Page 354 - 亚洲二十世纪及当代艺术

96 顧福生 1935-2017 Ku Fu-Sheng

ૺɾၾ୛ɻ Lady Arabella and Lord Ponsonby
ልΥదҿ ̺ ⟱׵ॷؐ Mixed media on cloth mounted on paper board
7
7
ɓɘɞɘϋЪ 43 x 43 cm. 16 /8 × 16 /8 in.
Executed in 1989
ಛᗆ
ᖵஔ࢕ඕΙ€̸ɨ Stamped with one artist’s seal on bottom left
EXHIBITED
࢝ᚎ 30 May – 2 Jun 2019, Jing Art, the booth of Eslite
2019 ϋ 5 ˜ 30 ˚Ї 6 ˜ 2 ˚d˜ୋɚ֣ᖵᚎ̏ Gallery, Beijing
ԯᖵஔ௹ᚎึ™d༐ۜ೥఼࢝Зd̏ԯ
PROVENANCE
Ը๕ Eslite Gallery, Taipei
̨̏༐ۜ೥఼ Private Collection, Asia
ԭݲӷɛϗᔛ This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity
ڝj̨̏༐ۜ೥఼කͭʘᖵஔ࢕ፋᖦЪۜᗇࣣ signed by the artist issued by Eslite Gallery, Taipei
HKD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 3,800 – 6,400

Hand in Hand and Vowing for Life others. The autumn action will present The Two of Us (Lot 95), an oil
Ku Fu-Sheng’s Romantic Sentiments painting with the theme of pas de deux that is representative of the
“Los Angeles period” while combining Eastern and Western visual
Born in 1935 in Shanghai, Ku Fu-Sheng, a close friend of Hsien-yung vocabularies, and Lady Arabella and Lord Ponsonby (Lot 96), a mixed-
Pai and the teacher of Sanmao, was an avant-garde artist in modern media work that emanates child-like playfulness.
Taiwan. In 1954, encouraged by his mentor Chu Teh-Chun, he went
to study in the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal A Compassionate Dance in a Dazzling World of Gold and
University. Living in the conservative 1960s, he was bold to confront Vermillion
issues such as the human body, desire, and humanity with strong Upon arriving in the U.S., inspired by the elegant and powerful
emotional sensations. Ku Fu-Sheng joined the Fifth Month Group in postures of athletes and dancers on television, Ku Fu-Sheng created
1958 and, in 1961, was the first in the Group to hold a solo exhibition. a beloved series of works that features dancers. The Two of Us in the
In the same year he won the honorary award of the Sao Paulo autumn auction, created in 2009, is of the pas de deux theme: taking
Biennale and built a reputation in the art world. up the centre stage of the picture, two dancers in modern clothing
share a dance under a gleaming golden pine tree in front of a vermilion
In 1961, Ku Fu-Sheng arrived in France to study art, where he
experienced with producing collages. Two years later he traveled pictorial ground. To execute the pine tree, Ku makes use of various
to the United States on a scholarship offered by the Art Students tones of yellow and gold and creates a strong contrast between the
League of New York, and lived in Portland and Los Angeles, among light and the shadow to enhance the tree’s metallic texture. In the
other places, until his death. During the stay in the U.S., he continued painting, the man wears a fitted suit and his partner a black backless
his profound exploration with dress and a pair of red dancing shoes. Outstretched and dynamic,
the body while playing with their fit and elongated limbs engage in a ballroom dance, conveying
a variety of media. The artist an enthusiastic and unrestrained beauty in the body language of
saw the ground of his artistic the dance. The work combines Eastern elements of the pine and
production expand during his the auspicious gold and red colours with the subject of the Western
“Portland period” (1990-2002) ballroom dance. The work not only shows the artist’s innovation with
to involve ceramics, wood, and different cultural contexts but is itself filled with passion and joy as it
patterned fabrics outside the leads the viewer into a dazzling, kaleidoscopic new world.
use of canvas and paper. Then, Companionship as the Longest Confession of Love
in the “Los Angeles period” that The sentimental Ku Fu-Sheng often took his friends and family as his
lasted from 2008 to the final painting subjects, while being greatly fond of animals. In Lady Arabella
years of his life, he released and Lord Ponsonby, two dogs, depicted vividly with graphite and
the body from the solitary acrylic paint, tamely lie on their bellies and seem to enjoy the time
situations that he created in with their owner. The white Pekingese and beige Chinese Pastoral
his early career to let feelings Dog, which are both native to China, relate to the artist’s memories
of warmth and expansiveness of his homeland. His anthropomorphic representation of the dogs’
flow, producing avant-garde postures renders them as a lady and a gentleman, which exudes
works that embody an Eastern his humorous affection towards his pets and a witty reference to
aesthetics. Ku Fu-Sheng’s works people in real life. Furthermore, the brown floral backdrop is printed
are in the collections of the with peonies that symbolize blooming wealth and lilies that connote
Sunpride Foundation in Hong longevity and life-long union, voicing words of love. In the U.S.,
Kong, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, accompanied by his sisters and friend, Hsien-yung Pai, Ku’s works are
ᚥ၅͛۹۹‘dذ੹eᏀдɢ੹೥̺d132 x and the Bowers Museum in tinging with warmth, just as how the sense of companionship in this
76.2 cmd1993 ϋЪdשርϓʹᄆ 295,000 Santa Ana, California, among work is touching people’s hearts.
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