PRINTILLUSTRATED:
Zao Wou-ki, Lin & Keng Gallery, Taipei, 2005, color illustrated, cover and p. 57
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Ciel, terre et poussiere
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1957 Oil on canvas 73 x 100 cm Signed lower right Wou-ki in Chinese and ZAO in French, dated 57 |
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Estimate
75,000,000 - 100,000,000 19,133,000 - 25,510,000 2,463,100 - 3,284,100
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Sold Price
92,160,000 22,925,373 2,960,488
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ILLUSTRATED:
Zao Wou-ki, Lin & Keng Gallery, Taipei, 2005, color illustrated, cover and p. 57
Catalogue Note:
A MASTERPIECE OF THE ORACLE BONE PERIOD: MAJESTIC SONG OF THE EARTH
Since the Impressionism movement at the end of the 19th century, Western Art has broken free of the naturalistic and realistic traditions that had dominated European aesthetics since the Renaissance. With numerous schools of art prospering in the first half of the 20th century, Western art not only broke from the confines of representational subjectivity, but also began to appreciate aesthetics from outside the European traditions such as African cultures and Asian art. Meanwhile Western art began to be systematically introduced to Asia, with its long history and deep-rooted culture, at the beginning of the 20th century. Pioneers such as Lin Fengmian devoted themselves to a fusion of Chinese and Western art. Instilling Eastern philosophy into European painting traditions, Zao Wou-ki, a second generation modern Chinese artist, fully embraced the system of Western art and achieved unprecedented success. Hard to pigeonhole as either Eastern or Western art, the works of Zao Wou-ki opened a majestic window onto world art history. There is no denying that his “Oracle Bone Period” series in the mid-1950s demonstrates the overwhelming power of this perfect fusion of Eastern and Western art. “Ciel, terre et poussiere” is a classic full-blown work of the Oracle Bone Period.
With blue as the main tone, ink black, silver white, bright gold, and reddish brown are dotted and splashed on the canvas. With his mastery of oil painting, Zao creates an image of the sky with rich variations of airy and penetrating blue hues. Resembling the ups and downs in the journey of life, the mountainous land is constructed with upward-reaching strong and striking ink-black strokes. These powerful ink-black strokes first change into reddish brown earth-like depths in the center of the canvas and then transform into airborne mysterious signals with silvery glitter, as if they have struggled free of gravity and float in the air and light. Forcing itself in from the upper-left side of the canvas, a heavy and shadow-like darkness clashes, igniting and generating sparks, as if a roaring sound in the earth has revived itself amidst the clamor. On the bottom-right of the canvas, ethereal and glittering gold signifies hope in the vast and boundless world and creates a contrast to the blue and black hue of the bottom-right of the canvas, striking a balance between brightness and the darkness, and the lightness and the heaviness of the composition. The apparent disorder of “Ciel, terre et poussiere” reveals a contrast between fullness and emptiness, composing tempestuous rhythms. Signals abstracted from oracle bone characters fire the viewers’ imagination while resplendent and oscillating colors and strokes weave an infinity within the limited space of the canvas.
“Ciel, terre et poussiere” is not only one masterpiece of the Oracle Bone Period but also depicts the artist’s ups and downs. Born into a wealthy family who were descendents of the Song Dynasty court, Zao took a keen interest in Chinese literature and history from an early age but later chose Western oil painting as his primary creative medium. Under the teaching of the pioneers of Chinese modern art such as Lin Fengmian, Wu Dayu and Pan Tianshou, Zao completed his studies in a time of troubles. In 1948, he sailed from China to the capital of the art world, Paris. At first, he made a determined effort to distance himself from the so-called chinoiserie of water-ink painting. In 1951, drawing inspiration from Paul Klee’s works (1879-1940), Zao abandoned complex concrete illustration and started to find a more profound visual language in the interplay of sheer canvas and ethereal lines. Lines are exactly the essence of Chinese water-ink painting and Zao was better equipped than contemporary Western artists in terms of control of color and line strokes. His deep understanding of Chinese oracle bones initiated his celebrated “Oracle Bone Period”. As Zao once said, “Signal becomes form while the background constructs the space. Something comes to my mind because I paint and destroy it over and over again.” Zao went on to develop his very own brand of aesthetic appeal.
“Ciel, terre et poussiere” not only marks the most significant phase of Zao’s career but also discloses an upsurge in his emotions. Zao created “Ciel, terre et poussiere” in 1957 when he travelled around America studying and observing abstract expressionism. At the same time he ended his 16-year marriage to Xie Jinglan after numerous emotional struggles. The ambition and achievement of his artistic career, alongside the sudden change in his family life greatly impacted his life. However, Zao persevered through his strong will and transformed the adversity of life into this breathtaking masterpiece. The striking ink-black lines and the outburst of emotions depict a stunning epic of land in “Ciel, terre et poussiere”, summoning up the collision of every living creation on earth. As Zao once said, “I want to express vibrant dynamism, or lingering twists, or lightning speed. Clamor is more appealing than sheer silence to me.”
While the ancient Chinese bone oracles inspired Zao to abandon concrete objects and to depict abstract symbols in form, the “harmonious unity of man and the Universe”, the deep-rooted world view of Eastern philosophy, inspired Zao to transcend the limitations of the oil medium in search of a more powerful and profound natural force. Yves Bonnefoy, the writer and art critic, once depicted Zao as “a recommencer dans les fourres du visible l'apprentissage de l'invisible”. He further elaborated, “Cette peinture est le franchissement du visible mais elle evoque donc, elle designe de facon furtive mais forte, les choses memes qui se dissipent quand le franchissement s'accomplit; ……elle nous permet de venir a elle, nous parle ou plutot nous incite a nous parler a nous-memes, a nous poser des questions. Une grande intuition de nature metaphysique se fait entendre, que nous avons loisir d'ecouter, d'autres bien differentes n'en continuent pas moins autour de nous d'avoir cour”. (Yves Bonnefoy, La pensee de Zao Wou-ki and Zao Wou-ki 60 ans de peintures Shanghai Joint Publishing Company, p. 29-30.). His words point to the charm and the significance of “Ciel, terre et poussiere”.
Since the Impressionism movement at the end of the 19th century, Western Art has broken free of the naturalistic and realistic traditions that had dominated European aesthetics since the Renaissance. With numerous schools of art prospering in the first half of the 20th century, Western art not only broke from the confines of representational subjectivity, but also began to appreciate aesthetics from outside the European traditions such as African cultures and Asian art. Meanwhile Western art began to be systematically introduced to Asia, with its long history and deep-rooted culture, at the beginning of the 20th century. Pioneers such as Lin Fengmian devoted themselves to a fusion of Chinese and Western art. Instilling Eastern philosophy into European painting traditions, Zao Wou-ki, a second generation modern Chinese artist, fully embraced the system of Western art and achieved unprecedented success. Hard to pigeonhole as either Eastern or Western art, the works of Zao Wou-ki opened a majestic window onto world art history. There is no denying that his “Oracle Bone Period” series in the mid-1950s demonstrates the overwhelming power of this perfect fusion of Eastern and Western art. “Ciel, terre et poussiere” is a classic full-blown work of the Oracle Bone Period.
With blue as the main tone, ink black, silver white, bright gold, and reddish brown are dotted and splashed on the canvas. With his mastery of oil painting, Zao creates an image of the sky with rich variations of airy and penetrating blue hues. Resembling the ups and downs in the journey of life, the mountainous land is constructed with upward-reaching strong and striking ink-black strokes. These powerful ink-black strokes first change into reddish brown earth-like depths in the center of the canvas and then transform into airborne mysterious signals with silvery glitter, as if they have struggled free of gravity and float in the air and light. Forcing itself in from the upper-left side of the canvas, a heavy and shadow-like darkness clashes, igniting and generating sparks, as if a roaring sound in the earth has revived itself amidst the clamor. On the bottom-right of the canvas, ethereal and glittering gold signifies hope in the vast and boundless world and creates a contrast to the blue and black hue of the bottom-right of the canvas, striking a balance between brightness and the darkness, and the lightness and the heaviness of the composition. The apparent disorder of “Ciel, terre et poussiere” reveals a contrast between fullness and emptiness, composing tempestuous rhythms. Signals abstracted from oracle bone characters fire the viewers’ imagination while resplendent and oscillating colors and strokes weave an infinity within the limited space of the canvas.
“Ciel, terre et poussiere” is not only one masterpiece of the Oracle Bone Period but also depicts the artist’s ups and downs. Born into a wealthy family who were descendents of the Song Dynasty court, Zao took a keen interest in Chinese literature and history from an early age but later chose Western oil painting as his primary creative medium. Under the teaching of the pioneers of Chinese modern art such as Lin Fengmian, Wu Dayu and Pan Tianshou, Zao completed his studies in a time of troubles. In 1948, he sailed from China to the capital of the art world, Paris. At first, he made a determined effort to distance himself from the so-called chinoiserie of water-ink painting. In 1951, drawing inspiration from Paul Klee’s works (1879-1940), Zao abandoned complex concrete illustration and started to find a more profound visual language in the interplay of sheer canvas and ethereal lines. Lines are exactly the essence of Chinese water-ink painting and Zao was better equipped than contemporary Western artists in terms of control of color and line strokes. His deep understanding of Chinese oracle bones initiated his celebrated “Oracle Bone Period”. As Zao once said, “Signal becomes form while the background constructs the space. Something comes to my mind because I paint and destroy it over and over again.” Zao went on to develop his very own brand of aesthetic appeal.
“Ciel, terre et poussiere” not only marks the most significant phase of Zao’s career but also discloses an upsurge in his emotions. Zao created “Ciel, terre et poussiere” in 1957 when he travelled around America studying and observing abstract expressionism. At the same time he ended his 16-year marriage to Xie Jinglan after numerous emotional struggles. The ambition and achievement of his artistic career, alongside the sudden change in his family life greatly impacted his life. However, Zao persevered through his strong will and transformed the adversity of life into this breathtaking masterpiece. The striking ink-black lines and the outburst of emotions depict a stunning epic of land in “Ciel, terre et poussiere”, summoning up the collision of every living creation on earth. As Zao once said, “I want to express vibrant dynamism, or lingering twists, or lightning speed. Clamor is more appealing than sheer silence to me.”
While the ancient Chinese bone oracles inspired Zao to abandon concrete objects and to depict abstract symbols in form, the “harmonious unity of man and the Universe”, the deep-rooted world view of Eastern philosophy, inspired Zao to transcend the limitations of the oil medium in search of a more powerful and profound natural force. Yves Bonnefoy, the writer and art critic, once depicted Zao as “a recommencer dans les fourres du visible l'apprentissage de l'invisible”. He further elaborated, “Cette peinture est le franchissement du visible mais elle evoque donc, elle designe de facon furtive mais forte, les choses memes qui se dissipent quand le franchissement s'accomplit; ……elle nous permet de venir a elle, nous parle ou plutot nous incite a nous parler a nous-memes, a nous poser des questions. Une grande intuition de nature metaphysique se fait entendre, que nous avons loisir d'ecouter, d'autres bien differentes n'en continuent pas moins autour de nous d'avoir cour”. (Yves Bonnefoy, La pensee de Zao Wou-ki and Zao Wou-ki 60 ans de peintures Shanghai Joint Publishing Company, p. 29-30.). His words point to the charm and the significance of “Ciel, terre et poussiere”.