Liu Guosong (Liu Kuo-sung)

signed LIU GUOSONG, dated 1971 and with one seal of the artist

Acquired directly from the artist
Hugh Moss Ltd, London
Private South African Collection

Overall in good condition.
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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 1969, Liu Kuo-sung began his acclaimed spacescape series, which he created over several years—redefining his expressionistic abstractions with hard-edged geometric forms. Contrary to popular belief, these paintings were not solely inspired by images of Earth taken by astronauts on Apollo 8. Instead, Liu’s incorporation of circular shapes in the upper part of his paintings began just prior to news of the successful Apollo mission and were inspired by the luminous spheres of light from traditional Chinese lanterns.

Upon watching films of the Apollo team, however, Liu connected the idea of space exploration with an important custom in Chinese painting. As epitomized by the monumental paintings of the Song dynasty and onwards, Chinese painters tended to depict panoramic landscapes as seen from an elevated, transcendent perspective—as if viewed by some spiritual being from an imaginary point in the sky. The Which is Earth? and Moon series thus enabled Liu to not only contemplate the boundless celestial universe but also to reflect upon the traditional Chinese painting philosophy—specifically, the desire to transcend earthly and material existence. Moon Rising (1971) attests to Liu Kuo-sung’s lifelong innovations that redefined the ink medium. Evoking an infinite cosmic vision and immersive sensorial experience, the work features juxtapositions between form, texture, surface and color.