A Radical Reading of Chinese Characters

In this China seminar at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Tsai will radicalize the subtle connection between Chinese literary works and abstract painting.

How does one read? Does literacy play an irreplaceable role in reading? Without understanding Mandarin Chinese, can one read, for instance, the Tang poet Wang Wei’s poetry and appreciate it, and how? This talk considers the above questions in relation to the readability of a variety of Chinese writings--from traditional calligraphy, contemporary (concrete) poetry, to modern-day fiction. From an interdisciplinary perspective, this talk radicalizes the subtle connection between Chinese literary works and abstract painting.

Reception begins at 3:00 p.m., followed shortly after by the talk at 3:30 p.m.