Common use of Integrated Design Clause in Contracts

Integrated Design. In an integrated design, the groups of figures are assimilated in one composition spanning the entire width of the wall, and apart from their iconographic markers the deities are no longer directly recognisable as a distinct group. The ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ scroll is a design for of a Heavenly Court painting with an integrated design, certainly an aspect bespeaking the high quality of its original designer. It lacks the groups of subordinate deities found in so many other wall paintings, but the presence of warriors, a music ensemble and groups of court ladies and male attendants would similarly suggest a structure in groups, and the ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ anecdote mentioned above who was responsible for a music ensemble in the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ would corroborate such a view. The integrated character of the ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ scroll is reflected in several elements. In contrast to the Toronto murals which equally depict a moving procession, the two main central deities (a third one, identified in the ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ Collection scroll as the Mulberry Emperor, fusang dadi ᡊḥ໻Ᏹ, is much smaller), in the Wu Zongyuan scroll are not vertically delineated or pictorially separated from their accompanying figures. All the figures in the procession take ever-changing positions and poses, directions that are further reinforced by the changing directions of swords, fans, banners, canopies, the tree branches in the background, and the emphatic billowing sashes and sleeves. The overall forward tilting position of many of the figures and attributes, together with the dancing movement of the drapery folds result in a progressive forward movement of the design, which further contributes to the cohesion and assimilation of the figures in the general design. This motion in one direction acts as a unifying principle for the entire composition. The Beiyue miao murals represent another example of an integrated design (Drawings 3A and 3B). Despite the fact that the groups of figures are separated by clouds, as in a loose design, and distributed in small uneven clusters over the surface of the walls, the painters were able to interconnect the figures of the separate groups through the applications of a great variety of compositional devices. Allow me to attempt to indicate the major compositional devices. 60 The status of the Jade Emperor was elevated in the eleventh century during the ritual reforms introduced by the Song statesman ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ changing an important ritual closing formula. Wushang huanglu dazhai ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ DZ 508, 16.3b-5a. One, vertical lines. Vertically held spears and halberds not only demarcate the boundaries of the assembly depicted on the lower register – the rear guards on the west wall are, by way of variation, found in the donor group in the top register - they also link the bottom and top register by pointing to focal deities placed below or above them. In addition, the spears and halberds of the front guards demarcate the axial line of the composition which is divided into a landscape in the first half and an audience scene in the second half. Two, diagonal lines. Diagonal lines further connect the upper and lower registers. Sometimes these diagonal lines are represented literally such as the flag of the demon above the Official of Earth on the top-right east wall, or the branch of the lady descending from the donor group on the west wall, but in other cases they are represented by movement. Diagonal lines are for example represented pictorially in the streams ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ down through the mountain cracks, or the dragon on the east wall descending through the clouds. The direction suggested by the movement of the Official of Earth group visually enhanced by the streaming flag above him and his trailing sashes, or the Official of Heaven group which diagonal movement is reflected in the direction of the spear of the final guard, also represent figurative diagonal lines in the mural design. Three, eye contact. Eye contact is another major compositional device used by the painters creating various diagonal lines linking figures and groups of figures. A central position in these scheme of eye contact is taken by the so-called Quyang Demon, depicted on the top centre of the west wall; with one hand held over his eyes he looks down sideways. A bearded immortal in the donor group responds to his gaze. The three figures descending from the donor group are met by the eyes of the deity of the Sacred Peak of the South who just turns his head. On the opposite wall, it is the Official of Water who looks down and who finds his gaze answered by a banner guard below him. The Official of Earth seems to have eye contact with a figure interspersed in the clouds in the centre of the composition. Almost all other figures also seem to fixate on some other person – rather than just simply standing in obedience and watching north in three-quarter view as in standard Heavenly Court paintings - and although unanswered, these figures create new lines or reinforce existing diagonal lines. Four, wind. The strong wind blowing from the north in the mural design, and evinced by the floating robes, sashes, flags, beards, and banners, is the source of all movement and direction in the mural design, and therefore its connective principle. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ then relying on one compositional device, the painters adopted them as parts of one unified programme. If all the directional lines are followed, the whole composition seems to be in a spiralling motion. This spiral starts at the north end of the wall, moves across the upper register of the mural, and reaching the south end of the mural it is countered and directed downward to the lower register, where it then continues to the centre again being sent up, moving further in an infinite circling motion. If imagined in the three-dimensional space of the temple hall, the murals become one whirlwind of motion that gravitates to the centre of the hall, the exact location where the Daoist priest performs his ritual and fuses the cosmic powers of the outer universe and his inner body, which is exactly imagined as a whirlwind.61 The Beiyue miao murals also reveal another important aspect of mural design not readily encountered in the previous paintings, namely architectural layout. Undoubtedly prompted by the huge size of the temple walls, the painters of the Beiyue miao murals succeeded quite effectively in adapting their design to the architectural limitations of the hall. The hall is very high, the light is obscure, and the view is partly blocked by the walls of the huge central altar niche spanning almost the entire width of the rear part of the hall. The mural design was adapted to this layout. The division in a north and south part of the mural, as demarcated by the axial centre lines of the spears and halberds of the front guards, is matched by the division of architectural space of the temple hall: the south part with the audience of deities parallels the ritual area, and the landscape scenery of the north part parallels the central altar niche occupying the rear part of the hall. These north parts are evidently darker and blocked from clear view; although painters could have designed an audience of figures crossing the entire width of the wall, they instead adapted their design and made it fit to the best possible extent to the architectural layout of the hall. In addition, the painters used specific colouring techniques to remedy the problems of the dark corners. Although the generally darker landscape occupies the obscure rear end of the wall, the painters depicted the flowing water stream in bright white colours, visually suggesting the breaking out of a vital life source from the dark regions of nature. Furthermore, the height of the murals (over seven meters) causes the upper areas, especially towards the north part, to be difficult to see with the naked eye. In order to attract the attention of the viewer to these high areas, the painters sprayed the bodies of the two dragons and that of the Quyang Demon with gold dust, thus making them twinkle like stars in a nightly sky. The whirling draperies of the Quyang Demon are painted in white, further allowing the figure to break out from the gloomy reaches of the hall. 61 This exercise remains entirely imaginative since viewing the murals in this way is impossible. The hall is too wide and the murals are partly blocked from view for a person standing in the centre of the hall to see the entire mural design. Perhaps a priest could when he first memorised and then visualised these murals, but I doubt if this ever happened this way, or if it was even intended as such. Rather, I surmise that the murals were designed with such visualisations in mind, suggesting that the visualisations were the source of the paintings instead of the paintings the source of the visualisations in Daoist liturgy. The whole design of the mural breathes the air of an extremely talented painter, or group of painters, who in addition should have had an intimate knowledge of Daoist ritual. On the basic structure of a, principally, ritual design containing the Five Sacred Peak deities in the lower register and the Three Officials accompanied by two groups of subordinate deities in the upper register, the painter was able to integrate a sub-structure of continuous movement and varying directional lines, resulting in the highly accomplished feat that all the figures in the design are connected and participate in one visual spectacle taking place before the viewer’s eyes. Despite these eminent features in design, the Beiyue miao murals show a very basic colouring and a sober application of decoration techniques – for instance, blue pigments are the most expensive and these are almost entirely absent in the murals, with the exception of the dark blue of the Northern Peak deity’s robe – which rather suggests that even though an excellent workshop was selected, the painters had only mediocre means at their disposal.62 This chapter has mainly discussed practical issues of how Heavenly Court paintings are designed, the working procedures of painters and their artistic choices and restrictions. Although the painter’s practice can explain many issues surrounding the design and composition of a Heavenly Court painting, the selection of its subject matter, i.e. the choice of the deities and their representation, lay in the hands of the patrons commissioning the painting. How Heavenly Court paintings were personalised according to the wishes of the patrons is discussed in the following chapter.