Words of Integrity ;& Bell Ringing with Clouds ;& Forbidden Fruit;& Thou Shault Love

An important promoter of Chinese modern photography, Long Chin-San, is known for his technique of composite - photo making and combining qualities of traditional lyrical Chinese inkwash painting to the realms of photography. Long Chin-San was a close friend with the present owner of this lot and his family. Long held a number of exhibitions in Australia during 1970s and 1980s, and he delivered a talk in the Photographic Society of Melbourne. The father of the present owner prepared and conducted several exhibitions for Long in 1972 and 1983, in hopes of promoting his art and Chinese culture to the public. The local newspaper articles did mention Long's exhibition held at various venues, including halls, galleries and even shopping centres for the art enthusiasts and the general public. Yehliu (Lot 656) belongs to the self-portrait of the artist, whose outstanding skill in portrait has gained him much recognition and fame. He created portraits of famous people including Qi Baishi , Yu Youren and Zhang Daqian. Every portrait of Long demonstrates his goal of depicting the character and the spirit of the sitter. In 1930s, his work that featured elderlies in village was selected for the Antwerp Salon of Photography in Belgium. Fairy Dale, Pavilion Fairyland, and Rising Clouds (Lot 656) radiate a graceful aura of peace in nature, fully illustrating Long's prowess in Chinese traditional aesthetics. Long later pursued the soft tone effect on his photographs. He employed the magic of soft light to convey dreamy atmosphere with blurred contours and shades. A Monarch, Female Deer and The Crane (Lot 655) both display Long's attempt to feature the spirit and form of his subjects in a romantic depiction. The rigorous composition and cropped perspectives in Words of Integrity, Bell Ringing with Clouds, Forbidden Fruit and Thou Shault Love (Lot 657) exude a confidence and maturity with which Long handles the medium. The works also illustrate the sublime beauty of nature and its relationship with architecture and sculptures.