A Tradition Redefined: Modern and Contemporary Chinese Ink Paintings from the Chu-tsing Li Collection, 1950–2000
Tradition Abstracted
High Noon, 1969
ink, color, and collage on paper
First Look
Paper collage and roughly brushed ink suggest a view in space. This image is part of a series Liu Guosong began after seeing photos of Earth taken by astronauts of the 1968 Apollo 8 mission, the first to put humans into lunar orbit.
Tradition
Liu Guosong left mainland China for Taiwan in 1949 and majored in studio art at National Taiwan Normal University. He was thoroughly trained in the techniques of Western painting and keenly interested in the modern art movements of Europe and the U.S. Still, Liu moved away from producing wholly Western-style works in about 1960.
Redefined
As the founder of the Fifth Moon Group—an association of Taiwan artists concerned with the modernization of Chinese art—he maintained an active interest in art theory and wrote extensively on the subject. His experimental techniques and revolutionary ideas about painting often evoked harsh criticism.
