Since the beginning of the 20th century, abstract art has gradually become a mainstream school of contemporary art. Artists give up figurative descriptions and create purely with shapes, patterns, colors, and lines, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the work and think about the meaning in the sublime.
The “20th Century and Contemporary Art and Design Auction” jointly organized by Phillips and Poly Auction for the second time brought a number of abstract works created in the second half of the 20th century to the millennium. In addition to the abstract paintings of the German master Richter, Hans Hartung and Georges Mathieu, two pioneers of abstract expressionism, Chinese abstract master Zhu Dequn in France, American writing artist Ed Ruscha, and even Wang Junjie (Matthew Wong) and other young contemporary artists’ abstract creations are also worth paying attention to.
The auction will be held next week. Let us start with Ha Tong, who was born in the early 20th century.
Lot 32｜Hans Hartung (1904-1989) “T1989-U40″｜Acrylic on canvas
Creation time: 1989
Size: 195 x 130.5 cm
source:
- London, Timothy Taylor Gallery (acquired directly from the Artists Heritage Committee)
- Private Collection in Paris
- Acquired from the above source by the present owner
Estimate: HK$2,000,000-3,000,000
Hans Hartung (1904-1989), born in 1904, was one of the pioneers of European abstract expressionism. Hardon studied philosophy and history at the University of Leipzig in Germany in the 1920s and then studied at the Dresden Academy of Art. Later, in response to changes in the German political environment, Hartton lived in Paris, France.
During the outbreak of World War II, many Parisian artists enlisted in the army, and Harton was also one of them. In 1944, he was injured and had to be amputated. After the war, Hardong painted a large number of works in order to compensate for his failure to actively create during the war, and held his first solo exhibition in Paris in 1947.
During this period, Hartung met famous contemporary artists such as Suraj, George Mathieu and Rothko. As a result, you became the pioneers in the promotion of abstract expression art. Hartong’s works are known to the world through rhythmic brushstrokes and color scratches. The paint on the canvas is scratched before it is dry, inspired by Harton’s method of scratching metal plates.
Ha Tong is one of the pioneers of European abstract expression
While incorporating the surrounding landscape, Ha Tong also abandons form. With his lasting and unique sensitivity, he refines nature, color and landscape into abstract images. Ha Tong once described: “The tension between the atmosphere and the universe, the radiation and energy that govern the universe. These are important natural physical forces, and I have always expressed them through the gestures in my works.”
By the 1980s, Harton had a wheelchair for the rest of his life due to a physical stroke. He did not stop creating due to his deteriorating health, and even created large-scale works of 3 x 5 meters in size. Even in the year of his death in 1989, 360 works were painted. Harton uses new tools to assist in his creation, such as a “copper sulfate sprayer,” a metal can with an adjustable hose that allows the artist to control the flow of paint.
Ha Tong needs to rely on wheelchairs to move in his later years, and rely on sprayers to assist in creation
The abstract painting “T1989-U40” auctioned this time was painted in 1989, and he was awarded the Grand Officer of the French Legion of Honor in the same year. The picture is full of energy, with electric light and flint-like colors and multi-layered immersion, dancing in an invisible arrangement, all kinds of coils are dancing with energy, jumping on the canvas.
The size of this work is 195 x 130.5 cm. It will be held in the evening auction on June 8. The estimated value is HK$2 million-3 million.
Lot 211｜George Mathieu (1921-2012) “Dizziness”｜Alkyd Canvas
Creation time: 1989
Size: 97 x 130 cm
source:
- Paris, Tornabuoni Gallery
- Acquired from the above source by the present owner
Estimate: HK$1,000,000-1,500,000
Another abstract expressionist pioneer George Mathieu (George Mathieu, 1921-2012)’s work “Dizziness” was raised at the day auction. This work was also painted in 1989 as “T1989-U40”. It measures 97 x 130 cm and is estimated at HK$1 million-1.5 million.
George Matthew
Matthew from France was one of the founders of European lyrical abstract art after the war. He brought breakthroughs in both artistic and theoretical aspects. His works had a profound impact on artists of the same age and later generations. Looking for a more intuitive and primitive way of expression than the predecessors of abstraction, Matthew published several declarations to define the concept of lyrical abstraction, summarizing the following four conditions:
First, the speed of creation is paramount to avoid interference from the artist’s consciousness;
Second, weed out the pre-existing shapes, because the artist must not rely on any reference;
Third, there is no pre-designed action, because painting is not a process of cognition;
Fourth, an ecstatic mentality, which will require artists to remain isolated and focused.
Matthew’s painting method is full of vitality, and the colors of the painting are often squeezed directly from the paint tube onto the canvas. Matthew will also paint live in front of the audience, earlier than the public performance of another French painter Yves Klein’s “Activity Paintbrush”. Clement Greenberg, the most influential art critic in the post-war period in Europe, called Matthew “the most powerful painter in Europe.”
Lot 31｜Zhu Dequn (1920-2014) “Light of Dawn”｜Oil on canvas
Creation time: 1998
Size: 130 x 97 cm
source:
- Private collection in France
- Paris, Auction by Artcurial Briest Le Fur Poulain F. Tajan, June 5, 2007, lot 744
- European private collection
- Hong Kong, Christie’s, November 24, 2013, lot 146
- Acquired from the above auction by the present owner
Estimate: HK$2,800,000-3,800,000
Speaking of the Paris art scene in the 20th century, I have to mention Zhu Dequn, the Chinese abstract master. Together with Zao Wou-ki and Wu Guanzhong, he was called the “Three Musketeers in France.” Zao Wou-ki and Zhu Dequn studied in France at the same time and are both life-long academicians of the French Academy of Arts. Both their abstract art is deeply influenced by Chinese calligraphy, but in fact they are completely different.
Zao Wou-ki takes “shape”, which is like the shape of oracle bone inscriptions, using images to express the content of the text; Zhu Dequn takes “lines”. His creations in the late 1950s and early 1960s directly used calligraphy in abstract art, forming very powerful black lines.
As the days of living in Paris got longer, Zhu Dequn’s concept of Eastern landscapes was fermented in the Western environment, and his expressive methods gradually became closer to Western abstract expressionism. From the 1970s to the 1980s, the lines of Zhu Dequn’s works gradually became soft, like continuous ribbons, but soft with rigidity. They are both powerful and smooth, and the spatial expression is more lyrical, reminiscent of water flows. the power of.
Zhu Dequn
Abstract paintings are not like figurative art, and they cannot paint the scenery clearly, so color is very important. The painter uses it to construct the front and back extension space to create a sense of scenery. “Light of Dawn”, which will raise the hammer in the evening, is cleverly capturing the dawn of dawn, piercing the deep darkness with flame-like yellow and orange.
As the sky slowly awakens from its deep sleep, bright spheres of green and blue pierce the mist, and bright colors collide with dark black. The sky is shining with colorful colors, as if the light shining from the horizon, in sharp contrast with the feathery black and blue oil paint around it, dividing the picture into two.
Zhu Dequn skillfully manipulates oil and ink, using light colors to create a misty effect on the canvas. The endless brushstrokes, as if floating on the painting, are full of rhythm, which shows how Zhu Dequn successfully merged the essence of abstraction with ink painting.
“Light of Dawn” was painted in 1998, when Zhu Dequn was elected as a member of the French Academy of Arts in the second year. The size of the painting is 130 x 97 cm, and the estimated value is HK$2.8 million-3.8 million.
Lot 208｜Zhu Dequn (1920-2014) “The Morning of Celebration”｜Oil on canvas
Creation time: 1990
Size: 146 x 114 cm
Source: Acquired directly from the artist in 1990 by the present owner
Estimate: HK$2,500,000-3,500,000
Zhu Dequn’s abstract painting “The Morning of Celebration”, which held his hammer in the Japanese auction, records a friendship between Zhu Dequn and the French sculptor Albert Féraud. The two met in Paris in 1960. Feihuo helped Zhu Dequn integrate into life in Paris and introduced him to the vibrant Parisian art circle.
Perhaps the two of them found freedom in creation in the same abstract expressionism, so they were quite in agreement. Feihuo organizes a lunch party every Saturday and invites friends, family, collectors and art critics to attend. Zhu Dequn will usually bring his family to attend, bring food or cook with Feihuo. During these happy and relaxing times, Zhu Dequn established a deep friendship with Feihuo.
Zhu Dequn (left) and Feihuo traveled to China in 1994
In 1994, Feihuo and Zhu Dequn’s family traveled to China, visiting many places of interest, some of which had never been to Zhu Dequn himself. Zhu Dequn and Feihuo have held exhibitions together many times, and even introduced their friends to each other. When Zhu Dequn was admitted as an academician of the French Academy of Arts, he also invited Feihuo to design a sword with traditional academician robes for his ceremony.
The Morning of Celebration, painted in 1990, was made by Zhu Dequn to celebrate the birthday of Feihuo’s grandson. The size of the painting is 146 x 114 cm. This is the first auction, with an estimated price of HK$2.5 million-3.5 million.
Lot 209｜Zhu Dequn (1920-2014) “Gentle Horizon”｜Oil on canvas
Creation time: 1993
Size: 46 x 55 cm
source:
- Enrico Navarra Gallery, Paris
- Acquired from the above source by the present owner
Estimate: HK$650,000-850,000
Zhu Dequn’s abstract paintings that also appeared in Japanese photography also include the smaller-scale “Gentle Horizon”. This work was painted in 1993, the size is 46 x 55 cm, and the estimated price is HK$650,000-850,000.
Lot 24｜Ed Ruscha “1981-Future”｜Oil on canvas
Creation time: 1980
Size: 56 x 202.9 cm
source:
- Los Angeles, Ace Gallery
- Christopher Samish Foundation
- New York, Sotheby’s, November 12, 2009, lot 266
- Acquired from the above auction by the present owner
Estimate: HK$4,000,000-6,000,000
The focus shifted from the Paris painting scene to the United States. Ed Ruscha is known as a text artist. His 60-year creative career combines font design, photography, painting and collage, which is very fascinating. Because he often uses common ideas and images in advertising and business models, people often compare his works with works of pop art, surrealism, Dadaism, abstract expressionism, and conceptual art.
The banner work “1981-Future” for this auction, measuring 56 x 202.9 cm, is estimated at HK$4 million-6 million. Ed Ruscha’s work is used to seeing his iconic “Boy Scout Utility Modern” with rounded letters at right angles.
The small white words “1981” are written on the left side of the planet
The small white words “FUTURE” are written on the right side of the planet
“1981-Future” was created in 1980. Ed Ruscha tried to explore the possibility of words as landscapes from his paintings. At first glance, this work only looks like a blue picture on the top of the planet, without text elements. After a closer look, I discovered that the white words “1981” and “FUTURE” were written on both sides of the planet.
The small typeface forces the viewer to approach the screen to see clearly the content of the text and its intention. When the audience gets closer, they will be shocked by the dazzling blue surface. In this context, the text in the painting has no meaning, and the text and the grand background exist as two separate entities.
Lot 26｜Cecily Brown “The End”｜Oil on linen
Creation time: 2006
Size: 216.2 x 226.4 cm
source:
- Gagosian Gallery, New York
- Private Collection in Los Angeles
- New York Private Collection
- Hong Kong Private Collection
- Hong Kong, Phillips, November 26, 2017, lot 21
- Acquired from the above auction by the present owner
Estimate: HK$4,000,000-6,000,000
The above-mentioned art furniture is for men, so how should we appreciate the abstract art created by female artists? Let’s start with Cecily Brown, a British contemporary artist. The creation of this female general is full of dynamic, constantly changing between concrete and abstract, and she is good at evoking the image of characters without completely depicting the concrete human form.
Cecily’s 2006 painting “The End” will be released in the evening auction, with an estimated price of HK$4 million-6 million. The size of the painting is 216.2 x 226.4 cm, which is quite large. The forms and characters in the picture continue to evolve, showing the end of a noisy dinner, with plates and cups scattered all over the place. Under the bulging tablecloth, the feet of a lady wearing high heels are exposed, suggesting that she is under the tablecloth.
Cecily uses liquid and solid oil paints to depict a lively banquet scene on the canvas. Her dynamic brushwork creates visual effects such as cups falling, liquid splashing, plates breaking, and food falling off the plate.
This work was completed in 2006 and was brought to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts Cecily’s large-scale retrospective exhibition at the end of the same year.
Lot 7｜Jadé Fadojutimi “Hiddenity: A Necessary Condition Due to Lack of Shadow”｜Oil on canvas
Creation time: March 2019
Size: 200.5 x 140 cm
source:
Cologne, Gisela Capitain Gallery
Acquired from the above source by the present owner
Estimate: HK$600,000-800,000
The creation of Jadé Fadojutimi, a young black female artist, appeared in Asia for the first time this time. Her large-scale abstract painting “Hiddenity: A Necessary Condition Due to Lack of Shadows” will be unveiled in the evening auction, with an estimated price of HK$600,000-800,000.
Jia Dai, who was only 28 years old, was born in London. In just four years after graduating from the Royal College of Art in London, her work has been collected by the Tate Museum in London, becoming the youngest artist in the collection of the museum. Her paintings are full of vitality, emotion and expressiveness.
Jia Dai
Jia Dai’s trace creation technique first builds up the color layer by brushing, pushing and smearing, and then scrapes it off, thereby creating a multi-layered, immersive picture that allows viewers to participate in introspective and in-depth dialogue.
“Concealment: A Necessary Condition Due to the Lack of Shadows” is 200.5 x 140 cm in size. The dragonfly brushstrokes make colors erupt on the surface of the canvas, sparkling with the tones of electric light and stone fire, and oscillate between the foreground and the background. There is no end, patches of emerald green, azure blue and tangerine resound in the works. Her stylized approach to paint is also reminiscent of Cecily, a female painter who is also from England.
Lot 118｜Leslie (Lesley Vance) “Untitled”｜Oil on Linen
Creation time: 2012
Size: 45.4 x 35.3 cm
source:
- Xavier Hufkens Gallery, Brussels
- Acquired from the above source by the present owner
Estimate: HK$240,000-340,000
The abstract creation of the female artist holding the mallet in daily photography was created by the American painter Lesley Vance. Leslie, based in Los Angeles, is known for her abstract still life paintings. Her works have been collected by famous art institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
The abstract painting Untitled by Leslie in this auction was painted in 2012, measuring 45.4 x 35.3 cm, and estimated at HK$240,000-340,000. Leslie uses contrasting wet painting and detailed light and dark contrast to create an emotional tension between the rich foreground and the gloomy dark background.
“Untitled” breaks the boundaries of visual language, integrates abstract edges and curves, and transforms different fragments into a unified and charming picture.
Lot 21｜Theaster Gates “Dark Red”｜Fire hose wood (a set of five pieces)
Creation time: 2016
Size: 152.3 x 660.8 cm (full width)
source:
- Los Angeles, Regen Projects Gallery
- Acquired from the above source by the present owner
Estimate: HK$4,600,000-6,200,000
Taking advantage of the “Black Lives Matter” (Black Lives Matter) African-American equal rights movement launched in the United States in recent years, African-American artists and even the artistic creations involving racial issues have attracted much attention in the art world, and more black artistic creations have been brought to auctions.
This evening sale brought the abstract creation “Dark Red” by American cross-media African artist Theaster Gates (Theaster Gates). This is the first time his work has appeared for auction in Asia, with an estimated price of HK$4.6 million-6.2 million.
Born in Chicago, Gates is widely acclaimed for exploring issues of race and economic equality through his works.
“Dark Red” is stitched together from neatly arranged discarded colored fire hoses
The work “Dark Red” for this auction comes from Gates’ “Civil Rights Tapestry” series, which is made up of neatly arranged disused colored fire hoses stitched together. The creative inspiration comes from the African American Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963.
At that time, the black church in Birmingham was burnt down, and another Baptist church was hit by a bomb. The work is stitched together with disused colored fire hoses. On the one hand, it brings out the original purpose of the media, and combined with the relevant historical background, it reflects this historical fact that has not been taken seriously by the US official. Although this series of works is based on the past, they strongly prove that these issues still exist today.
Created in 2016, “Dark Red” measures 152.3 x 660.8 cm in size and is huge in scale. It is not only the largest work in the “Citizen Tapestry” series on the auction market, but also the largest work ever auctioned by Gates. Given its huge size, viewers need to keep a distance from the work in order to see the whole picture. But as the distance gets farther, its details become slightly blurred.
Lot 10｜Matthew Wong (1984-2019) “Characters in the Night Scene”｜Oil on canvas
Creation time: 2017
Size: 121.9 x 182.9 cm
source:
- KARMA Gallery, New York
- Acquired from the above source by the present owner
Estimated price: HK$6,000,000-8,000,000
American contemporary artist Jonas Wood once said: “Wang Junjie is the modern Van Gogh.” Wang Junjie was born in Toronto and spent his childhood in Canada and Hong Kong. Self-taught, he is a genius in the world, but just like Van Gogh, he died young and died at the age of 35, which is regrettable. Since last year, his paintings have repeatedly achieved good results at auction, and the highest transaction price has exceeded 10 million Hong Kong dollars.
Wang Junjie’s dream painting world shows a powerful combination of colors, lines, and forms. The picture combines non-realistic expression, bright colors and mysterious elements, thus creating a rich and intriguing landscape, which makes the viewer surrounded by a quiet atmosphere of contemplation.
This evening sale brings Wang Junjie’s 2017 painting “Characters in the Night Scene” with a size of 121.9 x 182.9 cm and an estimated price of HK$6-8 million. Wang Junjie used the thick coating method to paint the night scenery, and created the imaginary world with intuition and memory. The lush forests and rolling hills in the painting seem to extend beyond the canvas indefinitely, depicting the ghostly shadows of the midnight forest beautifully.
The lonely figure in the painting stands alone in the vast darkness, arousing a feeling of loneliness and helplessness. This allows viewers to get a glimpse of the artist’s heart and his unique journey in the world before his unfortunate untimely death in October 2019.
Lot 108｜Matthew Wong (1984-2019) “Ruins”｜Acrylic canvas
Creation time: 2016
Size: 61 x 50.8 cm
source:
- KARMA Gallery, New York
- Acquired from the above source by the present owner
Estimate: HK$1,200,000-1,800,000
As for Wang Junjie’s painting “Ruins”, which was raised in the day auction, was painted in 2016. It was the beginning of his incorporation of figures in his works and gradually transitioned to depicting small figures in landscape paintings. This work also marks an important turning point in the vigorous development of his artistic career.
The picture is bright in color, but faintly reveals a melancholy cry. Wang Junjie uses quick and light strokes, orderly cross-hatching, interspersed with psychedelic pointillist paintings, depicting a scene of lush greenery with a blue sky back.
However, this bright and brisk scene contrasts sharply with the distorted characters, creating an effect full of contradictory emotions. This work allows viewers to peek into the painter’s inner world, and strongly resonates with the torture experienced by the artist.
The size of this work is 61 x 50.8 cm, and the estimated price is HK$1.2 million-1.8 million.
Lot 110｜Matthew Wong (1984-2019) “Flower Bed”｜Acrylic on paper
Creation time: 2015
Size: 50.5 x 40.5 cm
Source: Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner
Estimate: HK$200,000-300,000
In addition to “Ruins”, there is another smaller Wang Junjie painting “Flower Bed” at the day auction. This work was painted in 2015, measures 50.5 x 40.5 cm, and is estimated at HK$200,000-300,000.
Auction details
Auction house: Phillips, Poly Auction
Special Sale: Evening Sale of Twentieth Century and Contemporary Art and Design
Auction Date: 2021/6/8｜6pm
Auction location: JW Marriott Hotel Admiralty, Hong Kong
Special Session: 20th Century and Contemporary Art and Design Day Sale
Auction Date: 2021/6/7｜11am
Auction location: JW Marriott Hotel Admiralty, Hong Kong
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