.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The artistic style of Zao Wou-ki underwent a gradual shift from the figurative to the abstract from the late 1950s. 01.12.61-27.01.71 (Lot 8) is an excellent piece after the shift. While a brief glance at the piece featuring broad spread and free splash of colours might bring the impression of abstract expressionism, a more detailed examination at its structure and expression in colours would bring the discovery of characteristics of Chinese landscape painting. Zao reduced the weight and thickness of the paints by using diluted ones. The blank paint in the middle, on the other hand, resembled Li Tang'sSitting on Rocks Gazing at Clouds. The blanks were like haze and mist that helped creating the deep spatial sense while echoing with the solid existence of mountains.
Zao titled his works with the date he created it after 1960. For Zao, a good piece of artwork could establish dialogue with viewers all by itself. His viewpoint was shared by American abstraction artist Clyfford Still, who also rejected giving titles to his works. Instead, he entitled them with the date of creation or simple, neutral nouns, in order to free viewers from all possible intervention from the artist. A comparison between Still's 1948 and this piece by Zao would reveal that Still applied broad brushes with thick colours to deliver a self-extension in claw-ish edge, delivering a surreal space. Whereas for Zao, his creative idea stemmed from his subjectivity, deconstruction of reality that reflects his feeling and experience with nature. The light voids, together with the solid dark blocks at the sides and bottom build contrast and expanse in spatiality of the canvas.
The clear-cut edges of colour blocks in Still's work brought drama in a more rational manner, while Zao led viewers into a tangible, illusive, psychological visual space with his use of organic, oriental abstraction. The perfect fusion of oriental elements with an abstract oil painting in the piece is a clear evidence of Zao's exceptional skills in combining oriental and western art concepts. He vividly expressed his tranquility and universality at heart with his oriental aesthetic mind and western artistic techniques.
Zao titled his works with the date he created it after 1960. For Zao, a good piece of artwork could establish dialogue with viewers all by itself. His viewpoint was shared by American abstraction artist Clyfford Still, who also rejected giving titles to his works. Instead, he entitled them with the date of creation or simple, neutral nouns, in order to free viewers from all possible intervention from the artist. A comparison between Still's 1948 and this piece by Zao would reveal that Still applied broad brushes with thick colours to deliver a self-extension in claw-ish edge, delivering a surreal space. Whereas for Zao, his creative idea stemmed from his subjectivity, deconstruction of reality that reflects his feeling and experience with nature. The light voids, together with the solid dark blocks at the sides and bottom build contrast and expanse in spatiality of the canvas.
The clear-cut edges of colour blocks in Still's work brought drama in a more rational manner, while Zao led viewers into a tangible, illusive, psychological visual space with his use of organic, oriental abstraction. The perfect fusion of oriental elements with an abstract oil painting in the piece is a clear evidence of Zao's exceptional skills in combining oriental and western art concepts. He vividly expressed his tranquility and universality at heart with his oriental aesthetic mind and western artistic techniques.