Page 6 - Beyond Compare Christie's Hong Kong RU WARE .pdf

Abstract

Through the lens of this sale, we want to look at the exceptional and enduring influence
of the ethos and aesthetics of the Song literati through a millennium of Chinese history.
This aesthetic is as relevant and inspirational in the contemporary world as it was at any
time in the last thousand years. While the concept for the sale was inspired by Su Shi’s
Wood and Rock, which epitomises and encapsulates so much of the intensity of the creative
world of the epoch, we aim to present works of art which are part
of the continuing evolution of this aesthetic and which have been
directly inspired by Su Shi’s world or by the polymath himself.
We also present works that are contemporaneous to Su Shi and
objects from the material world with which he would have been
familiar. Presenting works by contemporary artists alongside
Wood and Rock, we aim to demonstrate the ways in which Su Shi’s
masterpiece continues to resonate both with artists working today
and also with us, their audience. In this sale we trace the journey of
this unique aesthetic through history, sometimes chronologically,
sometimes through visual juxtapositions, but always in a way that
we believe will stimulate the imagination and ignite a discourse on
the enduring legacy of the Song aesthetic. We also hope that the
catalogue will engage a wide worldwide audience and disseminate
this extraordinary world to those who may not be so familiar
with it.

In terms of works created closest in time to Su Shi himself, we have
compositions by Su Shi (1037-1101) and Zhang Jizhi (1186-1263),
masters of the Song dynasty, whose influence extends well beyond
their own times and who demonstrate the elegance of the Song era.
Later works by Bada Shanren (1626-1705) and Jin Nong (1687-
1763) reveal not only the continuity of the aesthetic tradition but
also the longevity of the moral and ascetic philosophy of the Song
literati, not least the imperative of endurance in adversity. The 20th
century work by Wu Hufan (1894-1968), a well-known collector
and artist from an upper-class family, is a direct tribute to the Song
master and is a testament to the tradition of paying homage through
replication of a master’s work.
Zao Wou-Ki (1920–2013), 20.01.69
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In the 21st century, we ourselves are part of this living tradition as we engage with the
art of our own era that has been inspired by the art of the past. The 20th century and
contemporary works of art in this sale exemplify the ways in which modern artists continue
to be influenced by artistic principles that were shaped almost a thousand years ago. For
example, Liu Dan (b. 1953), for whom rocks are “a symbolic microcosm of the material
world” sees scholar’s rocks as objects of admiration and contemplation, just as Su Shi and

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