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Lot Essay
"In the mid-20th century, countless Chinese painters were continually exploring forms of artistic expression that combined Chinese and Western elements. But very few among them were able, as did Liu Kuo-sung with his modern ink-wash works, both to retain the essence of Chinese traditional art and to grasp the spirit of the age, combining the virtues of Chinese and Western culture and so entering a new artistic realm."
- Li Chu-tsing, Liu Kuo-sung and Modern Ink-wash Painting.
For his 1965 work Echoes in an Empty Valley (Lot 33), Liu Kuo-sung used his own special paper and applied his famous technique of peeling away fibers from the paper's surface. The work conveys a powerful sense of space. The distinctive textures produced by collage, colour washes and the removal of fibers give the impression of something naturally formed as an integral whole. The vigorous brushstrokes, in the style of "wild cursive" (kuangcao) calligraphy, give the mountainous terrain a dynamic quality, while the extensive blank spaces skillfully create a sense of profundity and a rich poeticism. The image of the empty valley stands out vividly, the echoes seemingly reverberating within it. Within the small compass of the painting, the overwhelming grandeur of nature and the power of life are unmistakably present.
From 1963 to 1969, Liu Kuo-sung produced abstract ink-wash works using "Liu Kuo-sung paper," a coarse-fibered paper of his own invention. After applying the ink and colours he would peel away fibers from the surface of the paper, creating spontaneously haphazard marks that seem to leap across the face of the painting. With this approach Liu audaciously overturned the received formula of work with brush and ink, using the liberated state of "roaming in the arts" to engage in dialogue with Western abstract expressionism (Fig.1) while also paying his respects to the Chinese tradition of literati painting (Fig. 2). Liu drew inspiration from the cursive lines of The Second Zen Patriarch in Contemplation, by 10th-century artist Shi Ke (Fig. 3), and incorporated the variations in density of brushstrokes and the use of unpainted space that are highly prized in Chinese painting, expressing the spirit of the landscape in the interplay between representational and abstract elements. The way that Echoes in an Empty Valley uses intangible blank space to suggest the mists drifting through the valley is a consummate example of the ideal that "the blank spaces create an exquisite scene."
From the early 1960s, Liu Kuo-sung began to promote modern ink-wash painting. Through ceaseless experiment and creative endeavor, he strove for innovation and established his own unique style in terms of both technique and materials. But innovation requires one to take tradition as one's starting point, and to discover issues, and the resources to resolve them, within classical culture. To reinterpret texturing techniques and brushwork one must rely on a deep aesthetic cultivation and the ability to grasp both concrete and virtual imagery. Echoes in an Empty Valley speaks powerfully of Liu Kuo-sung's perseverance in this endeavor, and the aftershocks are reverberating to this day.
- Li Chu-tsing, Liu Kuo-sung and Modern Ink-wash Painting.
For his 1965 work Echoes in an Empty Valley (Lot 33), Liu Kuo-sung used his own special paper and applied his famous technique of peeling away fibers from the paper's surface. The work conveys a powerful sense of space. The distinctive textures produced by collage, colour washes and the removal of fibers give the impression of something naturally formed as an integral whole. The vigorous brushstrokes, in the style of "wild cursive" (kuangcao) calligraphy, give the mountainous terrain a dynamic quality, while the extensive blank spaces skillfully create a sense of profundity and a rich poeticism. The image of the empty valley stands out vividly, the echoes seemingly reverberating within it. Within the small compass of the painting, the overwhelming grandeur of nature and the power of life are unmistakably present.
From 1963 to 1969, Liu Kuo-sung produced abstract ink-wash works using "Liu Kuo-sung paper," a coarse-fibered paper of his own invention. After applying the ink and colours he would peel away fibers from the surface of the paper, creating spontaneously haphazard marks that seem to leap across the face of the painting. With this approach Liu audaciously overturned the received formula of work with brush and ink, using the liberated state of "roaming in the arts" to engage in dialogue with Western abstract expressionism (Fig.1) while also paying his respects to the Chinese tradition of literati painting (Fig. 2). Liu drew inspiration from the cursive lines of The Second Zen Patriarch in Contemplation, by 10th-century artist Shi Ke (Fig. 3), and incorporated the variations in density of brushstrokes and the use of unpainted space that are highly prized in Chinese painting, expressing the spirit of the landscape in the interplay between representational and abstract elements. The way that Echoes in an Empty Valley uses intangible blank space to suggest the mists drifting through the valley is a consummate example of the ideal that "the blank spaces create an exquisite scene."
From the early 1960s, Liu Kuo-sung began to promote modern ink-wash painting. Through ceaseless experiment and creative endeavor, he strove for innovation and established his own unique style in terms of both technique and materials. But innovation requires one to take tradition as one's starting point, and to discover issues, and the resources to resolve them, within classical culture. To reinterpret texturing techniques and brushwork one must rely on a deep aesthetic cultivation and the ability to grasp both concrete and virtual imagery. Echoes in an Empty Valley speaks powerfully of Liu Kuo-sung's perseverance in this endeavor, and the aftershocks are reverberating to this day.