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Lot Essay
In 1970 the 300-year retrospective exhibition of Rembrandt at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum made a profound impact on Chu Teh-Chun. It not only advanced his interpretation and treatment of light, but also gave him insight into the meaning of painting. Chu has high regard for Rembrandt, especially for his use of light and his skillful highlighting and representation of it. Rembrandt's use of distinct gradations of shadow and darkness reinforced the infectious and mysterious appeal of his paintings. Chu realised the use of light and shade in Western classical Realism aligned with the concepts of Yin and Yang, and light and dark-the two basic elements of the Chinese understanding of the universe. After reflecting more thoroughly on the interaction of light, Chu was able to execute subtle yet more expressive work. He once said: 'The colour and lines in my images are never random results, they are put together harmoniously for one common purpose: activate light sources, arouse image and rhythm.' As such, light and lines are the important tools of Chu's paintings.
In Réveil de la terre (Awakening Earth) (Lot 109), painted in 1979, a milky white oil paint forms the background. Over this Chu has used extremely fine brushstrokes, 'writing' light and other delicate lines with a soft brush and a flexible wrist. A variation of green shades - jade green, Persian green, mantis, myrtle green, dark moss green, and rifle green - is employed in capturing the change of light and shadows. The floating, running lines resemble Mont Blanc of the Alps, foreshadowing the snow-scape series Chu would create in the 1980s and 1990s. Through the process of mixing oils with solvents, Chu deliberately created a semi-translucent texture, hence the light blue and light green blocks of colour, which produce shading effects akin to Chinese ink on fine paper. This also resembles the visual rhythm generated by the chromatic dispersion of light refracting. Solid colour blocks - where the light refraction takes place - are surrounded by diluted paint, inaugurating a misty and cloudy visual effect through the balance between brightness and darkness, busyness, and looseness. Several interwoven semi-circular shapes and arcs gradually shift from opaque to transparent, from tangible to void. The transformation creates a radiant effect similar to that of both artificial and natural lighting. The lighting technique has been a subject of study throughout the history of art, from the chiaroscuro of the Renaissance, to the
Impressionist focus on depicting the play of light and shadow. Minimalist Dan Flavin initiated a series of light sculptures in the early 1960s. Lighting - though abstract - indeed plays an important role in changing the overall atmosphere of an image. At the lower middle of the painting is a large area of textured white paint, the boldest part of the painting, which demonstrates Chu's brushwork and his ability to balance the light that turns, changes and drifts on the surface of the painting.
In Réveil de la terre (Awakening Earth) (Lot 109), painted in 1979, a milky white oil paint forms the background. Over this Chu has used extremely fine brushstrokes, 'writing' light and other delicate lines with a soft brush and a flexible wrist. A variation of green shades - jade green, Persian green, mantis, myrtle green, dark moss green, and rifle green - is employed in capturing the change of light and shadows. The floating, running lines resemble Mont Blanc of the Alps, foreshadowing the snow-scape series Chu would create in the 1980s and 1990s. Through the process of mixing oils with solvents, Chu deliberately created a semi-translucent texture, hence the light blue and light green blocks of colour, which produce shading effects akin to Chinese ink on fine paper. This also resembles the visual rhythm generated by the chromatic dispersion of light refracting. Solid colour blocks - where the light refraction takes place - are surrounded by diluted paint, inaugurating a misty and cloudy visual effect through the balance between brightness and darkness, busyness, and looseness. Several interwoven semi-circular shapes and arcs gradually shift from opaque to transparent, from tangible to void. The transformation creates a radiant effect similar to that of both artificial and natural lighting. The lighting technique has been a subject of study throughout the history of art, from the chiaroscuro of the Renaissance, to the
Impressionist focus on depicting the play of light and shadow. Minimalist Dan Flavin initiated a series of light sculptures in the early 1960s. Lighting - though abstract - indeed plays an important role in changing the overall atmosphere of an image. At the lower middle of the painting is a large area of textured white paint, the boldest part of the painting, which demonstrates Chu's brushwork and his ability to balance the light that turns, changes and drifts on the surface of the painting.