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Lot Essay
THE FINITE WITHIN INFINITY
In 1961, Hsiao Chin, together with several artists, including painter A. Calderara, and sculptor K. Azuma etc., launched the Movimento Punto, which is also known as the Punto Movement. The movement advocated that "the purity of concepts and the reasons to create are rooted in the conditions of 'the finite within infinity', as well as the authenticity of the thoughts and the understanding of the truth of life". The concept of freedom in Chinese Taoist philosophy coincides with Hsiao Chin's idea of 'the finite within infinity', as evidenced by Chuang Tzu's narration in Wandering Where You Will, ' If instead one had risen through the naturalness of Heaven and Earth, travelled on the six elemental forces and voyaged into the unknown and unlimited, one would have had to depend upon nothing!' Also, in Chuang Tzu –The Great and Original Teacher, it is written, 'They wander beyond the mundane world and stroll in the world of non-action.' Hsiao Chin indeed said that the ideas of Chuang Tzu and Zen Buddhism resonated much with his character, and such ideas were "the origin" which he had long pursued. He created with the methods of integrated thinking and intuitive thinking which were popular among people of the East.
WHEN EMOTIONS SPREAD AS COLOURS
In Zhang Yanyuan's Lidai Minghua Ji, also known as Famous Paintings through History, it is suggested that paintings may unveil divine messages. Hsiao Chin, when first arrived at a foreign land, might have been lost and confused, but soon he was able to embrace the mysterious, passionate and eerie atmosphere of Latin America. His artistic sense allowed him to capture the differences between Spanish culture and Oriental culture. In the late 50s, the use of colours of Hsiao's works surprised and intrigued many viewers. Pintura 5 (Lot 621) shows contrasting colours – Hsiao covered much of the canvas with red-orange paint, the changing tone of red expresses strong emotions, revealing a sense of struggle. Bluish-green paint invades the space from the top, pushing towards the red as it adds a touch of lingering fantasy to the exciting colour duet. When the artist first came to Europe, he started looking for his language of painting in Barcelona. From impulsive intuitive thinking he gradually turned to inner reflections, and this painting is among the few works he painted in this transition period. Eventually, Hsiao was able to balance the roles of colours and personal emotions in art. He continued to explore how colours, materials and symbols could be orchestrated for expressing the mysteries of nature and the universe, and entered the 60s, during which his signature style came into being. Untitled, a set of five etchings and three lithographs (Lot 685), was created at the beginning of his prime.
A GLIMPSE OF THE ORIGIN THROUGH G EOMETRY
Untitled (Lot 622), expressing the artist's imagination of the universe, can be called a tour de force. When comparing it with other works of the same series, viewers should pay attention to the composition of blue and white blocks in this painting. Blocks of midnight blue and Prussian blue are connected in the middle of the painting to create a sense of endlessness – much like the limitless blue sky above one's head, a representation of the infinite universe. Hsiao's meticulous manipulation of the white colour demonstrates his mastery of space and colours. One's perspective, which is supposed to be limitless, turns out to be partially surrounded by rectangular white blocks. The white blocks' edges are partly invaded by cobalt blue. The interplay of colours makes evident the artist's exploration on "the finite within infinity". The rectangular blocks compose changing patterns through voids and solids, resembling I Ching, in which 64 hexagrams are composed using the eight trigrams to represent patterns and possibilities in life, environment and nature. The blue spaces and white dots convey the artist's thoughts on traditional philosophies, creating depths and echoes at the same time. The composition inspires viewers to wonder whether the infinity of the universe is represented by its myriad phenomena – whether these white dots symbolise the origin beyond the boundaries, and whether they are the carriers of nature and all things in the universe.
AN EXISTENCE NARRATED THROUGH BLANK SPACES
If visual arts mean to question "space", music means to explore "time". It is undoubted that Hsiao's works are treasures of visual arts, but their musicality also presents to viewers a unique appreciation experiences. As music elevates the passage of time, the "blank spaces" in visual art inspire reflections – why would an artist choose a particular way of expression and spatial arrangement for a particular space? In the middle of Untitled (Lot 623), a black rectangular block is neatly painted against a white backdrop, below the black blocks meandering pink brushstrokes show twists and turns. Brown colour blocks hide at the bottom of the canvas, hinting at tension. Different textures, movements and dimensions come together, fighting against the white background. The shapes cooperate and interact to enrich and balance the white spaces that were intentionally left on the canvas by the artist, inviting viewers to feel the musicality of Hsiao's works – where music passes there is no silence, and where the brushstroke touches there is no blank space. However, must blank space and colour be oppositions? How do they complement and restrict each other? This leads the question back to Hsiao's metaphysical theme – in the infinite universe, how finite is "existence"? "
THE DAO PRODUCED ONE; ONE PRODUCED TWO; TWO PRODUCED THREE; THREE PRODUCED ALL THINGS." DAO DE JING, 42
Birth of the New World is the first series of works Hsiao created after he left Europe and returned to Taiwan. His skills, ideas and spirit convey an artist's thorough understanding of humanity and cosmic civilization. The New World – 8 (Lot 620) is composed of free-spirited brushstrokes that enliven the notion of an ever-circulating universe and the idea of the ubiquitous Dao. One after another orange-yellowish rectangular blocks circulate the space irregularly, composing a sphere of strong texture and powerful motions. The non-identical rectangular blocks expand outwards from the inside, creating spherical forms that look as if they are ever-expanding, resembling the notion of "all in one". On the right side of the painting four thick brushstrokes move towards different directions, expressing the rhythms and movements of the physical world and philosophical world at one go, inspiring viewers to think of the works of the Italian artist Giorgio Griffa who was from the same era of Hsiao. The four inksoaked brushstrokes are more than just four brushstrokes – each of them is accompanied by countless colours that seem to embody the power of atoms, which imply infinite changes, like "One produced All things". Hsiao expresses the philosophical idea of "one is all, and all is one" through a language of art that is simple, pure and refined, exploring with his art "the finite within infinity" through to the end.
In 1961, Hsiao Chin, together with several artists, including painter A. Calderara, and sculptor K. Azuma etc., launched the Movimento Punto, which is also known as the Punto Movement. The movement advocated that "the purity of concepts and the reasons to create are rooted in the conditions of 'the finite within infinity', as well as the authenticity of the thoughts and the understanding of the truth of life". The concept of freedom in Chinese Taoist philosophy coincides with Hsiao Chin's idea of 'the finite within infinity', as evidenced by Chuang Tzu's narration in Wandering Where You Will, ' If instead one had risen through the naturalness of Heaven and Earth, travelled on the six elemental forces and voyaged into the unknown and unlimited, one would have had to depend upon nothing!' Also, in Chuang Tzu –The Great and Original Teacher, it is written, 'They wander beyond the mundane world and stroll in the world of non-action.' Hsiao Chin indeed said that the ideas of Chuang Tzu and Zen Buddhism resonated much with his character, and such ideas were "the origin" which he had long pursued. He created with the methods of integrated thinking and intuitive thinking which were popular among people of the East.
WHEN EMOTIONS SPREAD AS COLOURS
In Zhang Yanyuan's Lidai Minghua Ji, also known as Famous Paintings through History, it is suggested that paintings may unveil divine messages. Hsiao Chin, when first arrived at a foreign land, might have been lost and confused, but soon he was able to embrace the mysterious, passionate and eerie atmosphere of Latin America. His artistic sense allowed him to capture the differences between Spanish culture and Oriental culture. In the late 50s, the use of colours of Hsiao's works surprised and intrigued many viewers. Pintura 5 (Lot 621) shows contrasting colours – Hsiao covered much of the canvas with red-orange paint, the changing tone of red expresses strong emotions, revealing a sense of struggle. Bluish-green paint invades the space from the top, pushing towards the red as it adds a touch of lingering fantasy to the exciting colour duet. When the artist first came to Europe, he started looking for his language of painting in Barcelona. From impulsive intuitive thinking he gradually turned to inner reflections, and this painting is among the few works he painted in this transition period. Eventually, Hsiao was able to balance the roles of colours and personal emotions in art. He continued to explore how colours, materials and symbols could be orchestrated for expressing the mysteries of nature and the universe, and entered the 60s, during which his signature style came into being. Untitled, a set of five etchings and three lithographs (Lot 685), was created at the beginning of his prime.
A GLIMPSE OF THE ORIGIN THROUGH G EOMETRY
Untitled (Lot 622), expressing the artist's imagination of the universe, can be called a tour de force. When comparing it with other works of the same series, viewers should pay attention to the composition of blue and white blocks in this painting. Blocks of midnight blue and Prussian blue are connected in the middle of the painting to create a sense of endlessness – much like the limitless blue sky above one's head, a representation of the infinite universe. Hsiao's meticulous manipulation of the white colour demonstrates his mastery of space and colours. One's perspective, which is supposed to be limitless, turns out to be partially surrounded by rectangular white blocks. The white blocks' edges are partly invaded by cobalt blue. The interplay of colours makes evident the artist's exploration on "the finite within infinity". The rectangular blocks compose changing patterns through voids and solids, resembling I Ching, in which 64 hexagrams are composed using the eight trigrams to represent patterns and possibilities in life, environment and nature. The blue spaces and white dots convey the artist's thoughts on traditional philosophies, creating depths and echoes at the same time. The composition inspires viewers to wonder whether the infinity of the universe is represented by its myriad phenomena – whether these white dots symbolise the origin beyond the boundaries, and whether they are the carriers of nature and all things in the universe.
AN EXISTENCE NARRATED THROUGH BLANK SPACES
If visual arts mean to question "space", music means to explore "time". It is undoubted that Hsiao's works are treasures of visual arts, but their musicality also presents to viewers a unique appreciation experiences. As music elevates the passage of time, the "blank spaces" in visual art inspire reflections – why would an artist choose a particular way of expression and spatial arrangement for a particular space? In the middle of Untitled (Lot 623), a black rectangular block is neatly painted against a white backdrop, below the black blocks meandering pink brushstrokes show twists and turns. Brown colour blocks hide at the bottom of the canvas, hinting at tension. Different textures, movements and dimensions come together, fighting against the white background. The shapes cooperate and interact to enrich and balance the white spaces that were intentionally left on the canvas by the artist, inviting viewers to feel the musicality of Hsiao's works – where music passes there is no silence, and where the brushstroke touches there is no blank space. However, must blank space and colour be oppositions? How do they complement and restrict each other? This leads the question back to Hsiao's metaphysical theme – in the infinite universe, how finite is "existence"? "
THE DAO PRODUCED ONE; ONE PRODUCED TWO; TWO PRODUCED THREE; THREE PRODUCED ALL THINGS." DAO DE JING, 42
Birth of the New World is the first series of works Hsiao created after he left Europe and returned to Taiwan. His skills, ideas and spirit convey an artist's thorough understanding of humanity and cosmic civilization. The New World – 8 (Lot 620) is composed of free-spirited brushstrokes that enliven the notion of an ever-circulating universe and the idea of the ubiquitous Dao. One after another orange-yellowish rectangular blocks circulate the space irregularly, composing a sphere of strong texture and powerful motions. The non-identical rectangular blocks expand outwards from the inside, creating spherical forms that look as if they are ever-expanding, resembling the notion of "all in one". On the right side of the painting four thick brushstrokes move towards different directions, expressing the rhythms and movements of the physical world and philosophical world at one go, inspiring viewers to think of the works of the Italian artist Giorgio Griffa who was from the same era of Hsiao. The four inksoaked brushstrokes are more than just four brushstrokes – each of them is accompanied by countless colours that seem to embody the power of atoms, which imply infinite changes, like "One produced All things". Hsiao expresses the philosophical idea of "one is all, and all is one" through a language of art that is simple, pure and refined, exploring with his art "the finite within infinity" through to the end.