Xu Bing

signed in Pinyin and Chinese, titled in Chinese, inscribed A/P, dated 1986, and marked with one seal of the artist

A gift from the artist
Private American Collection

United Kingdom, Oxford, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Landscape/Landscript: Nature as Language in the Art of Xu Bing, 28 February - 19 May, 2013, p. 99 (alternative edition exhibited)

Xu Bing, Albion, London, United Kingdom, 2011, pl. 6.12, p. 91  (alternative edition published)

There is a light vertical crease running down the center of the image and an approximately 2 cm long vertical tear on the upper right margin, both of which can be improved by restoration. Overall framed dimensions: 62 by 79 cm; 24⅜ by 31⅛ in.
"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."

Xu Bing is recognized as one of the most daring and creative artists from China deeply concerned with meaning and its distortion. Lots 532 & 533 are unusually early examples of his formal printmaking training and records of his extensive travels throughout China in the 1980s following the country’s opening up to the rest of the world. His avant-garde tendency towards radical empiricism is evident in his unusual processes for printmaking and artistic concepts that address issues of consumption.

The present lot is a view of the dam construction at the western entrance of the Longyang Gorge hydroelectric power station, the westernmost of a succession of dams built along the Yellow River. Despite the historic ambitions of water control in China, including Mao Zedong’s belief that ‘humans should conquer and harness nature,’ these large scale projects produced only a fraction of the power originally anticipated to the permanent detriment of the environment. In the summer of 1986, Xu Bing recorded this moment of ambition on copperplates readied with wax and used a needle to sketch in open air. Adding acid wash at night and later printing the image in his studio upon his return to Beijing, this was an unusual process for engraved printmaking, as much as his image was daring in a bold commentary on the nation’s progressive changes.

The present lot is a page from Xu Bing’s landmark Book form the Sky (Tianshu) series completed in 1991. The astounding installation of woodblock printed books, scrolls and texts of invented characters—empty of literal meaning—provides a biting commentary on the scepticism for a literate culture and deep scorn for official institutions abusing the power of the written word. Since its inception in 1987, the series is regarded as one of the masterpieces of 20^th century Chinese art and helped win for the artist the prestigious MacArthur Foundation "genius" award in 1999.