Writing from the Other Side: Thoughts on Identity in Mark Tobey’s Art-Making

This paper delves into Mark Tobey’s artistic lineage, where he absorbed and synthesized Eastern artistic philosophies in a Western artistic environment, led to the formation of his White Writing and Total Abstraction styles in which his artistic practice also provokes a complex discussion of his artistic identity. In the process, Tobey’s artistic practice also triggered a complex discussion on his artistic identity. On the one hand, he is regarded as a representative of American art, while on the other hand his in-depth assimilation and use of Oriental art have made him, in the eyes of some, a “subordinate of Oriental culture.” This is an exploration of the background and causes of this identity controversy, discussing how Tobey navigated cultural self-confidence and foreign influences to establish his identity as a cross-cultural artist.