aspects of rock's surface tactility, I have used a variety of techniques which include a combination of digital printing and stitching, rubbing and natural dyeing. These processes are used to depict natural rocks and their qualities, and the art making process and materials reflect the concept of naturalness as well.

Based on Chinese stone culture, investigations of Chinese aesthetics, and their theoretical and spiritual dimensions, I have generated several ways of enriching my artistic presentations.

Chinese traditional culture and the propensity to attribute individual emotions to nature and

61 taking advantage of a scene to express one's feeling, has influenced many Chinese artists.

However, as documented in previous chapters, Chinese artists, including myself, have utilized a variety of materials and techniques to develop this spirit in contemporary art. For example, I have tried to arrange the textile works to imitate the rocky landscapes, which are similar to the rocks’ setting in Chinese gardens. The aim is to create an atmosphere for viewers. Additionally, applying the idea of 'rocks' surfaces are the miniature of mountains' to works has been a guide for me to fold and stitch silk fabric after it has been rubbed with wax on the surface of selected rocks. The pleats and stitching marks are like the rugged texture and scattered hills found in the natural environment.

The art works also involve my individual experience and aspirations regarding nature. I attempt to project my own feelings into art making, and realize that the process of creating is a way of releasing emotion. Thus, the works made of soft textile materials are emotional objects for me.

In this chapter, the writings keep pace with the procedure of artistic creation. Here I introduce the first step that is rubbing and mapping rocks. The rubbing pictures provide basic patterns and inspiration for the development of the next textile series. Then the textile works are presented systematically with their artistic ideas, materials and techniques as well as containing reflective thinking that can constantly stimulate fertile deliberations in the process of art making.

6.1 Rubbing and mapping the rocks

6.1.1 Rubbing

The action of touching the beach rocks bridges nature and my body, and the initiation of the research project is stimulated by experiencing rocks. The methods of rubbing and mapping with/in visualize the feeling of rocks’ texture and the abstract scientific notions of geology and time. The techniques of rubbing and mapping have a certain degree of similarity in producing visual images, which can transform tactility into an illustration and transform it from the intangible to the tangible. However, mapping with/in is not simply a process of acquiring

62 images and positioning, but also involves my physical body feeling the form of the rocks.

The rubbing technique can be traced back as far as the 6th century Christian Era. It has a long history in China, and it is a skill that is used to preserve and spread information from ancient times. In Britain, in the early 19th century, the rubbing of bronze works and tomb inscriptions as well as memorial plaques in medieval churches was popular. Nowadays, these reproductions are not only seen as records of specific objects of a past era, they are also representing the trends in aesthetic development. However, rubbing developed in modern art and began alongside drawing, decoration, and sculpture as a means of conveying meaning.

Figure 20: Hui Li, Rubbing pattern, 2015; Pencil on paper, 26 X 29cm.

The technique of frottage and rubbing continues to be explored in depth by artists, from the late 19th century to the present and remains as experimental practice in drawing, printmaking, and sculpture through to the twentieth century. The techniques are applied to drawings and to document the earth’s characteristics intimately by placing a malleable material over natural objects. Frottage allows contemporary artists to investigate and record observe environmental changes and human relationships to the land. Richard Long (born June 1945) is a famous British land art artist and all Long's work describes his connection with the landscape. Long often uses

63 photography, text, and maps of the earth which he has walked in, to make a response to natural environments. He sculpts installations of rocks taken from quarries, and other unaffected meaning materials from specific locations. Apart from making sculptures, there is a series of four screen prints which are based on rubbing textured slate and limestone directly.

Stone is one of this artist's preferred materials and he has said that he likes the "idea that stones are what the world is made of."50 Long’s Slate and Limestone Drawings appear to have striation textures that are created by rubbing with a pencil on grooves and lines of rocks, which record the contact with human skin and natural elements.

Figure 21: Richard Long, Part of Slate and Limestone Drawings, 1994; Screen print on paper, 24 x 50cm.

Jude Roberts is an Australian artist who is currently studying for a doctorate of Fine Arts at

Griffith University. Her large-scale studio practice exhibits groundwater sites through different areas of inland Australia employing frottage and mixed media. The processes of composition lead Roberts to be concerned about the earth's constant changes produced by natural forces and human activities. The artist claims that "I see the skin of the earth as a floor for human and geological activity, but also a ceiling for the Basin and other natural and physical phenomena."51 Roberts has documented several regions of the Great Artesian Basin, where

50 Brettell, R. R. (1996). Richard Long: circles, cycles, mud, stones. Houston: Contemporary Arts Museum. p.24. 51 https://bimbleboxartproject.com/artistscurator/jude-roberts/ Accessed 20 December 2016.

64 she used stains, marks and materials left unintentionally by nature itself on the paper. With the intentional expression of outdoor drawings made in the studio, the procedure of recreating establishes a collaboration between the environment and the artist herself. Through print making images of the land, Roberts is stimulated to reflect the human/nature theme in relation to the concept of time, geology and history which are also a central concern in my rubbing and textile works.

Figure 22: Jude Roberts, Shroud for ancient basin, 2013; Charcoal on hosho paper, cotton and rope, 360 X 204cm.

Drawing support from frottage and rubbing, many artists explore images of texture and forms of expression in art practice and the intangible qualities of history, cultural sites and societal significance are represented and brought in front of viewers by a kind of visualization.

Professor Ian Howard is recognized internationally as an artist and educationist who was the

Dean, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales (1998-2013). His research focused on the cultural relationship between civilians and military personnel, relating to walls and borders as well as military vehicles resonates strongly with, current conversations around

'border protection', raising persistent national anxieties around the porous boundaries of the

Australian island nation. Rubbing the walls and barriers serving as the borders between, for example, East and West Germany, push us to cross that line dividing domestic and civilian lives from the military and state apparatuses that range about them. In the past several decades,

Howard has produced artworks including rubbings of military vehicles and border walls. The latter case includes works at the Berlin wall site in 1974, the Great Wall of China in 2000, and the work connected with the Yalu River Delta fences in 2012. All have been important or still play an significant role in the region’s protection.

Figure 23: Ian Howard, Chinese/North Korean border, Changbai Mountain site work, 2012.

The rubbing works are completed using a marking agent of black wax crayon and paper, and they narrate the materiality of the wall in terms of the construction process. However, the method of reproduction simultaneously implicates the tangible and immaterial and presence and absence. As James Gleeson argued, "the actual presence of the object leaves us with a kind of ghost image, a residue which summons up the reality of the object."52 Thus, it can be seen as a subtraction occurring in the process of rubbing, which copies the relic traces of the object and leaves white spaces on the paper that corresponds to lost parts of reality. To some degree, the rubbing patterns do not reflect substance or materiality entirely, the black rubbing marks are the record of existing solidity and permanence, while the blanks represent

52 http://ianhoward.net.au/writing-about-howard.html. Accessed 20 December 2016. (Cited from James Gleeson. “Realism with a Difference,” The Sun-Herald, February 6, 1972, p.102.). 66 emptiness, non-existence.

Figure 24: Ian Howard, Orford shoreline site work, 2011.

The widespread use of mass media and digital images means there is no shortage of visual penetration. By comparing with rubbing, Gleeson further explained the proliferation of visual forms as "a devaluing of images. The image transferred by a rubbing only appears in your presence because that physical piece of paper or canvas was once on the object. Immediacy is one result. And in terms of reality -- if you have the image of the object on the canvas, it must exist."53

For the large scale of expressive object that Howard chooses, it seems that the rubbing technique is the most appropriate for representing walls and military apparatus. Gleeson observes: "The import, power and poignancy of message on walls is difficult to represent satisfactorily either through photography or conventional painting and graphic art. The rubbing

53 ibid. 67 technique, transferring the wall image onto paper or canvas with wax and paint, seems best suited for capturing the essence of these significant surfaces, signs, and locations. The reason for this is partly because of the very direct, one-to-one relationship between the surface being represented (the stone wall, for example) and the material of representation (the paper or canvas), partly because the artist more easily has a direct vision of the scale and structure of the graphic message and partly because of the 'on location' imperative and the insights this brings, when undertaking a rubbing directly from a place of significance."54 Therefore, rubbing yields a conversion of tactility and a directly visualization.

6.1.2 Mapping

The body of rubbings in this research project is based on traditional rubbing techniques, and it reflects a similar procedure of obtaining graphic textures from a vast range of natural objects.

Further, the rubbing captures me and my imagination as being a part of the environment, engulfed in an area of rocks since every frictional movement upon the paper and the rocks, slowly reveals the whole rubbing image. The rubbing technique plays close attention to both the meaning and beauty of natural elements and nature embraces me totally. One of the purposes of the research is to discuss the relation between the physical body and the environment based on exploiting textile works inspired by natural elements. Thus, the concept of mapping with/in needs to be introduced and explored into the depth.

Writing in 'Earth-Mapping-Artists Reshaping the Landscape'; Edward S. Casey proposed four categories of maps that apply to different types of terrain and place. The simplest type is based on mathematical law and cartographic language to describe and draw spatial distribution, relationships and changes to the earth. The other three categories are: mapping for, mapping with/in and mapping out. Mapping for describes maps that are made for specific purposes, for example, graphically designed maps of parks, telling you how to navigate your way through them. The development of mapping with/in and mapping out have relevance to post-modern land art. Casey claims that these concepts arise from the conjunction of mapping and painting

54 ibid. 68 that is influenced by the art movement called the 'land art project' from the 1960's to the

1980's. The meaning of the relationship between nature and human beings is significant and will be explored in the context of the definition of mapping with/in as part of this research project.

Mapping with/in is described as making images through immersion, within earth matter, or on the surface of the earth. Casey summarised the proposition of mapping with/in in his book ’Earth-mapping: artists reshaping the landscape’, as he states, "The in of mapping with/in concerns the way in which such mapping refuses to assume a detached position...... but moves down to the very material it maps. The map is immanent in what is mapped: it sinks into the very matter it projects so as better to reflect it from within...... Instead of imposing a map on the landscape, the artist-mapping exposes the landscape itself: shows it to be itself a map or maplike."55

The process of making textiles in the research project encompasses the action of mapping with/in. Whilst my purpose is not to mark the position of rocks or unfold a maplike composition of earth materials, I attempt to immerse my whole physical body in the rock landscape with touch and sight as well as my mind wandering and feeling the landscape’s configuration and textures. I squatted on the rocks to obtain patterns of the rocks’ character with paper, pencil, watercolour, and chalk. My whole body was nested in the natural environment to experience the rocks embrace. Through continuously stepping on the rocks and seeing at close range the rocks’ textures, I was able to take the patterns by rubbing, through mapping by immersion and by being completely absorbed in rock matters. In this way, a 'qualitative aspect of the earth' can be recognized and re-created within situational experiences and the action of rubbing.

Paul Carter in his book 'Material Thinking' presents a new way of viewing natural environment for landscape painters, which evolves an immersive process of art making that is similar to the

55 Casey, E. S. (2005). Earth-mapping: Artists reshaping landscape. U of Minnesota Press. p. 189. 69 activity of mapping with/in. The emphasis is that artists involve themselves in painting and avoid isolating themselves from nature. "The artist, neither scientist or sceantist, ... must incubate a vision without scale, sight ways without a vanishing point. He scales the rigging of the lianas; the turning kite of his eye notches the sky. The better his mimicry the less he represents. Pressed up against the surface, in his spiritual prism there is caught a finely-veined wing of transparency; a world-window without frames. ... He sees the different habitats superimposed. He hears the different sonic spectra together. He is the collector of interference patterns, the connoisseur of fringes."56

Figure 25: Artist was rubbing and mapping on the rocks in La Perouse, 2016.

John Wolseley’s artworks as a case study demonstrate Carter’s arguments. Wolseley is a British watercolor landscape artist who suggests the artist become an integral part of the landscape itself, observing it from the inside. Wolseley intends to reveal the earth's energy, beauty and changes through using drawing methods such as watercolour, rubbing and collage as well as incorporating body contact with real plants, trees, rocks and particular places. Wolseley uses mapping with/in to immerse himself and making materials within the landscape, which allows him to examine microspcopic details. His artistic production goes beyond the mere description

56 Carter, P. (2004). Material thinking: The theory and practice of creative research. Carlton, Vic: Melbourne University Publishing. p. 39. 70 of landscape, although the works traverse the environment intimately and narrate its stories accurately. In the exhibition catalogue (2007) of 'Travelling West to Sunset Tank', Wolseley states, "I have always wanted to make a painting of land by subjecting my paper or canvas to the same kinds of physical processes which the land itself experiences."57 All the methods

Wolsely used, try and break the central position and authority of the artist by integrating the artist and nature together in a holistic performance of art making.

Figure 26: John Wolseley, Scrambling, climbing, flying and moving through the Cobboboonee

Forest, 2006-2009; Watercolour, carbonised wood, graphite on sixteen sheets of paper, 56 X

76cm each sheet.

Mapping out or absorptive mapping is identified with the human body engaging in the activity of mapping landscape. It builds up the hypothesis principle for the artists that physical engagement can direct landscape painting beyond the mere replication of scenery. Edward

Casey suggests the most significant meaning of the mapping out process is the “way the body of the mapper (or artist) – and by invitation and identification, that of the viewer – is drawn

57 Wolseley, John. & Australian Galleries Pty. Ltd. (2007). John Wolseley: travelling west to sunset tank: Melbourne works on paper, 19 September - 14 October 2007. Melbourne: Australian Galleries. 71 into the mapwork, (or artwork) finding his or her bodily bearings there.”58 Casey also suggests that the artistry is related to the process of bodies touching the surface of the land which is thus directly involved in the art making. Again, in theory, the artworks give viewers a sense of what the land feels like from close range.

In this research project, the rubbings visualize the texture and tactility of rocks. They provide a basic pattern for building further creation in the textile field. A subtle variation of rock materiality formed by geological changes is represented by textile materials. While in the process of interpreting the rocks persona in the landscape, textile creation does not simply replicate the intact rock or mimic its hard propertiesy. In order to acquire subtle textures and delicate patterns from the rocks, I chose pencil, chalk and watercolor as alternative marking agents instead of the conventional materials like ink, Chinese paper, and sponge, so that the rubbings are composed of linear shapes and round dots. I am attracted by the variety of configurations and shapes of beach rocks and their open structure of grainy textures. My body physically builds a connection with the rocks through the skills of rubbing and movement of mapping with/in.

6.2 "Time marks"

In the process of choosing and rubbing the surfaces, the composition and appearance of the original rocks have been constructed and deconstructed in terms of the drawing effects. As I develop the procedure, I reinterpret the results through computer software, which allow me to adjust the colour contrast or overlay real rock pictures and rubbing patterns into a single layer.

The processed drawings are printed onto fabrics that appear pixilated, making the images seem more abstract, so that the fabrics offer a soft base for further steps in the process.

Working with both digital printing and handmade stitching allows for more creative and dynamic forms and patterns which are more enduring than in the solid form. The patterns come from rocks and consequently have a certain level of abstraction and generalization, but they are not like real rocks.

58 Casey, E. S. (2005). Earth-mapping: Artists reshaping landscape. U of Minnesota Press. p. 189. 72

The printing images and textures have been enhanced in the process of stitching and embroidery. Those seemingly intricate dots and lines on the printing base have become organized into a directional distribution, associated with handmade conventional stitching.

Consequently, we can see some short lines assembled together and some spread out following the digital printing traces. The colours of the threads are approximated to the printing pictures, which are brown, grey, ivory and several metallic colours. Firstly, the colour threads that are used in textile art aim to mimic the ground patterns and colour pallet, and are mixed harmoniously. Secondly, the metallic shinny lines imitate the minerals in rocks and different types of thread can enhance the richness of the textures when viewers examine the works closely.

Figure 27: Hui Li, Time Marks, 2016; Cotton line and digital printing, 16 X 29cm.

Figure 28: Hui Li, Time Marks, 2016, Cotton line and digital printing, 16 X 29cm.

I realize the stitching marks have become a way to record time and are similar to the way in which the wrinkles of the rocks’ surfaces visualize the geological time of the earth. The embroidery lines accumulate and express the deposition layers in rocks, and my reflection about natural rocks is generated through artistic creation. The recreation is developed by every stitch and every thread and yields an invitation to touch. I stitch over the plain textures with thread, in order to intensify their texture and tactility to the extent that viewers can feel the embossed nature of the stitching marks. The works are tactile and sensual, with images of rubbed rocks and stitching lines appearing as superimposed effects. They convey a duality of visual experience, both familiar and unfamiliar.

6.3 "Soft rocks"

"Soft rocks" is a hooking series developed from my individual experience with rocks. Its aim is to create a sense of warmth and stability through hooking woolen yarn, which establishes nuanced textures and different layers. The process of practice also starts from the parallel development of rubbing patterns alongside my experiences and memories. When reviewing the amassed patterns produced through rubbing, a distinct consistency of marks can be recognized. The traces are abstracted into dot and line shapes, which can be transferred into textiles. However, in this series, I see the cross section of woolen yarn as a circle shape and several circles appearing as a line, which is alike to rubbing drawings, rather than hooking a dot or line shapes. Therefore, the hooking series still reflect the main purpose of research project which is to interpret textures.

The artistic exploration of rocks embodies my individual affection for these geological remnants. My affection raises a number of emotional connections which influence the types of materials and forms of expression I might use. For instance, rocks are stable, soft and warm and represent safety and accumulated memories which are different from the stereotype interpretations of their ruthlessness, stubbornness or silence. Because rocks are seen as communicators for me, memories and imagination are generated in the connection with rocks.

From the perspective of my emotional experience, the rocks are symbols that represent my

74 memory and experience with families in my hometown. When I see and touch rocks, those rocks seem to bear my homesickness and appear to get softer and warmer. They are not hard and cold anymore in my imagination. Hence, the contradistinctive tactility of hard and soft that happens between substance and personal feeling that is a stimulus to encourage me to employ gentle materials to complete the translation of rock textures.

Figure 29: Hui Li, Experimentation of soft rocks series, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 13 X

22cm.

My hooking series is made of different types of woolen yarn that is familiar in our lives. Wool is made into warm clothing, and woven and knitted garments as well as functioning as indoor aesthetically decorative tapestries. Wool has many properties such as good shape recovery, thermal properties preventing moisture absorption, and is recyclable and biodegradable59. It also has positive haptics, all being qualities that remind us to think about words such as warmth, comfort or relief, which are close to my feelings of rock within my imagination. On the other hand, woolen textiles span handicraft and fine art. Textile materials, structures and techniques have been employed conceptually by contemporary artists. They extend between the functionally decorative and the artistically aesthetic. Therefore, I see the hooking soft rocks serve for artistic expression as well as furnishing interiors.

59 Hibbert, R. (2004). Textile innovation: interactive, contemporary and traditional materials. p.16 75

The expression "Soft rocks" oscillates between tapestry and 3-dimensional relief. It stems from different distances yielding different visual experiences to the viewers of rock surfaces. When we stand away from beach rocks, they are like huge bulks standing there. However, as we approach them, I find more layers and detail textures on the rock surfaces. In attempting to present the effect described above, the techniques of hooking with cutting and trimming allow me to sculpt the surfaces into a variety of layers.

Although the research project focuses on interpreting rocks' textures, the configurations of all the artworks simulate rocks' organic shapes. The "Soft rocks" have irregular shapes, and they are unframed so that they look like a structured woolen yarn and panorama of colour that is spread on the wall.

Figure 30: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 20 X 55cm.

Figure 31: Details of soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn.

6.4 "Miniature landscape" and "Chinese landscape"

Expressing the subtlety of rocks’ textures is the motivation to produce the series. However, in the process of researching and making the artworks, the idea of exploring the subtleties of rocks has been expanded into imitating landscapes. It is profoundly influenced by the concepts inherent in Chinese stone culture which sees rock texture as a microscopic representation of the landscape. Therefore, to create the effects of craggy hills and valleys, I think silk materials are appropriate in this series, because pleats are relatively easy to form with this material.

Meanwhile, "miniature landscape" and "Chinese landscape" result from the development of an unconventional rubbing technique with which I use wax to scratch rocks that are underneath silk. The next step is to put waxy silk into a dye pot that is filled with eucalyptus leaves and water for natural dyeing.

Through rubbing with wax and silk, I have obtained less obvious patterns from rocks' surfaces.

The silk becomes variegated consisting of many abstract shapes and dots that have generalized the diminutive and somewhat untidy textures of rocks. Before dipping and dyeing, I hold the silk on the fire to melt the wax into fabric. As molten parts becoming transparent, the traces of rubbing gradually come out that represent the rocks essential pattern.

Figure 32: Rubbing with silk and wax, 2016.

The dyeing procedures and materials adopt eco-friendly principles without poisons or contamination. Silk soaks in the dyeing pot for at least two days and the process is repeated two or three times untill optimal colours appear. As a result of the wax, some parts of the silk fabric resist the dye and produce contrasting colours and different layers. After natural dyeing, the variegated effect is enhanced which conveys a sense of geological history, as if we sensing a real rock.

Figure 33: Details of natural dyeing with rubbing pattern, 2016.

There are two motivations for sculpting landscapes within silk fabrics. One is the abstract patterns from the dyeing seem like several groups of landscape vistas. The other motivation is

78 based on an understanding of 'Zhou' that comes from the culture of appreciating stones, and it describes rugged texture. When Chinese people see the wrinkled surface of rocks, they are led into a vast landscape even through they are gazing at a tiny presence. The Chinese regard rich surfaces as microscopic landscape of the world. Therefore, I make random pleats in the silk to imitate landscape reality, and I also follow the dyeing pattern in the process of folding. The flat silk is supported by dense pleats which I see as the frame and bones of the artwork. It is organized into three dimensional abstract shapes which look like a mound of rocks or series of smaller landscapes. A good abstract landscape should provide viewers with an imagination space which stems from the images of landscape but takes them well beyond, even beyond the confines of the artist’s description.

Figure 34: Hui Li, Miniature landscape, 2017; Natural dyeing, stitching, 25 X 60cm.

Concern about the display of "miniature landscapes" also brings inspiration and reflection in art production that is equivalent to a second creation. Apart from being placed on the wall, the resemble group of landscape vistas are hung in space so that they seem to float. The dense pleat and light quality produce visual contrast. Audiences can look at works from different angles, which offer different landscape perspectives. Appreciating this work is a process of discovering various images -- many sceneries in a little piece of silk.

Figure 35: Hui Li, Chinese landscape, 2017; Natural dyeing, stitching, fish line, rocks, 60 X

280cm.

Figure 36: Hui Li, Details of Chinese landscape, 2017.

6.5 Geological folding

Experimenting with various forms to help interpretation of rocks and their texture also originated from rocks' geological processes. They inform the research methodologies involved in choosing materials and exploring forms, shapes and crafts. In order to visualize and interpret; decipher scientific knowledge for making textiles, several words come to mind in relation to the rocks' formative processes, such as folding, pressure compression, condensation, sedimentation and time. They continually contribute to aesthetic concepts and artistic ideas. A variety of images are created by silk and embroidery in the series entitled "Geological folding" textile works. The physical and geological information open pathways to imaginative practice research and I refer to "geological folding" as a hybrid of science and art.

Figure 37: Hui Li, Geological folding, 2016; Natural dyeing, stitching, plastic card, 16 X 29cm each sheet.

"Geological folding" employs natural dyeing, embroidery and mixed media to create different textures and shapes. The folds and embroidery lines express layers and positioning in

81 geological strata. I stitch the folded silk onto the translucent cards as if they are sections sliced from rocks. The geological information is converted to abstract patterns of dots and lines into the silk fabric.

Figure 38: Details of Geological folding, 2016.

6.6 Summary

Fabrics visualize and activate the impressions obtained from rocks, changing their somewhat uninspiring and heavy character into qualities reminiscent of warmth and friendliness in the art discipline.

All tangible outcomes are in conjunction with my personal emotions and memories that are embodied in every stitch, hook, and embroidery thread that I have employed. The textile rocks create feelings of comfort, warmth and security that express my experiences retained in my memory and imagination. As an international student studying in Australia, I felt loneliness because of cultural background, gaps in communication and pressure of studies. When I walked beside the sea and touched the rocks in Sydney, they helped me recall the happy memories that my families and I had on the beach in my hometown. The emotion is released as I sit on the rocks and when I am in the process of interpreting rocks through artistic means.

Theses series of textile works not only present rocks' textures and objective characteristics, but also associate with artistic conceptions from Chinese aesthetics. The textile works aim to evoke audiences’ imagination by means of the art works or an atmosphere built by artists. Nature is harnessed to generate original art works: however, art works activate awareness of the natural world. I look forward to offering an ephemeral moment during which audiences will can be fascinated by the rhythms of the natural rocks as well as being led into rock landscapes, where they can feel a harmonious relationship with nature.

6.7 Artworks:

Figure 39: Hui Li, Time Marks, 2016; Cotton line and digital printing, 29 X 40cm each sheet.

Figure 40: Hui Li, Time Marks, 2016; Cotton line and digital printing, 16 X 29cm each sheet.

Figure 41: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 45 X 200cm.

Figure 42: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 20 X 130cm, 20 X 70cm, 20 X

35cm, 40 X 107cm, 90 X 110cm, 60 X 60cm.

Figure 43: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 40 X 75cm.

Figure 44: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2016; Hooking with woolen yarn, 25 X 60cm, 22 X 45cm.

Figure 45: Hui Li, Geological folding, 2017; Natural dyeing, stitching, plastic card, 16 X 29cm each sheet.

Figure 46: Hui Li, Soft rocks, 2017; Natural dyeing, stitching, 40 X 90cm, 50 X 80cm.

Figure 47: Hui Li, Chinese landscape, 2017; Natural dyeing, stitching, fish line, rocks, 60 X

280cm.

Figure 48: Hui Li, The Exhibition of Read in Rocks in A&D Space, 2017.

Figure 49: Hui Li, The Exhibition of Read in Rocks in A&D Space, 2017.

Chapter 7

Conclusions

This project has been a fruitful achievement that has produced textile works which interpret rocks’ textures. The starting point of this research project is my personal experience and emotional connection with rocks, which derives from investigating the historical, cultural and geological information that is relevant to rocks and which has enriched my understanding of rocks. My enhanced understanding provides multiple dimensions for exploring the possibilities in the process of art making. The relation between theory and practice has important meanings, namely, that practice mirrors the guidance of theoretical research while theory brings lasting impact to practical research.

Gaining a brief historical knowledge of people who live with stones and rocks since ancient times, underlines that rocks have played an important role in human life. It sets a robust background for research, as humans have had close connections with rocks for millennia.

Through exploring Chinese stone culture, especially the culture of appreciating stones and garden rocks as well as the conception of 'Unity of Nature and Man', the research has been influenced by strong aesthetic and philosophical reference. The research project steps further in a cultural direction. Rocks as natural objects, have changed into a spiritual symbol in terms of attracting human emotions, implying personal characteristics and conveying a sense of history. On the other hand, rocks serve a physical function, constructing landscapes which also evoke imagination beyond the present sceneries in Chinese gardens. To extend the conception of 'Unity of Nature and Man' and its stress on harmonious relationships is helpful for comprehending the inner meaning of Chinese stone culture. Because this conception is very complicated and vast, I attempt to explain it from an aesthetics perspective. First, it is closely related to art. Second, the situation of unity and harmony occurs in the aesthetic and spiritual planes. While, the 'Unity of Nature and Man' forms the framework within which this work’s theory and practice have both benefited, I must honestly acknowledge the limitations of my

94 knowledge and understanding which are likely to suffer from incomplete interpretation.

Through the review of the case studies, I have gained a more profound understanding of how the essence and connotation of rocks can be expressed by artists and their ideas and the use of various textile materials. They provide a reflective conjunction with textile practice from different viewpoints that the research project can draw upon and be inspired by.

Rocks as reading material may reveal geological and temporal information as well as recalling my individual memories. The material combines scientific knowledge and personal emotion, which is realized in the art making. On the one hand, accumulating a factual geological and rock knowledge not only has offered a scientific context, it also produces artistic approaches that are involved in constructing images in the studio. On the other hand, focusing on translating individual experiences and interpreting rocks textures within textile materials, are parallel to feelings of comfort and warmth.

The rubbing and mapping have helped me greatly in gaining the basic patterns and interpretative textures of the local rocks from La Perouse. Rubbings are both realistic and creative images in patterns which I sometimes cannot depict in drawings form direct observation. Additionally, the activity of mapping and the concept of immersion in the rocks has played a significant part in the process of getting in touch with nature. It echoes the in depth relationship between nature and man.

In studio practice, the tangible results of experiments with materials and techniques are developed and adjusted as the practice continues, to find appropriate articulation of research aims through the bodies of works. However, the different focus of each series produces slightly different outcomes as a result of exploring additional possibilities and perspectives to enrich the forms of practical research. The stitching series’ emphasizes expressing details of the textures on the rocks’ surface as well as transforming geology into artistic language, while the woolen hooking pieces stress the contrasting materials and feelings between real rocks and my

95 understanding. It is clear that the naturally dyed works are evocative of the imagination of landscape, which is influenced by Chinese stone culture and the Chinese aesthetic. These diverse textile works are expected to create a channel to communicate and maintain a harmonious relationship with nature as audiences appreciate and discover the detailed textures in the surfaces.

During the progress of the research project, I was able to contemplate that the image of stone as a traditional symbol of Chinese culture and aesthetics has fundamentally changed in the context of contemporary art. First of all, owing to variation in shape and texture, stones provide an enlightening and imaginary space for art making, which develops and extends the application of traditional art into a contemporary dimension. Artists explore possibilities to deconstruct and reconstruct the figures of rock through form, material and colour. Secondly, artists contemplate Chinese culture and art through the medium of rocks that represent traditional culture. Therefore, I see my art practice as not only offering aesthetic experience, but also addressing a dialogue with traditional culture.

As stated above, this practice-based research aimed to interpret rocks' textures. However, the presentation is affected by the understanding of nature and in particular the harmonious relationship between nature and man as well as Chinese culture and aesthetics. At present, the process of research demonstrates that it has provided a valid path to create textile textures in terms of natural objects and cultural meaning. Therefore, this research is not an end action or final outcome and I believe that an increasing knowledge and on-going exploration will continue to lead to productive research outcomes and a rich studio practice into the future.

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