- 136
Liu Guosong
Description
- Liu Guosong
- Snowy Mountains
- colour and ink on paper
Provenance
China Guardian, Beijing, 15 June, 2008, lot 1116
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."
Catalogue Note
The artist began using xuan paper for his paintings at the start of the 1960s. In place of traditional brushstrokes, he applied “tuomo” (rubbing ink) as well as collage techniques. Later, he came across a special type of paper made with coarse fibres – after paint is applied, fibres can be torn off the surface to create an effect resembling the contours of muscles or the “feibai” technique (white space showing through the strokes to convey a sense of speed and movement) in Chinese calligraphy. As a result of this discovery, he asked a paper manufacturer to make this special type of “Liu Kuosong” paper, and used this in conjunction with rubbing ink and collage. He created thick, rugged, abstract brush strokes imbued with a strong sense of motion, then he removed the fibres from the surface, and used different techniques including ink rubbing and “xuanran” (ink-wash), to conjure images of clouds, mists and snow-covered mountains, which he gave such poetic titles as “lian zhang qi” (mountain ranges rising). By infusing modern artistic elements from Abstract Expressionism with traditional brush, ink and paper, Liu created a new style and technique. His work displays a beauty that extends beyond the external form, making it at once traditional and modern, and establishing a new style of modern Ink Painting.
Created in 1982, Snowy Mountains is an exquisite example of the combination of the poetry of Ink Painting and elements of Abstract Expressionism that characterises Liu Kuosung’s work; as the renowned Chinese poet Yu Kwang Chung once described it: “It is the feeling of water, the feeling of clouds, and the feeling of wind. It is a yearning for the boundless by those within boundaries. It is the pursuit of eternity by a fleeting moment.”