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Lot Essay
The Taichi concept originates from the Chinese Book of Chang (the 'Yi Jing' or 'I-Ching') and its Ying-Yang dualism, which is one of the most fundamental concepts about the universe and natural law in traditional Chinese culture. The original essence of the practice of Taichi can be found in its concept of Yin and Yang, of a dualism that is at the same time a unity. This unity is one in which the two separated elements generate and complement each other, and from which the great multitude of living forms is derived. Ju has a profound understanding of Chinese cultural spirit. This season we are proud to present a complete collection of works from Taichi series, in which we witness how Ju Ming's transforms the concepts from Chinese daoist philosophy into the shaping of his art form.
In Taichi series, Ju Ming's interpretation of figurations has completely been elevated to a level of analytical, geometric abstraction. In his early work Taichi Series (Lot 136), Ju Ming The natural scars, texture, knots and scratches of the wood lent itself to the dynamically shifting energy of each figure and equally served as a testament to the natural environment. Such principles of Taichi are interlaced in the sculptures' dynamic and static movements; the void coexists with its existence just as practitioners of Taichi connect with Nature. Here, as though he is the carved statue. Two bronze sculptures Taichi Series - Stomp (Lot 130 & 131) manifest the calmness of a posed figure bending his knees with a balanced kick, and shows the energy and the speed of this spin kick from the lifted left leg to the twisted waistline. Bronze also shows firmness and volume for the sense of existence expose the power and dynamics from movement of the metal. In the bronze Taichi Series - Turn Stomp (Lot 134) created in 1995, Ju Ming's figure is standing upright on one foot and the weight of the figure is transferred to the right foot. As the figure attempts a sideward turn, kicking backward with the left foot, Ju is depicting the heaviness of the left foot by showing the bending leg against the steady poise of the pelvis. The right foot kicks sharply out, which highlights the kick's speed and agility. Created in 1997, Taichi Series -Single Whip (Lot 132) is a simplified geometrical figure with reduced delineation of details, the artist shifts the focus to internal potential energy in bodily and facet dissection, Taichi is all about the power of soft skill and passivity, the sculpture's external angular transition also tends to be gentle, reflecting Ju Ming's comprehension towards the shape and spirit of Taichi.
Taichi series in its early days usually comes in individual figurines in which the momentum and tenor of the Taichi art are arrayed through the gesture and dynamism of a single body. Ju Ming extends the core meaning of Taichi into his Taichi Sparring series in which he visually magnifies the paradoxical coexistence of Yin and Yang in Taichi through juxtaposing two figures sparring against each other. Created in 1980, Taichi Series: Stance (Lot 137) appears to be a single figure while in fact Ju Ming intends to give forms to two figures in stance pose embracing each other, which perfectly corresponds to the dichotomy and harmony as one balanced entity in Taichi practice. In two pairs of Taichi Sparring (Lot 336 & 337), Ju Ming continues to capture the interactive dynamics between defense and the offence in geometric-shape in two separate figures. In Taichi Series: The Door to Success (Lot 133), Ju carries the concept further by transforming the two sparring figures into even more abstract forms, and visualizes the qi between two figures via physically unifying them as one piece of work. In Taichi Series (Lot 135), Ju returns to the wooden medium and embraces the natural beauty of wood grain. In here, one figure poses with strength in a forward lunge, taking the initiative to attack. The other, in defense, strikes a Taichi gesture, but the defense resolve the attack by the cloud-floating hand gestures naturally pushes forward. Amidst the back and forth movements arises the Taichi concepts of yin and yang and continuity. The independent shapes, the form of the grapple and their corresponding spatial relationship are transfigured through the hands of the artist. The arced, united structure intimates the progression of force; rising beyond the limit of bodily shapes, it enhances, with its dynamism, the rhythmic flow of the Taichi movement, and reaches the oblivious, enduring verve of the Taichi art. The initially independent forms and the corresponding relationship between the moves and spaces have been abstractedly transformed again in the hands of the artist. Of a series of linking forms continuity of forces has been implied. Not to insist upon what he saw, Ju is said to break from the constraints of the moves and steps, and his works have strongly embodied qualities of modern abstraction. As he said "at the moment when I join my hands the qi (air) flows, and muscle pulls. They connect and vein through the whole body that are finally unified as one" Till now Ju Ming has no intention to represent the moves and steps of the boxing art. Instead, he prefers "no ways as having ways" on describing the forms of an object, directly referring to the basic body movement. Rooting on the combination of Chinese culture and Taichi boxing arts, Ju's Taichi Boxing have incorporated strong and soft lines, balanced the imbalance forms, and at a particular moment expressed the force like "retaining strength on the arrow and shooting powerfully".
Years of practice brought Ju Ming a deeper knowledge? of the spirit of Taichi, which promotes the harmony between the individual and the universe. He transformed to the phrase where he became less concerned with the transcendental aspects of Taichi, yet moving towards the dualistic elements and their mutually creative, mutually energizing aspects. Ju Ming thus created these opposing, twin forms, and rather than focusing on physical postures, chose instead to evoke the spirit and dynamics of the art of taichi. This move signaled Ju Ming's search for broader and deeper meanings within the Taichi series and a shift toward expressing a more abstract spirit. Taichi Series is filled with energetic momentum, well-prepared for action yet still carries the lightness of a cloud. The union of robustness and softness in Ju's sculpture expresses a noble spirit, balanced in yin and yang, tension and harmony.
In Taichi series, Ju Ming's interpretation of figurations has completely been elevated to a level of analytical, geometric abstraction. In his early work Taichi Series (Lot 136), Ju Ming The natural scars, texture, knots and scratches of the wood lent itself to the dynamically shifting energy of each figure and equally served as a testament to the natural environment. Such principles of Taichi are interlaced in the sculptures' dynamic and static movements; the void coexists with its existence just as practitioners of Taichi connect with Nature. Here, as though he is the carved statue. Two bronze sculptures Taichi Series - Stomp (Lot 130 & 131) manifest the calmness of a posed figure bending his knees with a balanced kick, and shows the energy and the speed of this spin kick from the lifted left leg to the twisted waistline. Bronze also shows firmness and volume for the sense of existence expose the power and dynamics from movement of the metal. In the bronze Taichi Series - Turn Stomp (Lot 134) created in 1995, Ju Ming's figure is standing upright on one foot and the weight of the figure is transferred to the right foot. As the figure attempts a sideward turn, kicking backward with the left foot, Ju is depicting the heaviness of the left foot by showing the bending leg against the steady poise of the pelvis. The right foot kicks sharply out, which highlights the kick's speed and agility. Created in 1997, Taichi Series -Single Whip (Lot 132) is a simplified geometrical figure with reduced delineation of details, the artist shifts the focus to internal potential energy in bodily and facet dissection, Taichi is all about the power of soft skill and passivity, the sculpture's external angular transition also tends to be gentle, reflecting Ju Ming's comprehension towards the shape and spirit of Taichi.
Taichi series in its early days usually comes in individual figurines in which the momentum and tenor of the Taichi art are arrayed through the gesture and dynamism of a single body. Ju Ming extends the core meaning of Taichi into his Taichi Sparring series in which he visually magnifies the paradoxical coexistence of Yin and Yang in Taichi through juxtaposing two figures sparring against each other. Created in 1980, Taichi Series: Stance (Lot 137) appears to be a single figure while in fact Ju Ming intends to give forms to two figures in stance pose embracing each other, which perfectly corresponds to the dichotomy and harmony as one balanced entity in Taichi practice. In two pairs of Taichi Sparring (Lot 336 & 337), Ju Ming continues to capture the interactive dynamics between defense and the offence in geometric-shape in two separate figures. In Taichi Series: The Door to Success (Lot 133), Ju carries the concept further by transforming the two sparring figures into even more abstract forms, and visualizes the qi between two figures via physically unifying them as one piece of work. In Taichi Series (Lot 135), Ju returns to the wooden medium and embraces the natural beauty of wood grain. In here, one figure poses with strength in a forward lunge, taking the initiative to attack. The other, in defense, strikes a Taichi gesture, but the defense resolve the attack by the cloud-floating hand gestures naturally pushes forward. Amidst the back and forth movements arises the Taichi concepts of yin and yang and continuity. The independent shapes, the form of the grapple and their corresponding spatial relationship are transfigured through the hands of the artist. The arced, united structure intimates the progression of force; rising beyond the limit of bodily shapes, it enhances, with its dynamism, the rhythmic flow of the Taichi movement, and reaches the oblivious, enduring verve of the Taichi art. The initially independent forms and the corresponding relationship between the moves and spaces have been abstractedly transformed again in the hands of the artist. Of a series of linking forms continuity of forces has been implied. Not to insist upon what he saw, Ju is said to break from the constraints of the moves and steps, and his works have strongly embodied qualities of modern abstraction. As he said "at the moment when I join my hands the qi (air) flows, and muscle pulls. They connect and vein through the whole body that are finally unified as one" Till now Ju Ming has no intention to represent the moves and steps of the boxing art. Instead, he prefers "no ways as having ways" on describing the forms of an object, directly referring to the basic body movement. Rooting on the combination of Chinese culture and Taichi boxing arts, Ju's Taichi Boxing have incorporated strong and soft lines, balanced the imbalance forms, and at a particular moment expressed the force like "retaining strength on the arrow and shooting powerfully".
Years of practice brought Ju Ming a deeper knowledge? of the spirit of Taichi, which promotes the harmony between the individual and the universe. He transformed to the phrase where he became less concerned with the transcendental aspects of Taichi, yet moving towards the dualistic elements and their mutually creative, mutually energizing aspects. Ju Ming thus created these opposing, twin forms, and rather than focusing on physical postures, chose instead to evoke the spirit and dynamics of the art of taichi. This move signaled Ju Ming's search for broader and deeper meanings within the Taichi series and a shift toward expressing a more abstract spirit. Taichi Series is filled with energetic momentum, well-prepared for action yet still carries the lightness of a cloud. The union of robustness and softness in Ju's sculpture expresses a noble spirit, balanced in yin and yang, tension and harmony.