- 1046
JU MING | Taichi Series
Estimate
2,600,000 - 4,500,000 HKD
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Description
- Ju Ming
- Taichi Series
- incised with the artist's signature and dated 90
- wood
- 51.7 by 48.5 by 71.6 cm; 20 ⅜ by 19 by 28 ¼ in.
Provenance
Important Private Asian Collection
Condition
The work is overall in very good and its original 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 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
Taichi Series: An Epoch-Making Aesthetics of Sculptures In the early 1980s, Ju Ming established himself as an artist in Taiwan with his Taichi series, marking a peak period of creativity and development. He explored the diverse possibilities in creativity from the inside out, elevating the genre of modern Chinese sculpture to the global stage. Created in 1990, Taichi Series (Lot 1046) have evolved from clear representations of Tai Chi movements into the embodiment of metaphysical internal momentum, boldly displaying a departure from the preset models of thinking in traditional sculpture whilst symbolizing the refinement of Ju Ming's aesthetic approach.
In this work, the artist captures the sense of fleeting movement, using momentum as the 'breakthrough point'. The warrior's left arm extends forward, right knee bent to stabilize the body, whilst simultaneously bending his other leg, ready to kick upwards, his body slightly turned to one side, portraying the very moment before the 'throw', poised to release the energy, the whole sculpture displaying huge dramatic tension. Like the works of Guan Liang, the Taichi series does not replicate the exact physical form, but instead captures the momentum of a body in motion. Ju Ming no longer used chisels with which he had gained fluency from his earlier period. Instead he created bold, angular shapes using steel saw a few times bigger. Consequently, the outline of the warrior possesses not the smooth, rounded appearance of his earlier works, and instead replaced by block surfaces. This was a choice made by the artist to incorporate geometric compositions in Cubism of Western art. At the same time, the artist followed the natural wood grain to create layered patterns over the blocks of surfaces through cutting, sawing and tearing. The linear sense of speed resembles the calligraphic lines which raced across the canvas in the 1960s and 70s works by French artist Georges Mathieu, who established the foundation of lyrical abstractionism. Despite its appearance of heavy stability, the sculpture possesses the fluidity of Tai Chi, aptly demonstrating Ju's transcendence across the barriers between different media, bringing together seemingly divergent modern artistic languages, blended together into an abstract expressionist approach for sculpture, which in turn became a cross-era aesthetic achievement.
For Ju Ming, art is cultivation. As the first artist to deconstruct and recreate Tai Chi in traditional Chinese culture though an art form that originated from the West, Ju Ming communicates the philosophical insights such as the unification of mind and action as well as the symbiosis of masculinity and femininity, realized through the practice of Tai Chi. Taichi series carries the artist's early ambitions when he first embarked on his artistic practice, and represents an internal sanctuary for his richly energetic creativity, here on full display in Taichi series presented in the spring sale, witnessing his thriving life force which transcends eras and creates profound impact on a global level.
This work is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity issued by Nonprofit Organization Juming Culture and Education Foundation
In this work, the artist captures the sense of fleeting movement, using momentum as the 'breakthrough point'. The warrior's left arm extends forward, right knee bent to stabilize the body, whilst simultaneously bending his other leg, ready to kick upwards, his body slightly turned to one side, portraying the very moment before the 'throw', poised to release the energy, the whole sculpture displaying huge dramatic tension. Like the works of Guan Liang, the Taichi series does not replicate the exact physical form, but instead captures the momentum of a body in motion. Ju Ming no longer used chisels with which he had gained fluency from his earlier period. Instead he created bold, angular shapes using steel saw a few times bigger. Consequently, the outline of the warrior possesses not the smooth, rounded appearance of his earlier works, and instead replaced by block surfaces. This was a choice made by the artist to incorporate geometric compositions in Cubism of Western art. At the same time, the artist followed the natural wood grain to create layered patterns over the blocks of surfaces through cutting, sawing and tearing. The linear sense of speed resembles the calligraphic lines which raced across the canvas in the 1960s and 70s works by French artist Georges Mathieu, who established the foundation of lyrical abstractionism. Despite its appearance of heavy stability, the sculpture possesses the fluidity of Tai Chi, aptly demonstrating Ju's transcendence across the barriers between different media, bringing together seemingly divergent modern artistic languages, blended together into an abstract expressionist approach for sculpture, which in turn became a cross-era aesthetic achievement.
For Ju Ming, art is cultivation. As the first artist to deconstruct and recreate Tai Chi in traditional Chinese culture though an art form that originated from the West, Ju Ming communicates the philosophical insights such as the unification of mind and action as well as the symbiosis of masculinity and femininity, realized through the practice of Tai Chi. Taichi series carries the artist's early ambitions when he first embarked on his artistic practice, and represents an internal sanctuary for his richly energetic creativity, here on full display in Taichi series presented in the spring sale, witnessing his thriving life force which transcends eras and creates profound impact on a global level.
This work is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity issued by Nonprofit Organization Juming Culture and Education Foundation