ILLUSTRATED:
Liu Kuo-sung Archive, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1996, color illustrated, p. 171
Lui Kuo-sung: Retrospective View, Hanart TZ Gallery, Hong Kong, 2005, color illustrated, p. 2

Catalogue Note:
Liu Kuo-sung, also known as “the father of modern ink painting”, began actively promoting the modernization of Chinese ink painting in the early 1960s. He proposed ‘the modernization of Chinese paintings’ and persevered to create ‘a new tradition for Eastern paintings’. This marked a bold and decisive line of innovation for traditional ink painting. Ever since the establishment of the Fifth Moon Painting Society in 1956, Liu has continued to develop new techniques and themes for painting by seamlessly integrating the distinctive traits and unique perspectives of traditional Chinese landscape paintings with Western concepts of abstract art. The result is a modern style of landscape ink painting. Influenced by Western abstract expressionism of the 1950s as well as the abstract geometric art of the mid-to-late 1960s, Liu Kuo-sung methodically incorporated Western composition styles with other techniques such as ink-extension, ink-pulling, water-extension or pastiche to create abstract and surreal renditions of landscapes.

The series of outer space paintings created by Liu Kuo-sung in the late 1960s and early 1970s are often described as having an innovative and distinct style in the history of Eastern art. The Americans landed on the moon in 1968 and brought back photographs of the curved surface of the Earth. For the first time, humans were able to witness the true appearance of the Earth as seen from the Moon. Greatly inspired by these images, Liu Kuo-sung created between four and five hundred space-themed paintings from 1969 and 1973 including“What is the Earth?”, “The Immortal Moon”, “The Midnight Sun”, “The Metamorphosis of the Moon”, “The Metamorphosis of the Sun”, “The Composition of Distances”, “The Lunar Eclipse”,”The Tathagata”, “Sunset Impression”, “Halo”,”Buddha Light”, “The Yin-Yang Painting” and “A Man from North, South, East and West”, among many other paintings.

This piece, titled “The Composition of Distances No. 19”, was completed in 1971. As can be seen, the multi-circle arc structure is employed as part of the two-stage composition. The upper portion is a collage of tangible geometric color shapes. Red and blue circles of different sizes can be seen on the green background, creating a vivid image of contrasts with a hint of contemporary style. On the other hand, the lower portion of the arc is highlighted by the abiding atmosphere brought forth by the Chinese brush, allowing the lyrical landscape of the wild grass foliage to stand out from the yellow background at the bottom. The white texture reminiscent of the surface of mountains and rivers is created by the paper pulling technique. Viewing this piece of art, viewers gain the privilege of stepping into the boundless mind of the painter, becoming liberated from the material world to feel the power of the heavens and the infinite vastness of the universe. Liu’s space paintings augment the scope of traditional landscape painting from that of the landscape to that of the universe. In terms of theory, the essence is found in the artist’s musings on the relationship between human beings and the universe among other philosophical questions. In terms of technique, Liu believes in the fusion of Chinese and Western art, once proclaiming,” We are neither ancient Chinese nor modern Westerners, we do not live in the Song or Yuan Dynasties, neither do we live in Europe or America. Imitating ancient Chinese paintings is forgery, yet painting modern Western styles is not? Imitating the new is not a substitute for imitating ancient Chinese art.” Although he borrows new techniques from Western art, Liu Kuo-sung’s paintings are still fundamentally based on a traditional Chinese spirit. His depiction of the vigor and tension of nature utilizes an artistic vocabulary that transcends any notions of Chinese or Western, while conveying ancient Chinese artists’ perceptions of the sun, moon, mountains and rivers.

With his scientific approach towards experimentation along with his inventive, rebellious spirit, Liu Kuo-sung has become a legendary figure in the artistic circles of the Greater China Region. Beginning with the ink-extension method of the early 1960s and the waterextension method of the mid-1970s to the ink-staining method of the mid-to-late 1980s, Liu continued to innovate on his painting style and technique throughout his artistic career. “The essence of art is creation, and the foundation of creation is theory, which comes from thought”. Keenly aware of this, Liu always reminded himself to create rather than copy or mimic. The modern Chinese painting style he is a proponent of is an individualized and progressive expression of one’s artistic vocabulary. During the process of pioneering new techniques with the ink and brush, ancient Chinese paintings styles suitable for the present are preserved. Through books, exhibitions, lectures and seminars, Liu Kuo-sung’s artistic power and originality have gradually expanded his influence. He is held in extremely high regard by scholars, art critics, art collectors and other prominent figures in the art community. Over 80 art museums around the world have collected his art. Observing the trends in the auction market in recent years, Liu Kuo-sung is one of the names you cannot miss along with Zao Wou-ki and Chu Teh- Chun.