Mineral colour on paper

47 x 73 cm.18 1/2 x 28 3/4 in.

Signed in Pinyin；dated and titled 11-2 on the lower right
LITERATURE Da Xiang Art Space, Tai Wan, Zhang Yu’s One-Finger Chan Culture and Spiritual Exploration, 2009, p.36-37.
EXHIBITED Taiwan, Da Xiang Art Space, Zhang Yu’s One-Finger Chan Culture and Spiritual Exploration, June19 - August 9, 2009.

Zhang Yu
(b.1959-)
“The old concept of ink painting is to create from rice paper but it is quite difficulty to identify if it is ink paining from my work. This is my stance for the thinking of contemporary art. What I want to do is an “unprecedented in the history of Chinese art” and I intend to build a new personal system, a simple language that completely belongs to me.

Zhang Yu is not only a Chinese contemporary artist but also the founder and advocator of theory. His creations and discourses are closely related to the entire exploration process of Chinese contemporary art and Chinese paintings but it can also be said that his personal creation course reflects the post Chinese contemporary art of the “85 new trend.” After the 1980s, China also faces with a brand-new atmosphere due to the open art of politics, where artists carry out enthusiastic discussion between traditional culture and the culture introduced by the West by making their own comprehension and fusion, followed by searching for breakthrough via different means. Chinese paintings also took new starts. Zhang Yu started with figure painting from the early days, whose creation was based on concrete portrait. After the 85 new trend, he encountered the new trend of painting to unfold breakthrough from the impact between new ideas and information.

Zhang Yu attempted a behavioral expression to break the traditional pattern of literati painting starting 1991. He directly moistened the ink with finger to print on the paper, known as the preliminary study of “finger printing series.” In 1992 the artist went to Russia and drafted the book on “The Trend of Chinese Contemporary Ink Painting Art in late 20th Century” in half year of period. He also called for artists and critics with identical ideas to jointly promote the ink painting experiment, known as the source of “experimental ink painting.” He even started the non-concrete attempt in 199. By 1994, he produced “Miraculous Lighting” series. The theory of basic composition for “Miraculous Lighting” is transformed from the “residual circle” and “broken square” in oriental aesthetics. “Residual circle” originates from the concept of finger printing while this series has developed constantly for more than 10 years. After the concept of “oriental philosophy based body” became more mature, Zhang Yu returned to “finger printing” in 2000 and eliminated the past abstract intent by pressing the fingers on the rice paper repeatedly to transform into a “behavioral records,” expressing his arts with both characteristics of behavioral art and paper art. Next, he developed an imaginary and spatial installation, which he stays outside of the box of traditional medium by establishing his own contemporary language system while thoroughly breaks his art from the pure scope of “painting” and upgrades to the system of international contemporary art.

Fingerprints 2008.11-2 is Zhang Yu’s representation in “finger printing” series and also of the outcome of the series after constantly upgrade and practice. A careful look into the pressing and printing traces as well as the lighting effect of the works seem to reflect the shifting of time while the listening of the sound of time seems to be comfortable and tranquil with variance. After entering this series, Zhang Yu owns extremely high control over “finger printing” by presenting a high level of exquisiteness in the proportion between water and plant color, contact area and strength between the fingers and paper surface, as well as the increasingly stabilized mentality. The orange-pink dots of the painting blooms on the rice paper gently like pleasantly blossoming cherry flowers. Each finger print is round and plump with uniform translucence. All interlacing and overlapping between dots are crystal clear and visible on the paper surface, demonstrating the artist’s full concentration during creation. We are observing the entire creation process of Zhang Yu while appreciating his works and we seem to meditate with the artist, sharing the experience of mental and spiritual perception.

Price estimate:
HKD：120,000 - 180,000
USD：15,500 - 23,200

Auction Result:
HKD: 149,500