Lot 260
BO YUN (B. 1948)
SPRING MORNING
Auction: 13 February 2014 at 11:00 GMT
Description
oil on canvas, three panel screen, signed and dated 1995; the reverse painted with two archers and horses, by the same hand, signed and dated 1995
Dimensions
186cm wide,169.5cm high
Footnote
Note:
Born in China in 1948, Bo Yun (Li Yongcun), was a member of a group of young artists known as the "Stars", during China's democratic movements in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The group made history by hanging their politically incorrect paintings and sculptures on the railings outside the China Art Gallery, where they were not allowed to exhibit. This act of defiance, the first unauthorized exhibition of Chinese art since 1949, provided an outlet for Chinese artists seeking to express themselves freely and set the stage for an era of liberation for future artists. During this first "Stars" exhibition, Li used the pseudonym Bo Yun to conceal his identity from the police and has kept it ever since
Working in a variety of media - ink and colour on paper, oil on canvas, and lacquer on wood, Bo Yun often uses diptych or triptych formats for his compositions. His free and fluid style also shows the influence of Western Abstract Expressionism while respecting the ancient heritage of Chinese ink paining, exhibiting a dramatic energy which expresses a joy in nature and the spiritual essence of the landscape.
Bo Yun was not a militant dissident, merely an active advocator of greater artistic freedom, and his independent, expressive nature continues to be evident in his work.
Provenance: Private European Collection