The Incomplete and Becoming: The Aesthetics of Time in Francois Cheng

Francois Cheng studied the issue of time in Chinese painting with a particular interest in the notions of the unfinished and becoming. The two notions are understood as the essence of Chinese artists' distinctive conception of time and influence later Cheng's literary works. Through combining classical Chinese painting theories with his novel, this article investigates the notions of the unfinished and becoming embodied in Cheng's Le Dit de Tianyi, and the Taoist aesthetics in his conception of space-time. In the first part, I examine the notion of the unfinished which is reflected in Tianyi's fresco of Yumei, and which allows the fresco to develop and to participate in the rhythm of the universe. In the second part, I discover that the boundaries between past, present, and future are conflated in the novel, like a scroll which contains at the same time the deja-vu and the unknown. Finally, I discuss the notion of becoming by analyzing Tianyi's comments on Proust's lost and regained time, and I argue that his life experience also contributes to the forming and establishment of his time cycle which is both recognized and unexpected.

Automated summary

This article studies Francois Cheng's exploration of time in Chinese painting, focusing on the concepts of the unfinished and becoming. Cheng's literary works are influenced by Chinese artists' unique conception of time. By combining classical Chinese painting theories with his novel, Cheng's Le Dit de Tianyi, the article investigates the embodiment of the notions of the unfinished and becoming in the novel, as well as the Taoist aesthetics in Cheng's conception of space-time.