Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji)

Signed in pinyin and Chinese (lower centre); Signed in pinyin and dated 18.10.60 (reverse); Samuel Kootz Gallery label and Arthur Lenars Cie. label affixed on the stretcher (reverse)
Executed in 1960
THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS ARE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE THE PREMIUM LOT PRE-REGISTRATION 3 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE SALE. BIDnow ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE IS NOT AVALIABLE.

Acquired by the present owner from Arthur Lenars Cie., Paris

Overall in satisfactory condition. There is craquelure over the surface of the painting which is part of the normal ageing process of an oil painting of this kind. This painting appears to be in a stable condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In 1957, Zao Wou-ki signed a contract with Kootz Gallery, New York.  This was a considerable boost to his confidence and as fortuitous events continued to unfold in his life, his work reached new heights.  As Zao Wou-ki said himself, he wished to paint things that could not be seen, like the wind, power, the physicality of life and the development and merging of colours.[1]  The work in this sale,
18-10-60, is representative of Zao Wou-ki's works from the 1960s.

Zao Wou-ki makes use of the classic mountain ridge as the central focus of this composition.  In 18-10-60, dark pigment dilates from the centre of the canvas through the fullness of the red paint, like a slow pulse strongly concealed in the artist's brushstrokes. The contents of Zao Wou-ki's imagination condense and collide through his fine fibrillated brushstrokes.  Like a photographer using a high-definition lens to focus on his subject, Zao Wou-ki forms a confrontational and conflicting focal area on the canvas.  Although there is no trace of it, the viewer can still feel that this work is in some ways an extension of Chinese landscape painting and that it embodies a kind of Eastern spirit or energy.[2]

[1] Zao Wou-ki, A Self- Portrait. By Zao Wou-ki and Francois Marquet, Art Society, Taipei, 1992, p.113
[2] "Contemplating art: Thoughts on Zao Wou-ki" by Jia Fangzhou. In Zao Wou-ki, Lin and Keng Gallery, 2005, p. 5