PROVENANCE:

Galerie Septentrion, Marcq-en-Baroeul, France, 1988

Acquired from the above by the previous owner, France

EXHIBITED:

Chu Teh Chun, Galerie Septentrion, Marcq-en Baroeul, France, 1988, no. 10/88

Chinese-French artist Chu Teh-chun has never been satisfied to stand-still with his work, and has throughout his life constantly challenged himself to find new creative forms of expression. This is evident in his later paintings which have a distinctly broader scope and are larger in size than his earlier works. His unique style of depicting traditional Chinese-influenced landscapes in abstract form without losing a romantic appeal has long been acknowledged and even in his later years, he continues to surprise his admirers with every painting. The much praised "Snow Scenes" series completed between 1985 and 1989 comprises about 20 pieces and this rarity has made it one of Chu's most sought after series.

Chu Teh-chun's major influence for the exquisite series was from time he spent in Geneva in 1985. He told Taiwanese art critic Chu Ko during an interview: "I have done many paintings with various shades of white, inspired by the snow-capped mountains I saw in the Alps while traveling in Geneva. On a cloudy day, the white from the sea of clouds and the white of the snow were clearly discernible and changing constantly. This phenomenon filled my mind with images of clouds continuously floating on a bed of white. My spirit felt as though it was floating up and down in concert with the changes in the shade and density of that scene and in a flash, many of the familiar images portrayed in the Tang poems rushed into my head. I simply could not wait to go home and put these images on canvas. I wanted to capture in paint my feelings in that moment..."(Liao Chiung-fang, Overseas Chinese Fine Arts Series II: Chu Teh-chun, Artist Publishing Co., Taipei, January 1999, p. 56)

In their pursuit towards excellence and bringing forth new ideas, many contemporary artists rely on external influences. However, Chu Teh-chun, heavily influenced by his Chinese culture, is a firm believer in Fan K'uan's statement, "I will rather not rely on external beings but turn to my inner most feelings." Chu Teh-chun, in true Chinese fashion, relies on his inner feelings, and this has enabled him to open new frontiers in expressing his aesthetic sense of judgment. When he first arrived in France, Chu continued to read the "Complete Collection of Tang Poetry" and the "Complete Collection of Song Poetry" For many years, as his spirit wandered among Chinese classical poetry and prose seeking to enhance his appreciation of beauty and make it a more joyful process, his inspiration was often ignited, and he poured forth his inner most feelings in his paintings. He also listen extensively to Western classical music, and the influence of this is also seen in his works. Many Western commentators have noted that his paintings are poetic pieces of abstract art. In the "Snow Scenes" one cannot help but wonder if the artist was thinking of the magnificent winter scene described by the Tang poet Li Po "in the bitter cold, the snow keeps falling like a giant hand smothering the snow-covered ground" or the flurry of activity in another poet Tu Fu's "under the low lying clouds, the snow flakes dance merrily in the wind." Imagine a scene of snow flakes floating gently from the sky and dancing in the cold wind, a breathtaking sight indeed.

Chu Ko, commented, "Chu Teh-chun is a master who used oil painting to depict the Chinese spirit of water brush paintings... Chu Teh-chun employs oil painting to display the Chinese spirit of water brush paintings and the strokes and lines with variations of darkness and depth and the rendering effect in the space contain the joy of brush ink that amazes everyone." (Chu Ko, 'Cloud Emerge and Sunset Beauty: Attempt to Examine Chu Teh-chun's art significance', Chu Teh-chun Painting Collection, Jingling Arts Center, Taipei, August 1989, p. 9; p. 11) The beauty of art can transcend time and integrate West and East, and Chu Teh-chun reveals the beauty of this great rapport. He once said, "The blending of East into West isn't the combination of East and West, but the integration of philosophies. I was educated in China, so my paintings convey the abstract art of Chinese poetry with the artistic mentality of the Tang and Song."

Pierre Cabanne, the famous French art critic once wrote: "A real painting results from memory." The lyric paintings of Chu Teh-chun are also pictures from his memory. His paintings reflect the spirit of traditional Chinese mountain–water paintings. They guide us to a brand-new world. From his brushwork, and use of color and structure, viewers can enjoy a spiritual journey. The present lot, "Paysage Hivernal"(Winter Landscape), created in 1985-1986, possesses a grand beauty as Chu elegantly presents a cold winter scene with profound connotations, expressed romantically and with freedom of imagination. As a Chinese abstract painter seeking to integrate both poetry and painting, his work possesses a spiritually refreshing concept which leaves the audience with a sense that their soul has undergone a thorough baptism.

"Paysage Hivernal" (Winter Landscape), imbued with a poetic lair and aesthetic image, is like the playing of an impromptu musical episode. Its free-style brush strokes, dabs and daubs being dimly visible are reminiscent of traditional Chinese techniques. The falling night occupies the center of the canvas, as a snowstorm creates a flurry of what seem like pearls, sleek lines twist and turn forming nets, while a grey curtain descends speckled with stars, as the world becomes a silverish grey. A sense of warmth is somewhat created by the use of light yellow hues.

His fellow artist Wu Guanzhong believed that Chu Teh-chun's snow scenery reflected his inner life experience and wrote, "Painting according to his whims and desires, the painter painted diversified, varied, surreal dreams, happiness and anger looming..., this all equates to the luck and sorrow in one's life experience, a gauze that breaks through the innermost feelings, showcasing path and marks in the author's long artistic life." (Please refer to Zhu Wei, Chu Teh-chun Biography, HoKe Art, Taipei, 1st Aug 2003, 1st Edition, pp. 225-226.)