工器化千

Executed in 1996, the late work Wonderful Craftsmanship (Lot 1120) is the culmination of vivid outlines and forms, interactions between solids and voids aptly described in a single, complex yet elegant form. Yang returns to bronze as a medium after a period of exploration in stainless steel in the 1970s when he created highly conceptual forms of mystical creatures and abstract representations of the cosmos. A similar theme in modernity and advent for new technology from this stainless steel period is continued in this piece in its symbolic use of geometric shapes which also adds to the balance and sculptural depth of the form. The sheet of bronze cascades in a meandering and unfolding grace, while its repeating vertical lines bring to mind towering rugged cliffs and coarse gorges which harkens back to his Landscape Series of the late 1960s. Its ambiguous title seems to, on one hand, laud of sophistication of our mechanical, modern era, but the metaphoric impression of nature in the sculpture lends itself to the irony that rightly praises the creative mind of the artist or the eternal forces of nature that supplants any mechanical craftsmanship. The work is a testament to Yang's thoughtful concept of the unison in humanity and nature and the way to continuously adapt in creative thinking to speak of its times. In this type of dedication and sensitivity to inspirations coming from all avenues lays Yang's legacy of true modernity in art.