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Lot Essay
In the 1960s, Photorealism began as a movement in the states and successfully introduced photographic art into the art industry. On the one hand, it advocated realist techniques with photos and photographic phenomena as themes; on the other hand, it challenged the boundaries of "real" and "unreal" in contemporary art.
The discourse on the relationship between figurative painting and photography opened up by Photorealism provided a fertile environment for Chen's development. Chen introduced new aspects to Photorealism in his own work, adding in traditional Chinese elements which emphasize the mood, combined with photographic techniques such as focus, zoom, light processing, and salon photography. Through the expression of Jiangnan's drizzling atmosphere, Chen painted the Suzhou Series and later the Venice Series. Chen added modernity to realism and aesthetic concepts to Chinese realist painting, attempting to inject beauty, atmosphere and mood from Chinese traditional culture.
The brother of the present owner of Canal at Dusk, Venice (Lot 127) was a professional framer and stretcher at Julius Lowy Frame & Restoring Company in New York from 1980 to 1991 (Julius Lowy was established since the mid-1930s). He was Chen Yifei's personal stretcher at his New York City East Side Apartment and also at Chen Yifei's studio on Broadway & Houston. Canal at Dusk, Venice was gifted by Chen Yifei in 1990.
The work "photography" is derived from the greek photos and graphos, which means "writing with light". Therefore, it is not surprising that light manipulation was a key element of Photorealism. European classical realist painters emphasized the importance of depicting light in order to accurately reproduce nature. Canal at Dusk, Venice (Lot 127) involves multiple layers of light. The classical buildings and bridges glow with a light yellow at dusk; natural light, at the same time, illuminates the sparkling river giving the painting an air of romanticism. The flowing river in the foreground balances the stable architectural structures in the far background. By capturing the moment when two ends of a bridge meet, Chen seems to suspend time in the beautiful dusk. Chen also utilized photographic focus to highlight the foreground and blur the background. Through salon photography, he aimed to create a blurred and dreamy effect, resulting in a romantic atmosphere with contrasting textures of light. Chen deliberately sanded the surfaces of his paintings to reduce the traces of his brushstrokes. This technique softens the details and alters the viewer's perception, and as a result, his paintings are both photorealistic and dramatic in effect.
The discourse on the relationship between figurative painting and photography opened up by Photorealism provided a fertile environment for Chen's development. Chen introduced new aspects to Photorealism in his own work, adding in traditional Chinese elements which emphasize the mood, combined with photographic techniques such as focus, zoom, light processing, and salon photography. Through the expression of Jiangnan's drizzling atmosphere, Chen painted the Suzhou Series and later the Venice Series. Chen added modernity to realism and aesthetic concepts to Chinese realist painting, attempting to inject beauty, atmosphere and mood from Chinese traditional culture.
The brother of the present owner of Canal at Dusk, Venice (Lot 127) was a professional framer and stretcher at Julius Lowy Frame & Restoring Company in New York from 1980 to 1991 (Julius Lowy was established since the mid-1930s). He was Chen Yifei's personal stretcher at his New York City East Side Apartment and also at Chen Yifei's studio on Broadway & Houston. Canal at Dusk, Venice was gifted by Chen Yifei in 1990.
The work "photography" is derived from the greek photos and graphos, which means "writing with light". Therefore, it is not surprising that light manipulation was a key element of Photorealism. European classical realist painters emphasized the importance of depicting light in order to accurately reproduce nature. Canal at Dusk, Venice (Lot 127) involves multiple layers of light. The classical buildings and bridges glow with a light yellow at dusk; natural light, at the same time, illuminates the sparkling river giving the painting an air of romanticism. The flowing river in the foreground balances the stable architectural structures in the far background. By capturing the moment when two ends of a bridge meet, Chen seems to suspend time in the beautiful dusk. Chen also utilized photographic focus to highlight the foreground and blur the background. Through salon photography, he aimed to create a blurred and dreamy effect, resulting in a romantic atmosphere with contrasting textures of light. Chen deliberately sanded the surfaces of his paintings to reduce the traces of his brushstrokes. This technique softens the details and alters the viewer's perception, and as a result, his paintings are both photorealistic and dramatic in effect.