- 523
Chao Chung-hsiang (Zhao Chunxiang)
Estimate
800,000 - 1,500,000 HKD
bidding is closed
Description
- Chao Chung-hsiang (Zhao Chunxiang)
- Shining Red Stars
- acrylic and ink on paper
signed in Pinyin and Chinese
executed in 1987
executed in 1987
Provenance
Ravenel Taipei, June 3, 2012, Lot 121
Private Asian Collection
Private Asian Collection
Condition
This work is in good condition. There appears a soft bulging associated with mounting at the bottom located 22 cm from the right edge. There are light creases scattered across the surface, predominantly in the area towards the right edge, about 40 cm to the bottom. There are minor tears at both of the top and bottom left corners; and a 2-cm tear on the top edge, 16 cm from the right.
"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 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."
Catalogue Note
Chao Chung-Hsiang: A painter living in the United States reaches the acme of artistry and philosophy
"In my personal, fanatical charge forward, my hope is to create a bridge of love. That this bridge of love might contribute to cultural exchange between the two worlds of East and West, and increase mutual human understanding between nations—that would not only be what today's tumultuous world needs most, but also the fulfilment of my loftiest aspirations." –Chao Chung-Hsiang
Lin Fengmian once said that, aside from Zao Wou-Ki, Chu Teh-Chun, and Wu Guanzhong, Chao Chung-Hsiang was his most outstanding pupil. The 1980s were Chao's most bold and confident period: he had successive solo exhibitions at New York's Brooklyn Museum and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and his work received widespread affirmation from both domestic and foreign critics. This year's spring auction respectfully presents Shinning Red Stars (Lot 523) and Candles in the Wind No.1 (Lot 524), paintings that exemplify Chao's "neither Chinese nor Western, both Chinese and Western" style while also expressing both his fond recollections of his native land and his benevolent love of the world.
As a young man, Chao Chung-Hsiang enrolled at the National Institute of Art in Hangzhou, where he studied under Lin Fengmian and Pan Tianshou. In 1958, he arrived in New York, which at the time had already begun to replace Paris as the centre of the art world. There, he became a member of the New York School, throwing himself into the mighty current of the times along with masters including Franz Kline and Jackson Pollock. Kline, who experimented with using Chinese calligraphy and ink painting to express psychological states, was particularly encouraging of Chao. Klein's guidance spurred Chao's subsequent reorientation toward Chinese tradition as he sought to draw inspiration from both Chinese and Western sources.
In Shinning Red Starts and Candles in the Wind No.1, the artist begins with the traditional mediums of black ink and xuanzhi paper. The ink is freely sprinkled, sprayed, brushed, and poured onto the paper, creating a vivid, dizzying backdrop. To his setting he adds dazzling acrylic paint, boldly imposing bright colours upon the elegant tableau of ink. The shadowy black ink and bright acrylic colours form a concordant juxtaposition: a modern jacket concealing a deep-rooted cultural heritage. The lines of blue droplets upon the black ink in Candles in the Wind No.1, brilliant punctures in the ether, bring to mind both the splattering of Jackson Pollock and the "water stains on the wall" that legendarily inspired the calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing. The red candles, their flames flickering in the wind, are yet more abstruse. In addition to the homesickness of solitude, they connote prayers to ancestral spirits, symbolizing gratitude and supplication to native countrymen, and igniting the flame of fortune and wisdom. Shinning Red Stars exemplifies Chao Chung-Hsiang's signature use of dots of colour on black ink backgrounds. Five red stars, symbolizing brightness and promise, occupy the upper part of the painting. These spiral-shaped lucky stars yield a downward shower of small red dots. These spatial symbols represent both the artist's blessings of life and his philosophy of the relationship between the individual and the cosmos. Chao's paintings draw on the language of modern abstract art, but at their core they betray his classical scholarly character. Candles and prayers suggest faith in life. His unique artistic sensibility and compassionate, humane spirit are both deserving of viewers' careful contemplation.
"In my personal, fanatical charge forward, my hope is to create a bridge of love. That this bridge of love might contribute to cultural exchange between the two worlds of East and West, and increase mutual human understanding between nations—that would not only be what today's tumultuous world needs most, but also the fulfilment of my loftiest aspirations." –Chao Chung-Hsiang
Lin Fengmian once said that, aside from Zao Wou-Ki, Chu Teh-Chun, and Wu Guanzhong, Chao Chung-Hsiang was his most outstanding pupil. The 1980s were Chao's most bold and confident period: he had successive solo exhibitions at New York's Brooklyn Museum and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and his work received widespread affirmation from both domestic and foreign critics. This year's spring auction respectfully presents Shinning Red Stars (Lot 523) and Candles in the Wind No.1 (Lot 524), paintings that exemplify Chao's "neither Chinese nor Western, both Chinese and Western" style while also expressing both his fond recollections of his native land and his benevolent love of the world.
As a young man, Chao Chung-Hsiang enrolled at the National Institute of Art in Hangzhou, where he studied under Lin Fengmian and Pan Tianshou. In 1958, he arrived in New York, which at the time had already begun to replace Paris as the centre of the art world. There, he became a member of the New York School, throwing himself into the mighty current of the times along with masters including Franz Kline and Jackson Pollock. Kline, who experimented with using Chinese calligraphy and ink painting to express psychological states, was particularly encouraging of Chao. Klein's guidance spurred Chao's subsequent reorientation toward Chinese tradition as he sought to draw inspiration from both Chinese and Western sources.
In Shinning Red Starts and Candles in the Wind No.1, the artist begins with the traditional mediums of black ink and xuanzhi paper. The ink is freely sprinkled, sprayed, brushed, and poured onto the paper, creating a vivid, dizzying backdrop. To his setting he adds dazzling acrylic paint, boldly imposing bright colours upon the elegant tableau of ink. The shadowy black ink and bright acrylic colours form a concordant juxtaposition: a modern jacket concealing a deep-rooted cultural heritage. The lines of blue droplets upon the black ink in Candles in the Wind No.1, brilliant punctures in the ether, bring to mind both the splattering of Jackson Pollock and the "water stains on the wall" that legendarily inspired the calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing. The red candles, their flames flickering in the wind, are yet more abstruse. In addition to the homesickness of solitude, they connote prayers to ancestral spirits, symbolizing gratitude and supplication to native countrymen, and igniting the flame of fortune and wisdom. Shinning Red Stars exemplifies Chao Chung-Hsiang's signature use of dots of colour on black ink backgrounds. Five red stars, symbolizing brightness and promise, occupy the upper part of the painting. These spiral-shaped lucky stars yield a downward shower of small red dots. These spatial symbols represent both the artist's blessings of life and his philosophy of the relationship between the individual and the cosmos. Chao's paintings draw on the language of modern abstract art, but at their core they betray his classical scholarly character. Candles and prayers suggest faith in life. His unique artistic sensibility and compassionate, humane spirit are both deserving of viewers' careful contemplation.