Ju Ming (Zhu Ming)

Important Private Asian Collection 

This work is in overall very good condition. There is a small area of abrasion at the back of the sculpture, measuring approx. 2 cm. The work is consistent with the artist's chosen medium and working method.
"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."

Single Whip: A Prodigious Display of Size and Might

Taichi Series - Single Whip from Ju Ming's Taichi Series is unquestionably the paradigm work from Ju Ming's artistic career. This is in part due to the fact that the artist introduces a posture previously unseen in his sculptures, a classic downward single whip. But more importantly, these pieces mark the beginning of Ju Ming's use of Taichi as a proxy for expressing his aesthetic ideas, a decision that grew to be an important symbol in the development, evolution, and breakthrough in the artist's career. The period begins with a 1976 exhibit at the National Museum of History in Taipei, featuring Ju Ming's miniature wooden sculpture Kung Fu, the first blueprint of the downward posture, which was not well received due to the public's devotion to nativist sculpture at the time. It proceeds to the artist's 1977 exhibit of twenty-eight pieces officially titled under the Taichi Series at the Tokyo Central Art Museum.  Ju Ming's singular experimentation with Taichi in the following decades that then resulted in a highly creative series of sculptures, such that Tachi Series – Single Whip went from unpopularity to international recognition and acclaim, becoming highly coveted Asian contemporary sculptures.

In the two lots from Taichi Series – Single Whip (Lot 1041) on auction at this evening sale, Ju Ming uses wood and bronze to demonstrate the dynamic process of a downward crouching step, the body turned, the palms penetrating, the legs bowed in mid-rise. In the routine of Taichi, there are upward motions and downward motions, and the downward is the position with the lowest centre of gravity, the body sinks down in a sidestep, waiting for its strength to build until it rises to strike. Legend has it that the downward motion came from Zhang Sanfeng's observations of the fighting between a snake and a magpie. He found that even while the magpie rush attacked the snake, the snake remained with its head tilted upward, its body lightly rocking to dodge the attack. This movement became the downward posture utilized in attack and defence. Although the two pieces are of the same posture, they are largely different in execution. In the wooden sculpture of Taichi Series – Single Whip, Ju Ming has created his own rapid-blade carving technique. He has abandoned the chisel of his nativist sculpture period and exchanged it for a hacksaw. And with this new tool, the sculptor has sped up the pace of the blade and completed the work in one smooth flow of breath. Following along the natural grains of the wood, Ju Ming rips and peels with bold and decisive strokes, creating big blocky cuts that accentuate the composition of the human body in an abstract manner. In this way, each Taichi sculpture is unique, beholden to each piece of wood's idiosyncratic nature.

Over the past several years, different pieces from Taichi Series – Single Whip have been exhibited or brought into the collections of many art museums and public institutions. These include London's South Bank Centre (1991), Yorkshire Sculpture Park (1991), the Hakone Open Air Museum (1995), Place Vendôme in Paris (1997), Berlin's Unter den Linden and the Brandenburg Gate (2003), Macau's IACM Gallery (2005), Times Square Hong Kong (2006), as well as Hong Kong's Bank of China and Exchange Square.