亞洲現代與當代藝術 Modern and Contemporary Asian Art

“I dare say my painting is a romantic one. It brings me the greatest happiness.
The most powerful happiness is painting itself.” - Zao Wou-Ki
that mattered. Remembering his passion for creation at that time,
Zao said, "I dare say my painting is a romantic one. It brings me the
greatest happiness. The most powerful happiness is painting itself."
(J'avoue, sans complexe, avoir fait une peinture romantique qui m'apporta de très
grandes joies et la plus forte, celle de peindre de la peinture.) (Zao Wou-ki & Françoise
Marquet, Autoportrait, Fayard, Paris, 1986, pp. 121)
According to art critic Jean Leymarie in Catalogue Raisonné, the
first edition in French, Zao continuously developed his art in the
1960s, employing methods of contractor harmony and of ten
presenting the rhythm
of the picture, its texture
and color modulation.
There is a preference for
monochromatic colors
which are occasionally
dark and rich; the uneven
brown shade shows black
scrape marks which are
opalescent and light at
times. An example is
the silver gray brume.
Other examples include
snow and sapphire,
mousse and rubious
sumptuous accords (Jean
Leymarie, Zao Wouki,
edition Cercled' art,
Paris, 1978, 1986, p. 40).
What Leymarie refers
to is the rich variation
in shade and the varied
texture. As Zao was
meticulously perceptive
and full of emotions, and
because his paintings
originate from his feelings
about life, his emotional
fluctuation is naturally revealed in his paintings, which are also his
harbor of refuge in times of distress. Zao once said that his painting
was his diary and his life. Art historians consider his works as
sentimental abstract paintings. Like poetry, they have a perceptual
existence yet they are not abstruse or pedantic.
The imposing and vivid "5.11.62" shows the seascape in a
horizontal frame, which is the most typical form employed by
the artist in the 1960s. The painting is divided into three parallel
sections. The near ocher top and bottom portions are in harmony
with the bronze-colored space, one being static and the other
dynamic. The middle section is bright yellow and green, with
light emerging from the center of the picture. Black lines shuttle
in between like shadows left behind by the rapid movement,
forming a pulling and pushing force in the actual situation. Zao's
perfect use of space and light source, as well as his high spirits,
can be observed in "5.11.62". As he puts it in his autobiography,
"The large canvas means I have to battle with space. Not only do I
have to fill it, I must give it life and throw myself into it completely.
I want to show movement, a lingering circuit, or the whipping
movement of wind and lightning. I want to make the canvas come
alive through contrast and the action of multiple layers of similar
colors. I want to find a center for the radiation of light." (Les grandes
surfaces me demandaient de me batter avec l'espace; je devais impérativement remplir
cette surface, la faire vivre et me donner à elle. Je cherchais à exprimer le movement, sa
lenteur lancinante ou sa fulgurance, je voulais faire vibrer la surface de la toile grâce aux
contrastes ou aux multiples frémissements d'une même couleur. Je cherchais un centre
qui irradie.) (Autoportrait of Zao Wou-ki)
In "5.11.62", the artist pours out his feelings and aspirations in
life. The sentiments expressed in the painting reverberate with
energy and are full of vigor. Rhythmic movements such as the
wind and waves in nature give one a musical experience. In the
dialogue of one- time poet Wai - lim Yip, Zao once pointed out the
similarity between painting and music, which must cease and be
still in order to become music, and not consist of incessant sounds.
Having learned music for six years, Zao is especially careful with
light source, space and the abstract nature of music, linking them
together in an ingenious manner. Taiwanese art critic Tu Jo-chou
once commended, "Chinese space and Western space are one of
the noteworthy artistic achievements of Zao Wou-ki." He constantly
integrates the potentials of the two great cultures, using their
modern expressions and vocabulary not only to attain the spiritual
journey but to create a whole new visual world as well.
5.12.196920060609093
ZAO Wou-ki, 5.12.1969, Ravenel Autumn Auction 2006, lot 060,
NT$ 90,930,000 sold, 1969, oil on canvas, 194 x 96 cm
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