The 30th Taiwan Provincial Art Exhibition (Provincial Exhibition) was formally opened in the Taipei History Museum on Nov. 18th, 1975. Liao Chi-chun, as a member of the deliberation jury, displayed his favorite works of art in the exhibition, and his oil paintings "Ferryboat" (1974) and "Teliluo in Spain" (1975) became the highlights of the exhibition. This turned out to be the last time for Liao to see his works displayed in public as three months later he died at the age of 74.
Toledo in Spain, by Liao Chi-chun, in 1975
Oil Painting Canvas 80x100cm, Taipei Fine Art Museum
Liao Chi-chun was one of the most influential older artists in Taiwan. He was dedicated to revealing the beauty of art to the world through his acute eye and sincere emotions. In respect of his use of colors and designs, and his expression of emotions, he contributed deep enlightenment to the development of contemporary painting in Taiwan. Liao was not only an artist with a unique style, he was also an excellent art educator. He taught in many different schools and places in Taiwan for many years, and cultivated numerous outstanding students. He used himself as an example of exploring the art of painting. Liao always presented his best paintings to the world; from the Imperial Exhibition in Japan, to the prefectural and provincial exhibitions of Taiwan. Even at the end of his life, he still created several stunning paintings.
The two paintings in the 30th Provincial Exhibition above were Liao's favorite personal works of art. He kept them in his home up until his death. The smaller-sized "Ferryboat" was bequeathed to Liao Shuwen, Liao's second son, and the larger-sized "Toledo in Spain" was inherited by his fourth son Liao Shuzhong, who lived in America. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum purchased "Toledo in Spain" from Liao Shuwen in June 1988. It was the first Liao painting to be acquired by the museum and it became one of its most important masterpieces. The renowned modern art museum, which engages in studying the development of modern art, intentionally chose paintings created in the later period of Liao's life when his works reflect his mature skills and represent his highest accomplishments.
Taipei Fine Arts Museum accepted 7 paintings donated by Liao Chi-chun's family in 1996. They were donated to promote professional research. The Liao family also established a "Liao Chi-chun Memorial Grant". A year later, the "Liao Chi-chun Oil Painting Creation Award" was established to provide financial support from the interest of the grant to promising young artists with outstanding achievements or great potential. Lu Xianming, Guo Weiguo and many other artists won the awards. As the most important art award in Taiwan, this grant bequeathed by Liao Chi-chun is a major reminder of the senior artist's influence on art development in Taiwan. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum established a "Special and Permanent Hall for Liao Chi-chun Art", where Liao's contribution to modern art is canonized through the exhibition of his paintings, literature, and details. This was the first special exhibition hall established by the museum since its foundation in 1983.
Liao Chi-chun, Canal, 1974, Oil on canvas, 72.5x91 cm
Ravenel Spring Auction 2006, NT$ 80,850,000 sold
Ms. Wang Su-feng has studied Liao Chi-chun's art for years. She believes that Liao reached the peak of modern art in the 1960s, and that the 1970s witnessed his splendor. Her thesis "A Brief Description of Liao Chi-chun's Painting Experience" was published by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum in 1993. She wrote in this thesis that "...those painted in the preceding years before Liao Chi-chun died showed the tendency of representationalism. His painting of Venice has been reiteratively discussed, and it was quite the same as the discussion of the significance of his painting of the 'East Harbor'. Liao Chi-chun had always been at the status of pursuing and seeking. Generally his paintings in those years were more stable instead of adventurousness, but some paintings still contain rich layers, fresh colors, and shows quite majestic momentum, such as the 'Ferryboat' painted in 1974, and the 'Toledo in Spain' painted in 1975, which are believed to be the best of them..." (Wang Su-feng, Liao Chi-chun: Landscape in Spain (Research Exhibition from the Museum Collection I), Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Aug.1983, color illustrated, pp. 5-10)
Literature or details about the "Ferryboat" can easily be found in most albums of Liao Chi-chun's paintings. As for the year when the painting was created, no clue was marked on the painting itself, and some older catalogs provided inconsistent records. Thus in the materials published by Cathay Art Museum and Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the year 1974 was finally determined to be the time when "Ferryboat" was created. However, the publishing data of The Artist's Magazine or Lion Art Monthly mistakenly made it 1964. Actually the rich textured layers and the pink tone in "Ferryboat" are strong evidence proving that this painting is closer to the style of the later period of his life. Another example is the auction lot of Ravenel SPRING AUCTION 2006, the cover painting "Canal", which was also painted in 1974.
A-Sun Wu, an artist, also praised his teacher's "Ferryboat". He said: "...With the movement of colors, he intentionally and unconsciously described images of purity. The painting displays changes of light, shadow, and colors with quite soft and beautiful tones. Especially the part of cloud, which at first glance looks like an abstract expression, but feels unparalleled profusion after thorough tasting and deliberation" (A-Sun Wu, 'Ferryboats', Liao Chi-chun, Cathay Art Museum, 1981, p. 202)
In Taiwan Fine Arts Series, Lin Hsin-yue, an art essayist also vividly depicted "Ferryboat": "The view of ferryboats under the burning sun displays carnival-style liveliness and gorgeousness. The painter broke the real logic of thickness for the near and thinness for the far, and he bestowed every part of the space with the same color intensity; the elements also work in concert with each other, and even the red colors of the mountain peak and of the roofs are also intense enough to reflect with the bright red boats in the near view. It is astonishing that the spatial hollowness is still miraculously felt even in such a flowery combination of intense colors. This is enough to see the painter's substantial sketching skill." (Lin Hsin-yue, Liao Chi-chun (Taiwan Fine Arts Series No.4), Artist Publishing Co., Taipei, July 1992, color illustrated, No.62, p.109; black-and-white illustration, p. 228)
Throughout his life, Liao Chi-chun often put details of daily life on canvas. When his family moved to Taipei in 1947, he made all the places of interest throughout the north of Taiwan objects of his sketches. From the 1950s, seaports or riverside landscapes became the most constant themes expressed by Liao. Danshui and Kwan-yin Mountain were both his favorite sketching venues. Traveling in America and Europe for a number of months in 1962 opened new horizons for him, and he became more adventurous in his use of colors. His inner painting potential was thus stimulated. Paris, Venice, Greece, Spain, all the landscapes of those places became his painting objects. After he returned to Taiwan, he became even more dedicated to seaside sketching. He visited Danshui, Yeliu, and even the East Harbor of Pingtung, famous seaside locations in Taiwan. His landscape paintings in the later period of his life were not completely sketched from real-life , they were actually painted in his studio after his return from his visits, from photos, postcards, literary sketches and his memories and impressions. His paintings from this period have more the feel of expressionism expressing Liao's mind and moods, rather than being plain sketch notions of impressionism. Liao was not objectively reproducing nature as he saw it with his eyes, but exploring the relationship and mutual influence of his own sensation and the shapes and colors in nature.
Perhaps "Ferryboat" describes a prosperous scene of a harbor in Danshui or Yeliu, expressing Liao's optimistic and positive philosophy of life. The profuse form of the composition is filled with a special festival flavor in the south; the abstract bright color patches and the combination of lines reveal Liao's perception of abstract paintings. The fresh colors he used are elements from Taiwan folk's art. He also applied bright pink to balance the ultramarine background, and this is the most special and different style of Liao. Ms. Wang Sufeng believed that "Pink undoubtedly symbolizes softness and emotional expression, and is really idyllically charming when showing up with other bright colors." Critics believe that the application of red colors is the whereabouts of Liao's spirit. His strong ability in painting expression, have earned him various titles such as "Color Enchanter", "Splendid and Harmonious fauvist". The painting "Ferryboat" proves that Liao Chi-chun, who successfully expressed emotions with a merry appearance, is creditably an excellent model among senior artists.
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