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Minimalism in Vogue

“Great art can communicate before it is understood” – T.S. Eliot

Artwork: Crimson Lake With Black Summer, 1958

Richard Lin (British / Taiwan, 1933 – 2011)

Richard Lin was a Taiwan-born minimalist artist. He studied architecture at  Regent Street Polytechnic, London. He was greatly influenced by Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier.

Lin was active in the art world during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1964, he represented the UK at 3rd Documenta, Germany. Documenta was established on a post-war idealism to restore modern international art. It was to revive global culture and civilization. Other works such as artists Francis Bacon, Jean Dubuffet, Sam Francis, Jasper John were shown at the 3rd Documenta. The invitation to the Documenta endosed his artistic talents among Western contemporaries. Lin’s works on the White Series established his unique style and redefined the Chinese landscape painting.

In 1967, he participated in the 44th Carnegie International art exhibition. He was honoured with an award. His first solo exhibition was held in Gimpel Fils Gallery in London, 1958.

With a simple, clean geometric compositions with level, parallel structures and rational, balanced brushstrokes display the artist’s pursuit of purity, rationality and simplicity. The pinnacle of his works is its awareness to material, mathematical precision, and geometric abstraction. Radiating a spiritual aura through an elementally harmonious composition. He eliminated all unnecessary ornamentation, employing simple, clear structures and visual presentations to convey complex meanings.

Lin’s work draws similarities to Piet Mondrian’s geometric abstractions in its horizontal and vertical flatness and equalization of texture. To achieve harmony, employing balanced arrangements to unite the material and spiritual worlds. The artist often named works after natural scenes or certain times, attempting to build a connection between nature and his geometric abstraction, and to convey, through their deep sense of time and space, a feeling for the Eastern conception of the universe. His usual color palettes were blue-green, reddish-purple and yellow-green.

These factors presaged the further progression of Lin’s geometric abstraction toward minimalism.

Crimson Lake with Black Summer employs a rarely seen contrast between red and black tones, like a scorching lake of fire and is reminiscent of a 1958 Mark Rothko’s work, Four Darks in Red. The work displayed Lin’s artistic direction during the important transitional period during 1958.

Event: First Open, Hong Kong 2019, Christie’s

Artwork: Crimson Lake With Black Summer, 1958

Size: 63 x 47.5 cm

Medium: Gouache on paper

Provenance: Gimpel Fils Gallery, London, Private Collection

Event: First Open, Hong Kong 2019, Christie’s

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Nature

The Best Natural Medicine? Nature Itself - read this article below

https://brainworldmagazine.com/the-best-natural-medicine-nature-itself/

It is a subject artist Chen KeZhan approach towards his thoughts and artistic journey for couple of decades. Most of his works are inspired by the travelling along the Mekong river and Indo China. One could sense the sound of the splashing water being captured poetically and appealing in his paintings.

Chen KeZhan’s understanding of the mineral colour on the rice paper is almost a purist. It is a medium that he is most confortable with. His works may seem abstract, but there is a trace of elements from nature. The brush stroke are powerful, filled with emotion, layered over each depth of colours. Luminosity versus opaqueness and brightness versus darkness. The paintings are arresting!

Chen has always been interested in music. It plays an important part in his art paintings. He still paints in the quiet of the night and early hour of the morning with eastern or western music on the background. Chen also studied music at Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris. He is also interested in opera and his favourite piece is Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem.

As a collector of Chen Kezhan’s works, I have the privilege of meeting and having  meal several times at his garden, named Lu Lin (Deer Forest) It was named by the late  Singaporean calligrapher, scholar and poet, Pan Shou. whom I had met once at Chen’s place. A calligraphic signage is placed at the entrance of Chen’s garden.

Chen KeZhan is an artist using traditional Chinese ink but in contemporary approach. He is also a gardener, and an art collector.  

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Takashi Murakami – The 500 Arhats

"Art provokes while science tries to reassure" - by Cubist painter Georges Braque

31st October 2015 – 6th March 2016

Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, Japan)

Takashi Murakami, an internationally acclaimed Japanese artist often referred to as the Andy Warhol of Japan and well known for his character-based contemporary pop artworks, recently returned to Japan for his solo exhibition – Takashi Murakami: The 500 Arhats. Although his works are showcased regularly on the international stage, the same cannot be said for their presence in Japan. It has been 14 years since the “superflat” art movement founder’s last exhibition in Japan and this is also his first large-scale solo exhibition in his home country.

The exhibition was held at Mori Art Museum and was open to the public from 31 October 2015 to 6 March 2016. It was headlined by Murakami’s recent work of the same name. The 500 Arhats (2012) is a painting inspired by the legend of the 500 arhats (followers of buddha who went about spreading his teachings) which was introduced to Japan in the Heian period. It was created as a token of gratitude to the State of Qatar for their immediate help when the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami that struck in 2011. The 3-metre high work spans a length of 100-metres and is divided into four sections of various colour and artistic theme, each named after the Chinese guardians of the four celestial directions – Blue Dragon (East), White Tiger (West), Vermilion Bird (South) and Black Tortoise (North). The 500 Arhats seeks to highlight the power of prayer, something that transcends religious boundaries and differences, as well as the idea of a finite life contrasted with infinite nature and universe. The exhibition also included other works by Murakami, including some abstract painting and sculptural pieces. Overall, the exhibition reflected Murakami’s change in artistic direction and his keen interest in exploring the use of art to understand the human condition and approach the realities of the world. The exhibition hence not only provided its audience with an opportunity to examine the role of art and religion in the midst of social turmoil and human mortality, but also an avenue to achieve a better understanding of them as well.

I had the honour of being invited to preview the exhibit on its opening night (30th October 2015, a day before it was opened to the public). Upon arrival, cosplayers dressed as characters in Murakami’s works greeted visitors at the entrance. Murakami himself was dressed for the part as well, fashioned in his usual eccentric style. The lively colours of the characters were a good contrast to the somber mood of the exhibition theme and space. At the exhibition area of The 500 Arhats, visitors were treated to a live performance. The simple performance by the performing artist, dressed as one of the arhats, became an extension of the work itself, enhancing the visitors’ experience of viewing the painting and allowing one to have a deeper sense of appreciation and understanding of the piece by bringing it to life.

In spite of having read up on information prior to the visit, it still did little to fully prepare me for the actual experience of viewing the painting. Needless to say, I was thoroughly awed by the The 500 Arhats. I was impressed, not only by its massive size, but also by the amount and intricacy of details that went into the planning, sketching and the eventual creation of the piece. Each character and detail within the piece had its own significance and historical meaning. These characteristics were then incorporated into the crafting and drawing process and combined with Murakami’s distinct artistic style.

The 500 Arhats

2012

Acrylic on canvas mounted on board

302 × 10,000 cm

Private collection

Installation view: "Murakami - Ego," Al Riwaq Exhibition Hall, Doha, 2012

Photo: GION

© 2012 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Does this art provoke you?