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Lot Essay
INK IN TAIWAN
This section (Lots 869-878) explores the works of seven artists from Taiwan born between the 1920s and the 1960s. Liu Kuo-sung, He Huaishuo and Wu Hsueh-Jang were born in China, yet their move to Taiwan at a young age has altered their trajectories. The openness and artistic freedom in post-war Taiwan became a catalyst for change and innovation, and in response, progressive artists founded the influential Fifth Moon Group and the Ton Fan Art Group.
The development of Chinese ink painting in Taiwan in the past half century is highlighted by the founding of the Fifth Moon Group in 1957 by artist Liu Kuo-sung and other graduates of the National Taiwan Normal University. Bold and innovative, the artists strove to revolutionise the art practice in Taiwan with a Western perspective. Liu Kuo-sung was born in 1932 and originally from Shandong, China. He later moved to Taiwan in 1949 and graduated from the National Taiwan Normal University. In search of a new expression in his art, Liu initially focused on oil painting but returned to ink painting in 1961. Liu has since constantly introduced experimental techniques and revolutionary materials to ink painting, from using collage, paper tearing, ink rubbing, to steeping ink between two pieces of paper.
Inspired by cursive script calligraphy, Liu began to work on his Calligraphic Abstraction Series (Lots 822, 823 and 870) in the 1960s. He uses a large brush to apply bold and carefree brushstrokes on wrinkled paper, abstracting traditional landscape compositions with a few powerful strokes. This series marks a breakthrough for Liu Kuo-sung who was then in his 30s. Executed between 1970 and 1971, Which Is Earth? No. 96 (Lot 869) is a remarkable example of Liu’s Space Series that he started in 1968 when he was residing in the United States. Inspired by astronaut William Anders’ photograph Earthrise which was taken on the Apollo 8 Mission, Liu attempts to showcase the full moon shining above the earth with broad, abstract brushstrokes representing the landmasses and oceans of the Earth.
Liu expresses the unpredictability of ink and paper reacting with each other, resulting in his many series of ethereal abstract and landscape paintings over the past six decades. At a time when many of his contemporaries employed only ink and rice paper to reflect the traditions of the classical past, Liu Kuo-sung revolutionised his landscape works through the use of vibrant colours and new techniques. In 1971 Liu moved to Hong Kong to take up a teaching position at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, deeply influencing generations of Hong Kong artists ever since.
This section (Lots 869-878) explores the works of seven artists from Taiwan born between the 1920s and the 1960s. Liu Kuo-sung, He Huaishuo and Wu Hsueh-Jang were born in China, yet their move to Taiwan at a young age has altered their trajectories. The openness and artistic freedom in post-war Taiwan became a catalyst for change and innovation, and in response, progressive artists founded the influential Fifth Moon Group and the Ton Fan Art Group.
The development of Chinese ink painting in Taiwan in the past half century is highlighted by the founding of the Fifth Moon Group in 1957 by artist Liu Kuo-sung and other graduates of the National Taiwan Normal University. Bold and innovative, the artists strove to revolutionise the art practice in Taiwan with a Western perspective. Liu Kuo-sung was born in 1932 and originally from Shandong, China. He later moved to Taiwan in 1949 and graduated from the National Taiwan Normal University. In search of a new expression in his art, Liu initially focused on oil painting but returned to ink painting in 1961. Liu has since constantly introduced experimental techniques and revolutionary materials to ink painting, from using collage, paper tearing, ink rubbing, to steeping ink between two pieces of paper.
Inspired by cursive script calligraphy, Liu began to work on his Calligraphic Abstraction Series (Lots 822, 823 and 870) in the 1960s. He uses a large brush to apply bold and carefree brushstrokes on wrinkled paper, abstracting traditional landscape compositions with a few powerful strokes. This series marks a breakthrough for Liu Kuo-sung who was then in his 30s. Executed between 1970 and 1971, Which Is Earth? No. 96 (Lot 869) is a remarkable example of Liu’s Space Series that he started in 1968 when he was residing in the United States. Inspired by astronaut William Anders’ photograph Earthrise which was taken on the Apollo 8 Mission, Liu attempts to showcase the full moon shining above the earth with broad, abstract brushstrokes representing the landmasses and oceans of the Earth.
Liu expresses the unpredictability of ink and paper reacting with each other, resulting in his many series of ethereal abstract and landscape paintings over the past six decades. At a time when many of his contemporaries employed only ink and rice paper to reflect the traditions of the classical past, Liu Kuo-sung revolutionised his landscape works through the use of vibrant colours and new techniques. In 1971 Liu moved to Hong Kong to take up a teaching position at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, deeply influencing generations of Hong Kong artists ever since.