- 739
Yu Hong
Estimate
1,000,000 - 1,500,000 HKD
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Description
- Yu Hong
- Spontaneous Motion 1
- gold leaf foil and acrylic on canvas
signed in Pinyin and dated 2010
Provenance
Long March Space, Beijing
Acquired by the present owner from the above
Acquired by the present owner from the above
Exhibited
Shanghai, China, Shanghai Art Museum, Yu Hong: Golden Horizon, 12 – 23 September 2011, p. 82
Condition
This work is generally in good condition. There is one fine vertical crack in the centre of the work. Please note that it was not examined under ultraviolet light.
"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
Spontaneous Motion
Yu Hong
Spontaneous Motion 1 (Lot 739) hails from Yu Hong's breakthrough 'Gold' series (2010-2011). In the series, the artist took inspiration from the traditional Chinese paintings of Dunhuang, the murals of the Kizil Cave complex as well as Western painterly traditions, laying down a layer of gold leaf foil and then painting with acrylic. The series was first exhibited at "Yu Hong: Golden Sky" (2010) at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, and the present lot was featured in Yu's large-scale solo exhibition "Yu Hong: Golden Horizon" (2011) at the Shanghai Art Museum. While reminiscent of Western religious paintings as well as Dunhuang buddhist art, Yu's gold paintings simultaneously reflect contemporary desires, constituting a seamless blend of tradition and contemporaneity. By placing contemporary people within a traditional aesthetic and classical religious frame, Yu shrewdly questions the beliefs, religions and values of contemporary times. The present lot depicts eleven ladies frozen in mid-jump, capturing an uncanny moment of stillness within motion within a game of double-dutch. Glistening in majestic solemnity, the canvas constitutes a contemporary rendition of noble classical ukiyo-e works.
Like her husband Liu Xiaodong, Yu Hong is an important representative of the 'new generation artists' that rose to prominence in China in the 1990s. With the core subject of her paintings being human nature, Yu Hong's aesthetic philosophy differs completely from that of 1980s Idealism and 1990s Political Pop. As a female artist, Yu's subtle sensibilities take inspiration from ordinary motifs in daily life and reveal a rich inner world. Her series Witness to Growth (1999-ongoing) acts as a second sort of life, recording the growth of herself as well as her daughter. For the series Wandering Clouds (2013), Yu interviewed six individuals and asked them about their internal states and personal histories, expressing not only their individual sorrows but also the universality of the experiences of human beings in society.
Yu Hong
Spontaneous Motion 1 (Lot 739) hails from Yu Hong's breakthrough 'Gold' series (2010-2011). In the series, the artist took inspiration from the traditional Chinese paintings of Dunhuang, the murals of the Kizil Cave complex as well as Western painterly traditions, laying down a layer of gold leaf foil and then painting with acrylic. The series was first exhibited at "Yu Hong: Golden Sky" (2010) at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, and the present lot was featured in Yu's large-scale solo exhibition "Yu Hong: Golden Horizon" (2011) at the Shanghai Art Museum. While reminiscent of Western religious paintings as well as Dunhuang buddhist art, Yu's gold paintings simultaneously reflect contemporary desires, constituting a seamless blend of tradition and contemporaneity. By placing contemporary people within a traditional aesthetic and classical religious frame, Yu shrewdly questions the beliefs, religions and values of contemporary times. The present lot depicts eleven ladies frozen in mid-jump, capturing an uncanny moment of stillness within motion within a game of double-dutch. Glistening in majestic solemnity, the canvas constitutes a contemporary rendition of noble classical ukiyo-e works.
Like her husband Liu Xiaodong, Yu Hong is an important representative of the 'new generation artists' that rose to prominence in China in the 1990s. With the core subject of her paintings being human nature, Yu Hong's aesthetic philosophy differs completely from that of 1980s Idealism and 1990s Political Pop. As a female artist, Yu's subtle sensibilities take inspiration from ordinary motifs in daily life and reveal a rich inner world. Her series Witness to Growth (1999-ongoing) acts as a second sort of life, recording the growth of herself as well as her daughter. For the series Wandering Clouds (2013), Yu interviewed six individuals and asked them about their internal states and personal histories, expressing not only their individual sorrows but also the universality of the experiences of human beings in society.