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Lot Essay
In Gathering (Lot 10), the finesse and elegance of Cheong Soo Pieng's art is clearly demonstrated. A master of both Eastern and Western artistic techniques, delicate calligraphic lines are employed to denote shape and form against a pointillist background. From early experiments in style (see Lot 1), Cheong's iconic stylization of figures became most developed in his later works, and is evident here in the elongated limbs of the women and boy, and their averted gazes. Following his initial trip to Bali in 1952, Cheong remained enamored with the representation of the ethnic Other of Southeast Asia. Gathering, painted in 1976 comes a year before Cheong's second landmark trip to Bali in 1977, and is a testament to Cheong's continued search for the best means through which to represent the culture and peoples of Southeast Asia.
One of the key themes Cheong hoped to express through his art was the unique communal spirit that could be found in the rural communities of Southeast Asia. The depiction of the female form in particular, stands out in Cheong's work as a symbol of fertility, family, and a close relationship with the land. Cheong often composed scenes of women in small groups, partaking in activities such as gathering fruit, child care, and the busyness of the marketplace. These activities were central to the everyday life of the community, and the preponderance of such scenes in Cheong's work shows his investment in and knowledge of life in Southeast Asia. (Fig. 1).
Cheong's use of warm, bright colours of orange and green stand out against his trademark shades of gold and yellow that can be found in many of his paintings from this period - a product of his earlier experimentation with mixed media works during the 70s (Fig. 2). As the colours expertly complement one another, Cheong achieves in imbuing the painting with an essential stillness, harmony, and balance.
After a period of intense and productive experimentation in the 60s and 70s that saw Cheong working in the style of abstraction, abstract expressionism, and introducing new media into his work, Cheong's return to painting in the late 70s until his death brings him full circle to his early fascination and introduction to the variety and vitality of life and culture of the Southeast Asian region. Where Cheong's early paintings from the 50s were characterized by Fauvist colour, bold outlines and energetic compositions, the works from the late 70s and early 80s mirror Cheong's more mature stage in life - contemplative and confident in his artistic production.
The geometric shapes used to construct the figures in Gathering doubtlessly stem from Cheong's innovation with mixed media works, such as in Meditation (1971), where the figure is constructed from clean lines and composed with structural regularity (Fig. 3).This ability to depict the vitality of life from order is mirrored in the pointillist technique descent from Seurat and Signac, and is elegantly expressed in the compositional harmony of Gathering (Fig. 4).
Gathering is an exceptionally refined example from this late period of Cheong's career, and a culmination of his artistic journey across styles, techniques, and subjects.
One of the key themes Cheong hoped to express through his art was the unique communal spirit that could be found in the rural communities of Southeast Asia. The depiction of the female form in particular, stands out in Cheong's work as a symbol of fertility, family, and a close relationship with the land. Cheong often composed scenes of women in small groups, partaking in activities such as gathering fruit, child care, and the busyness of the marketplace. These activities were central to the everyday life of the community, and the preponderance of such scenes in Cheong's work shows his investment in and knowledge of life in Southeast Asia. (Fig. 1).
Cheong's use of warm, bright colours of orange and green stand out against his trademark shades of gold and yellow that can be found in many of his paintings from this period - a product of his earlier experimentation with mixed media works during the 70s (Fig. 2). As the colours expertly complement one another, Cheong achieves in imbuing the painting with an essential stillness, harmony, and balance.
After a period of intense and productive experimentation in the 60s and 70s that saw Cheong working in the style of abstraction, abstract expressionism, and introducing new media into his work, Cheong's return to painting in the late 70s until his death brings him full circle to his early fascination and introduction to the variety and vitality of life and culture of the Southeast Asian region. Where Cheong's early paintings from the 50s were characterized by Fauvist colour, bold outlines and energetic compositions, the works from the late 70s and early 80s mirror Cheong's more mature stage in life - contemplative and confident in his artistic production.
The geometric shapes used to construct the figures in Gathering doubtlessly stem from Cheong's innovation with mixed media works, such as in Meditation (1971), where the figure is constructed from clean lines and composed with structural regularity (Fig. 3).This ability to depict the vitality of life from order is mirrored in the pointillist technique descent from Seurat and Signac, and is elegantly expressed in the compositional harmony of Gathering (Fig. 4).
Gathering is an exceptionally refined example from this late period of Cheong's career, and a culmination of his artistic journey across styles, techniques, and subjects.