The Narration of the Cosmos

Qian Gong

Here is the dance of the tongue of fire

Recorded in the tooth marks of burning holes

Like the moonlight, sifted by the lotus leaves

The trees are muttering to themselves

Grinding their feelings into the growth rings

One circle after another

The creek changes the tunes

Constantly trying her voice, Sometimes shocked by the thunder’s prompts

Sometimes confused by the wind’s advice

Dense raindrops, sparse raindrops

Here time has tripped over

The jumbled rocks collect its messy steps

Mountains, under thousands of hammer blows

Extend to the distant horizon

The river rubs its shadows

The fog polishes the surface of the lake

Ceaseless and tireless

Light raindrops, heavy raindrops

Dotting stroke, shading stroke, dyeing stroke, tinting stroke

Are my exclusive stunts

Baking ink, breaking ink, smashing ink, amassing ink

Are my everyday taiji

Rosy clouds, chafed cheeks

Shiny pebbles, bleached teeth

Rotten stumps, crinkled arms

White raindrops, black raindrops

This is my narration

Too short to have a beginning

Too long it never ends

All laid out clearly

I just invite a little vibration from you

It seems that all you need is a flicker of finger on your head

Which I did with the pitter-patter

These raindrops, those raindrops.

Author’s note

Although I was familiar with the techniques of traditional Chinese ink paintings, I was both surprised and pleased by Lindy’s ‘literal’ and whimsical adoption of these techniques in her works. Traditional painting techniques are imitations of nature but need to be meticulously practised to master. However, Lindy bypassed these trained skills and let nature do its job. This ‘withdrawal’ is yet more powerful. It is also an act of ‘translating’ traditions into modern art practices. It is extremely innovative and apocalyptic to me. The expressiveness of ink painting is befitting for a form such as poetry.

Qian Gong is a senior lecturer at School of Education, Curtin University. Before joining academia, Qian was a journalist for a decade in the features department of a Chinese national newspaper. One of her beats was fine arts, especially traditional Chinese ink painting and calligraphy. Striving to be an expert in the field, Qian tried to learn calligraphy and failed. But her love and appreciation of arts have been always with her. This is the first time she tried to write poems in both Chinese and English, inspired by Lindy’s boldness and her ease in traversing both cultures.

Lindy Lee, Ink Rain, 2021-22, ink and rain on paper. Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan & Strumpf, Sydney & Singapore. Installation view, Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop, 2022. Photography by Sharon Baker.