Through these works, we can look back on how this Beijing-born and Paris-based artist spent his whole life tirelessly exploring the road to the integration of Chinese and Western arts, which not only became a bridge between Chinese and Western arts, but also became a far-reaching and recognized master of art in contemporary art history.
1. Zhao Wuji's prescient "name"
Infinity means infinity, which indicates Zhao Wuji's infinite exploration of oil painting, ink painting, printmaking, sculpture, watercolor and other creative styles. He perfectly blended different cultures and became a unique artist. Zhao Wuji began to learn painting at the age of 10. His banker father encouraged him to get in touch with art very early and sent him to Hangzhou Art Institute (now China Academy of Fine Arts) to study realistic painting. Zhao Wuji studied under artists Lin Fengmian and Wu Dayu, who are known as pioneers of modern painting in China. 194 1 year, 2 1 year-old Zhao Wuji held his first solo exhibition in Chongqing.
2. Paris-the source of inspiration
After teaching in Hangzhou Art College for five years, Zhao Wuji moved to Paris on 1948. Zhao Wuji was inspired by Paris. Influenced by Matisse and Picasso at first, and inspired by modern western art, impressionism and expressionism, Zhao Wuji's artistic style gradually became abstract. 1In the mid-1950s, Zhao Wuji gradually simplified objects into linear symbols, returned to the traditional culture of China, and stepped into the short-lived Oracle Bone Inscriptions period from the poetic and quiet "Keli period", using simple and abstract hieroglyphs to awaken memories from ancient times, which enveloped the mysterious atmosphere of historical civilization.
Lot number 208
Zhao Wuji (China/France, 1920-20 13)
《24.06.59》
Oil painting canvas
46 x 55.5 cm.
1959
Appraisal: 6.5 million-7.5 million RMB.
Will be exhibited at the evening auction of "Twentieth Century and Contemporary Art"
24.06.59 is Zhao Wuji's later works and Oracle Bone Inscriptions series. 1959, Zhao Wuji returned to Paris from Hongkong, and began to name his works after the completion date, instead of using the title to convey the image, which further got rid of the specific plot and showed an invisible spirit. Different from the patchwork of the original glyphs in the early works of Oracle Bone Inscriptions series, the number of characters in the later works of this series gradually dissipated and disassembled into short overlapping strokes, which was the transitional stage for Zhao Wuji to become completely abstract in the 1960 s.
Part of 24.06.59
In "24.06.59", the artist did not use the dark theme, but used a broad and elegant gray, painted with oil paints, showing hundreds of strong and elegant colors in the ink medium. The dark blue and apricot yellow jumping in black, white and gray contain a clever and elegant mystery. Zhao Wuji practiced calligraphy under the guidance of his grandfather since childhood, and his impressive traditional culture naturally blended into his creation. In "24.06.59", Zhao Wuji used a cadence-like brushwork, with thick oil paint in the middle, vigorous brushwork, mutual repulsion and intertwined rushing rhythm. Go up and down, leave a blank space like a river, use a pen slowly and magnificently, and bring the space to vast expanse. In this combination of rigidity and softness, Zhao Wuji showed the dynamics and quietness of calligraphy, and did not stop at the form of calligraphy but traced back to its source. Like a scholar in the Song Dynasty, he expressed his feelings and took pictures from the canvas, and also poured the balanced life of nature into the picture, showing a rolling vitality and telling the mysterious oriental image in the wave of lyrical abstraction in Paris after the war.
0? 820 17 Artists' Rights Association, ProPark Jung Su Ries, new york/Zurich.
Zhao Wuji, Paris, 1960 (photo by Zhao Chen Meiqin)
3. new york-style expansion trip
1957, Zhao Wuji worked in the French artist Pierre? 9? Accompanied by Pierre Soulages, he set foot in new york for the first time, and the city opened up new perspectives and opportunities for him. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Zhao Wuji came to new york every year and participated in several solo exhibitions at Samuel Kutz Gallery. During these trips, he met many artists in new york, such as Franz? 9? Franz Klein, Philip? 9? Gaston and Adolf? 9? Adolf gottlieb and others. At that time, the movement of abstract expressionism was in full swing in new york, and Zhao Wuji's friendship with these artists encouraged him to explore the possibility of bolder painting style and gesture creation.
4. 1960s- strength and momentum
1960s is a very important period in Zhao Wuji's artistic career. During this period, he began to immerse himself in abstract art, gradually faded from the meticulous style inspired by Oracle Bone Inscriptions before, and began to devote himself to more bold and vigorous painting methods. 1957 After returning to Paris from his first visit to the United States, Zhao Wuji was touched by the movement of abstract expressionism and the sense of movement of new york School, and began to use rougher brushstrokes and stronger sense of strength in his paintings.
Lot number 207
《 10.8.67》
65 x 54 cm.
1967
Appraisal: RMB 7.8-9.8 million.
The work "10.8.67" is full of dazzling colors and vivid activity, which perfectly shows the characteristics of Zhao Wuji's works in the 1960s. "Extremely simple and clear" is the most powerful element in "10.8.67". This work has only four colors: black, white and two kinds of blue. This combination allows the artist to show his surging power through unrestrained painting. At the top of the picture, a thick ivory black edge of China Resources is balanced by a white stripe at the bottom, and between the two extremes of this spectrum, there is an infinite ocean of colors, shining between the calm Buddha blue and the rich Turkish blue.
The work 10.8.67 itself is also a tribute to the purest form of blue itself. The artist makes full use of the abstract meaning of color, so that the viewer's mind is full of wild seascapes and foam-like waves, as well as all the speed and emotion contained in the theme. The works juxtapose simple colors and tones to create flowing images; The horizontal measuring band on the screen also seems to imply that the work goes beyond the limitation of the screen and expands outward.
"10.8.67" section
/kloc-after the 1960s, Zhao Wuji's works no longer paid attention to details and symbolic content, but emphasized the diversified presentation of formalism, attracting the audience's attention with the lines, colors and forms on the screen and the feelings conveyed by these elements. In "10.8.67", the bright blue horizontal band covers the horizontal distance of the picture, prompting the viewer to see the details of the picture, allowing his eyes to look closely at the rhythm of the picture from left to right and from top to bottom, and appreciate the subtle changes of color, light and shadow, as well as the relationship with different tones.
For Zhao Wuji, the kind of "Chinese style" painting that is deliberately and directly implanted with China cultural elements has been avoided and carefully guarded. Although "10.8.67" is purely an abstract oil painting on canvas, it also reflects the master's own inheritance of China's traditional painting. Although the composition of this work is simple and lively, the artist uses different light and dark blocks to lay out the rhythmic leveling method, which reminds people of the style of Ni Zan, one of the four great masters in Yuan Dynasty.
Looking at this work from top to bottom, the transition of the master's painting from black to white also reminds the audience of the Taoist philosophy of Yin and Yang and the necessity of balancing all elements and things. In composition, the dark block breaks the bright block, making the work seem to cross the gap between the two color extremes. This image also brings out various imaginations about the origin of the universe; In countless cultures and religions, the origin of the world comes from the division between light and darkness, and the division between water and water is different. Zhao Wuji's works explore the relationship between these basic elements and inject the basic dichotomy that defines the universe into his works. When creating this painting, Zhao Wuji painted a picture of creating the universe, full of boundless blue, darkness and light.
5. Zhao Wuji and China Traditional Paintings
When Zhao Wuji first arrived in Paris, his exploration of western modern painting made him unwilling to create in the way of traditional Chinese painting for a long time, but he always insisted on creating works on paper. Among them, watercolor painting uses water as a medium to blend and dilute pigments. The transparency and fluidity of water make watercolor painting have effects that other western painting categories can't achieve in terms of color clarity, interest in light sense and richness of layering, while the particularity of watercolor painting is quite similar to traditional painting in China in terms of tools, techniques, forms of expression and lyric orientation. Zhao Wuji has been exploring the integration of Chinese and Western arts all his life. In his artistic creation career, he has always regarded watercolor painting as an important practice to interpret his artistic ideas.
Batch number 139
Untitled
Watercolor paper book
54.5 x 74.2 cm.
196 1 year
Appraisal: 600,000-800,000 RMB.
Will be presented in "Creating | Shanghai"
196 1 came from Zhao Wuji 13 years. During this period, his oil painting artistic creation reached the stage of perfection. This untitled picture is an excellent example for the artist to explore the sense of relaxation and the rhythm of light space. He diluted colors with different amounts of water and presented them on paper, exploring the multiple tremors of a color: unpredictable gray flowing between black and white, and blue and purple like Shan Lan smoke. The bottom of the picture is bold and unrestrained, and the waves of life are gathered in the magnificent momentum; The top is winding and lingering, and the smoke waves are filled with the light of clouds. Just like Turner's exquisite treatment of light and water vapor, it also shows that the universe was chaotic at the beginning and there was a feeling of "harmony and escape".
Batch number 138
34.5 x 52 cm.
Appraisal: RMB 350,000-650,000.
In the blues work Untitled, created by 1967, Zhao Wuji skillfully combined the layout and interest of China traditional painting: the watercolor pen no longer filled the whole picture, but left a blank in a big place. Zhao Wuji painted the paper in half, showing the blue produced by the collision of creases, which are mutually exclusive and complementary. This is a wide brush, and the other is a fine pen. This is as light as a feather, and this is as thick as silk brocade; This one talks about the ups and downs of light and shade, and the other one talks about the texture level, as if Turner is exploring the balance of the picture in the tension between reality and reality, and the quick brushwork reflects the sense of speed of free gathering and dispersion. In China's traditional painting, the poem or the previous paragraph is often inscribed in the blank space of the painting, which is the artistic conception and the element of the painting, while the text is left blank in the painting and travels in the whole.
In this painting, Zhao Wuji wrote in ink in the lower right corner "Pour wine for Patricia Sapone" in French, indicating that this painting was given to a friend that year. Patricia Sapone is a member of the French family Nice Sapone. Since 1950s, the Sapone family has cooperated with many artists, such as Picasso and Alberto? 9? Alberto Giacometti, Hans? 9? Hans Hadong had a close relationship with Zhao Wuji and others. Later, he opened the Galerie Sapone Gallery in Nice in1970s, and Zhao Wuji also held a solo exhibition in this gallery in 1993.
Batch number 137
71x 99.5cm.
Made in 2008
Appraisal: RMB 400,000-600,000.
Another work created more than 40 years later is quite different. Since 2008, Zhao Wuji has walked out of the studio and painted outdoors like an impressionist painter. This year, he stopped his oil painting creation, and he no longer did not pursue the powerful brushwork like a mountain, nor did he pay attention to the mottled and diverse texture. He went from surging to all-inclusive clarity, releasing color, fully showing a transparent sense of lightness and gentleness, just like graceful Song Ci, with a soft melody. The picture is getting thinner. The color of this work is clear and open, rubbing blue and dyeing blue in a kind of warmth, like the dispersion of light colliding with natural colors. At the bottom of the screen, a large number of horizontal colors are like rainbows, which are done in one go with wide pen color blocks. The color blocks naturally transition and set each other off into interest, bringing a leisurely artistic conception of "drunk at dusk"
6. Zhao Wuji's China feelings
1in March, 972, Zhao Wuji returned to Shanghai to visit his mother after 24 years' absence. At this time, Zhao Wuji has achieved fame and fortune, and has experienced several joys and sorrows in his life. After returning to Paris, Zhao Wuji began to draw ink paintings with pens and ink brought back from China. At first, it was just a way to practice calligraphy for fun, but gradually, he found that in the blooming, dripping and multiple changes of ink color, he not only felt great creative pleasure, but also had new inspiration and touch on thousands of shades and countless levels of ink painting, with intangible and tangible effects.
Zhao Wuji is at the Taiwan History Museum.
1979 At the invitation of architect I.M. Pei, he created two large-scale ink paintings for the Xiangshan Hotel in Beijing, and then held large-scale exhibitions in Beijing National Museum and Taiwan History Museum in 1983. 1In May, 985, Zhao Wuji was invited to return to his alma mater, Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now China Academy of Fine Arts) to teach and share his theories and ideas with students. 1998 and 1999 "60-year retrospective exhibition of Zhao Wuji painting" were held in Shanghai Museum, Beijing China Art Museum and Guangdong Art Museum respectively. Zhao Wuji once recalled: "This is how history pushed me to distant France, where I took root and settled down, and then returned to China, so that my deepest pursuit finally had a home. Over the years, the close communication with the motherland and the exploration of ink painting have made Zhao Wuji's abstract art enter a new transitional period.
Lot number 206
《24. 12.2002? Double work
Oil painting (reproduction)
Made in 2002
195 x 260 cm.
Evaluation: 65,438 yuan+02 million-22 million yuan.
In February 2002, Zhao Wuji was elected as an academician of the French Academy of Arts. At the age of seventy, he has reached the stage of "doing what he wants to do? The instantaneous realm is not only comfortable in front of the huge canvas, but also challenges itself more confidently and is "bolder and freer" than in the past. On 24th of the same month, he finished the book 24. 12.2002 on Christmas Eve. Replication is the best example. Standing in front of this huge double painting, a soft and rhythmic energy came face to face. The visual sense of subtle color levels is very rich: a touch of lake blue above and plum red below, as well as a large area of warm brown into the background color. This is different from Zhao Wuji's early works, which focused on the strength of the pen and the heavy way of oil painting. This work not only explores the clever use of color and light, but also exudes a light atmosphere, and the canvas exudes a soft light from the inside out. This pursuit of light and abstract space, as well as the bold use of color, is exactly the harmonious point sought by Zhao Wuji in his later works.
Zhao Wuji once said: "What I tried to figure out in Long in Letter is how to draw a style and how to show the clarity and purity of light." ? I don't want to express nature, but juxtapose images to make people see the ripples of air on the quiet water. I want to create new colors, new space and brightness. Give people a feeling of freshness, lightness and tremor. 」
《24. 12.2002? Double work "part"
《24. 12.2002? In duplex, the spreading and winding black lines meet in the center of the picture, vaguely showing the three-dimensional sense of the picture. Those thin lines rise like big splash ink from this smudge, and the extended posture conveys vitality. At the same time, he deliberately increased the proportion of solvent in the oil painting pigment, and tried to make the oil painting pigment smooth without leaving any brush strokes, creating an effect of flowing, infiltrating, spreading and stretching. Another example is that the color drops into clear water and gradually mixes into different tones. It has no artificial traces and is natural, as if it is the illusion of light and color itself. At this time, his works no longer pay attention to dynamic movement, but reflect the rhythm consciousness of light and shade contrast.
《24. 12.2002? The free and easy lines and clear and soft colors in the double works reflect the artist's inner scenery and spiritual peace seeking to transcend the real reproduction. Artists try to achieve a harmonious state with colors and return to their deepest cultural roots. This cultural root undoubtedly comes from his ancestors and from his inheritance of China's traditional painting spirit. The use of this light oil painting pigment is like the multicolored ink in China's paintings. The change of shade conveys the visual beauty of ink and wash when it enters the paper, enriches the color form, releases the expressive force, and then transforms the space into an ethereal and clear artistic conception. The audience can face the huge picture frame, experience Zhao Wuji's open, peaceful, leisurely and distant oriental meditation, and feel the orderly context of the universe and nature.
7. Zhao Wuji and his friends
Zhao Wuji has made extensive friends all his life, and has deep friendship with many artists and influential cultural figures. Him and Alberto? 9? Giacometti, Jean? 9? Paul. 9? Jean-Paul RiAupperle, Juan? 9? Joan Miró, Joan? 9? Joan Mitchell and Sam. 9? Sam Francis has a deep friendship with others. In addition, he and former French President Jacques Chirac are also good friends. Chirac is an art lover and likes Zhao Wuji's works very much. The exhibition of Zhao Wuji 1998 in Shanghai was written by Chirac, which is his first retrospective exhibition in China. In 2006, Chirac awarded Zhao Wuji a medal of honor in recognition of this outstanding artist's contribution.
8. Market performance of Zhao Wuji's works.
The demand for Zhao Wuji's works in the art market has always been high, and it has been growing continuously. In 1960s, Zhao Wuji's works were deeply loved by collectors in Paris, London and new york. In the 1960s, his works were also successful in the Asian market. In the years before his death, Zhao Wuji's works achieved many successes in the auction. After his death, the price of his works continued to soar. 20 17 During the spring auction of Christie's in Hong Kong, an extremely rare large-scale work "29.09.64" was sold for more than HK$ 6.5438+0.5 million, setting a world record for the auction of artists' works.
《29.09.64》
230 x 345 cm.
1964
Transaction price: 65438 HKD+052,860,000.
"Evening Auction of Twentieth Century and Contemporary Art in Yi Rong/Asia", 201May 7.
9. Meet Zhao Wuji in museums all over the world.
Zhao Wuji's works are collected by 150 art galleries in more than 20 countries around the world. Zhao Wuji's works can be found in the permanent collections of important institutions, including the British Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Art Museum and tate modern. On September 9th, 20 16, Zhao Wuji's retrospective "Unlimited: Zhao Wuji" was opened at the Asia Society of new york, showing his public and private collections in the United States, Europe and Asia, and confirming Zhao Wuji's status as a truly "transnational" artist.
10. From depicting the basic shape to the vast beauty of the universe
Throughout Zhao Wuji's artistic creation, at different stages, he devoted himself to exploring unique ways. He never stopped at a certain stage of achievement, but constantly broke through and surpassed himself, breaking the achievements and frameworks established in the past, which enabled him to interpret his own artistic vocabulary layer by layer in his artistic creation career of nearly 70 years: from the figurative painting when he started to create in the 1960s+0940s to the abstract turn after arriving in Paris, and then to the "Klee period" and "Oracle Bone Inscriptions period" in the 1960s+0950s. In the development of abstract art in the following decades, whether it is oil painting or paper ink, he used various media with ease and experienced the process of coming from the East, based on the West, and returning to the East.
Zhao Wuji in his later years.
Looking at Zhao Wuji's artistic achievements, he not only created his own unique artistic style with oriental aesthetics in the history of western abstract art development, but also integrated the profound insight and creativity of China's philosophy into his artistic creation. This road of exploration, which perfectly integrates eastern and western aesthetics, not only left a wonderful chapter for him in the development of world art history, but also enabled the artist to get a complete experience of returning to the inner source and transcending time and space.
Source: Christie's