In the last week of its run, Out of Character: Decoding Chinese Calligraphy show remains an unprecedented example of a complex art form made gorgeously accessible to the public at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
Before the modern art concept of words as things to be seen, the art of calligraphy in ancient China had been exploring the visual and highly symbolic representation of words and letters for many millennia.
In the sea of abstracted and craftily compressed images of people, plants, things, movements, as well as concepts, dreams and ideas, it is easy to get carried away by the dancing characters, not comprehending their meaning.
Do those who spend years studying Chinese scripts still feel the novelty, the allure of their palpable rhythm and poetry? Apparently so, as the art of calligraphy is valued and appreciated, and transferred from one generation to another, and coveted by collectors around the world.
The works presented at the exhibition are derived from the substantial collection of Jerry Yang, and include painstaking ancient scripts, later creative variations, and bold contemporary interpretations delivered in the most picturesque yet refined and disciplined way. The show runs through January 13. More information at: www.asianart.org 
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