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Lot Essay
"Two feet to explore the cultures of East and West, and one mind to appreciate the thought of the world." - Lin Yutang
The push and pull between solid and void, between east and west is a constant theme in Zao Wou-ki’s works. In 09.01.70 (Lot 18), Zao uses the meticulous depiction of space to take viewers on a meditative journey that explores the ever-changing universe. Bringing Chinese and western art into conversation, Zao Wou-ki continues his exploration into connecting composition, colour, texture and light, depicting a complex and poetic space that guides viewers to experience both the tranquil and turbulent moments of nature.
In 09.01.70 , Zao Wou-ki breaks the binary relationship between colour and empty space, and generates a balance between solids and voids. This meticulous balance illustrates the essence of Chinese landscape painting and demonstrates Zao’s profound knowledge of non-binary Chinese philosophy. In 09.01.70, the layers of beautiful colour can be considered a solid area that harmoniously balances with the voids on the upper left and lower right corner. Yet, the floating orange decorated by hints of light blue within the solid creates a rhythmic flowing void that connects with the “empty” spaces. The voids, on the other hand, are never purely empty. Just like how Fang Congyi efficiently depicts the magnificent peaks through a simple curvy line in the voids, the beige in different tones in 09.01.70 generates a varying sense of space, not only highlighting Zao’s spatial awareness, but also suggesting the floating lightness and fluid transparency depicted in Chinese traditional paintings. Unlike American artist Sam Francis who uses the strong contrast between colourful amorphous forms and empty unprimed canvas surface to discuss the connection between space, colour and light, Zao applies the interplay between solids and voids to generate a rhythmic composition that invites viewers to travel in the boundless nature through a limited space.
The meticulous and innovative manipulation of brushstrokes in 09.01.70 also shows Zao’s masterful skills in merging western and Chinese drawing techniques to express his spatial awareness. Paints in the background are spread smoothly throughout the canvas as if spread on paper. In the foreground, the dry black brushstrokes recall the axing cun found in Chinese painting. These delicate and accurate strokes capture the stiffness of the rocky surface, suggesting the abundant texture of a beautiful landscape. The smooth
background with detailed, thinner brushworks in the foreground, creates a variation in texture which implies the harmonious interactions between different natural elements in oriental art. In addition to the Chinese ink-wash effect, Zao also utilizes traditional western oil paint techniques. On the right edge of the canvas, Zao deliberately removes a stroke of white paint to emphasize the flexible character of his medium. This quick gestural move reflects Zao’s technical influence from Western abstraction. The wide range use of painting techniques brings western and eastern art into conversation, generates a unique sense of space along with the push and pull between solids and voids.
In 09.10.70, the brave use of expressive colour illustrates Zao’s continuous exploration in the capturing of light and control of colour. The burning orange balances with hints of blue and reacts with the interlocking strokes of black and white. These seemingly contrasting colours blends with each other harmoniously, creating a gentle outburst, recalling the colour choices in his works made during 1950s. The wide range of tones and vibrant brightness are also reminiscent of Monet’s masterpiece Water Lilies. The loose brushstrokes and variation in colour allows Monet to capture the fleeting quality of light and the floating water lilies. While Monet extensively eliminated the use of black, Zao Wou-ki, under the influence of traditional Chinese landscapes, applies a proper amount of black paint. The contrast between black and other colours increases the depth of the piece, suggesting the complexity of nature rather than directly representing it. Zao’s dedicated passion in capturing light through colour is inspired by western art, marking Zao’s significant contribution to the continuation of cross-cultural conceptual dialogue in art history. Zao Wou-ki incorporated a western media and a western concept of colour with Chinese painting composition and painting technique. 09.01.70 visualizes the complex
yet harmonious nature that Zao perceives, and initiates a meditative journey in immense universe for us to wonder.
The push and pull between solid and void, between east and west is a constant theme in Zao Wou-ki’s works. In 09.01.70 (Lot 18), Zao uses the meticulous depiction of space to take viewers on a meditative journey that explores the ever-changing universe. Bringing Chinese and western art into conversation, Zao Wou-ki continues his exploration into connecting composition, colour, texture and light, depicting a complex and poetic space that guides viewers to experience both the tranquil and turbulent moments of nature.
In 09.01.70 , Zao Wou-ki breaks the binary relationship between colour and empty space, and generates a balance between solids and voids. This meticulous balance illustrates the essence of Chinese landscape painting and demonstrates Zao’s profound knowledge of non-binary Chinese philosophy. In 09.01.70, the layers of beautiful colour can be considered a solid area that harmoniously balances with the voids on the upper left and lower right corner. Yet, the floating orange decorated by hints of light blue within the solid creates a rhythmic flowing void that connects with the “empty” spaces. The voids, on the other hand, are never purely empty. Just like how Fang Congyi efficiently depicts the magnificent peaks through a simple curvy line in the voids, the beige in different tones in 09.01.70 generates a varying sense of space, not only highlighting Zao’s spatial awareness, but also suggesting the floating lightness and fluid transparency depicted in Chinese traditional paintings. Unlike American artist Sam Francis who uses the strong contrast between colourful amorphous forms and empty unprimed canvas surface to discuss the connection between space, colour and light, Zao applies the interplay between solids and voids to generate a rhythmic composition that invites viewers to travel in the boundless nature through a limited space.
The meticulous and innovative manipulation of brushstrokes in 09.01.70 also shows Zao’s masterful skills in merging western and Chinese drawing techniques to express his spatial awareness. Paints in the background are spread smoothly throughout the canvas as if spread on paper. In the foreground, the dry black brushstrokes recall the axing cun found in Chinese painting. These delicate and accurate strokes capture the stiffness of the rocky surface, suggesting the abundant texture of a beautiful landscape. The smooth
background with detailed, thinner brushworks in the foreground, creates a variation in texture which implies the harmonious interactions between different natural elements in oriental art. In addition to the Chinese ink-wash effect, Zao also utilizes traditional western oil paint techniques. On the right edge of the canvas, Zao deliberately removes a stroke of white paint to emphasize the flexible character of his medium. This quick gestural move reflects Zao’s technical influence from Western abstraction. The wide range use of painting techniques brings western and eastern art into conversation, generates a unique sense of space along with the push and pull between solids and voids.
In 09.10.70, the brave use of expressive colour illustrates Zao’s continuous exploration in the capturing of light and control of colour. The burning orange balances with hints of blue and reacts with the interlocking strokes of black and white. These seemingly contrasting colours blends with each other harmoniously, creating a gentle outburst, recalling the colour choices in his works made during 1950s. The wide range of tones and vibrant brightness are also reminiscent of Monet’s masterpiece Water Lilies. The loose brushstrokes and variation in colour allows Monet to capture the fleeting quality of light and the floating water lilies. While Monet extensively eliminated the use of black, Zao Wou-ki, under the influence of traditional Chinese landscapes, applies a proper amount of black paint. The contrast between black and other colours increases the depth of the piece, suggesting the complexity of nature rather than directly representing it. Zao’s dedicated passion in capturing light through colour is inspired by western art, marking Zao’s significant contribution to the continuation of cross-cultural conceptual dialogue in art history. Zao Wou-ki incorporated a western media and a western concept of colour with Chinese painting composition and painting technique. 09.01.70 visualizes the complex
yet harmonious nature that Zao perceives, and initiates a meditative journey in immense universe for us to wonder.