A song from Chengdu revived a closed-down pub.

The calligraphy and painting exhibition lasted for three days. Su Fan only attended the first day and did not show up for the next two days.

The final day was for judging the works.

Su Fan's two calligraphy works were listed on the list of running script and regular script respectively.

Moreover, they were all in first place.

But who exactly wrote these two pieces of calligraphy? Apart from Grandpa Lin and Su Fan, probably no one else knows.

This incident caused quite a stir in the calligraphy community.

Everyone wanted to meet this unassuming master.

Oh, no, there are two.

Because, people naturally assumed that these two works with very different styles were created by two different people.

Yang Chunsheng didn't expose him, but happily watched the spectacle from the sidelines.

Whenever someone inquired about him, he would wave his hand dismissively, saying, "That master is indifferent to fame and fortune and dislikes ostentation. Please don't ask any further."

He brushed it off with a few words.

While outwardly dealing with the situation, Yang Chunsheng secretly tried to find out from Grandpa Lin who the mastermind behind it all was.

Grandpa Lin, however, kept his mouth shut and refused to utter a single word.

Originally, this matter only circulated within the calligraphy circle and did not cause any stir outside of it.

In fact, Su Fan's calligraphy is quite controversial.

That piece of Yan style calligraphy is undoubtedly a masterpiece, widely expected, and no one can find fault with it.

However, the other piece, which features a unique new style of calligraphy, has become the focus of controversy.

Those so-called artists who usually create with mops, water guns, and their heads couldn't sit still when they saw this new font suddenly appear and even win first place.

In their view, if something is to go viral, it should be their performance art that goes viral, not a piece of neat and orderly calligraphy.

If the list were written in a traditional, conventional style, these people wouldn't have reacted so strongly.

But it was a new style of calligraphy, and it received such high praise.

This really hit them where it hurts.

They believe that their bold and innovative works are the true cutting edge of art.

If Su Fan's calligraphy, which still carries a strong traditional foundation, is regarded as a masterpiece that establishes a new school, then wouldn't their scribbles be considered low-class and unworthy of respectability?

So these people started to act sarcastic and unsettling.

"Ha, the calligraphy circle these days is getting more and more boring. When it comes to awarding prizes, they still cling to the old ways, calling it 'learning from the past and creating the new.' If you ask me, it's just old wine in new bottles. They don't even dare to put down their brushes, so how can they talk about innovation? True art is about breaking all constraints!"

"Some so-called new calligraphic styles, upon closer inspection, are simply cobbled together from the old styles of Ouyang Xun, Liu Gongquan, and Zhao Mengfu. How dare they call themselves pioneers? Ridiculous! Art is the expression of the body, the cry of the soul!"

"It's just the conservatives indulging in self-congratulation; the judges' aesthetic sense is still stuck in the last century!"

……

When these sarcastic remarks came out, Yang Chunsheng was the first to get upset.

As the president of the calligraphy association who had personally witnessed those two pieces of calligraphy and presided over the selection process, how could he tolerate these people belittling truly good works in order to elevate their own sensationalist creations?

He immediately stepped in and started criticizing.

"Breaking free from constraints doesn't mean abandoning the basics. Innovation requires standing on the shoulders of giants, not rushing to overturn the table before even touching the threshold. That new calligraphy style, with Ouyang Xun and Liu Gongquan as its bones, Zhao Mengfu as its flesh, and running script as its spirit, is a fusion of styles, forming a unique whole. Behind this lies decades of tireless practice. You should first master the 'Jiucheng Palace Stele' before we talk about breaking free from constraints, okay?"

"Art can flourish in all its forms, but there should at least be a standard. If you're truly talented, you should produce a genuine work that can withstand scrutiny and let everyone judge it. Just talking big and making accusations online only exposes your insecurity and serves no other purpose!"

……

Yang Chunsheng's sharp rebuttals, each one reasonable and hitting the nail on the head, drew support from many calligraphy enthusiasts who were truly knowledgeable and had long disliked the trend of those seeking to please the crowd.

For a time, a heated argument erupted over Su Fan's calligraphy of unknown origin.

In fact, the reason why the two sides argued so fiercely was ultimately a clash between two different philosophies of calligraphy.

One faction is the traditional faction, represented by Yang Chunsheng.

They believe in the principle of learning from the past and innovating, and that the roots of calligraphy are deeply embedded in the brushwork, structure, and state of mind passed down for thousands of years.

To innovate, one must first thoroughly understand and master the knowledge of one's ancestors, standing on the shoulders of giants before attempting to create one's own unique style.

Without this foundation, so-called innovation is nothing more than water without a source or a tree without roots.

In their eyes, Su Fan's new calligraphic style, which blends various styles and forms its own unique style, is precisely a model of innovating upon the old.

It has preserved its traditional roots while also growing its own branches and leaves.

The other faction consists of those who tout themselves as avant-garde and reformers.

They argue that art should break free from all constraints, believing that the brush, Xuan paper, and even traditional brush techniques are shackles that restrict creativity.

Only those alternative expressions represent the future of art.

In their view, Su Fan's handwriting, which bore a strong traditional imprint, represented conservatism and antiquity.

These two ideas are fundamentally incompatible and have a long history of resentment.

This time, however, the new calligraphic style, of unknown origin yet highly praised, became the fuse that ignited the conflict between the two groups.

The viewpoints of both groups are also very clear.

One side argued, "You don't even have the basics, how can you talk about innovation?"

The other side argued, "How can you talk about art when you're clinging to old relics?"

One person accused the other of trying to gain attention by creating a stir.

One person said the other was stuck in their ways.

They argued back and forth, neither willing to yield, and the argument grew increasingly heated, filling the entire calligraphy circle with a palpable tension.

Ultimately, this debate has long since transcended the question of whether the calligraphy is good or bad.

Su Fan's work was merely a fuse.

It ignited a long-suppressed clash between two artistic philosophies.

Su Fan, who was at the center of this storm, was completely unaware of all of this at the moment.

The two pieces of calligraphy he casually wrote, by sheer coincidence, thoroughly stirred up the undercurrent of tradition and innovation within the calligraphy circle.

The debate between the two sides escalated, and gradually, it even spread from the calligraphy circle to the classroom.

On this day, in a calligraphy appreciation class at a university, the teacher simply brought up both of these matters at the same time.

The teacher stood on the podium, with two sets of pictures side by side on the screen behind him.

On one side was Su Fan's new calligraphy style, which had become unique in its own right.

On the other side are performance art pieces created using mops and water guns.