Lot 355
Outside Raining
Walasse TING (Chinese-American, 1929 - 2010)
Acrylic on canvas
76.5 x 102.5 cm
Estimate
TWD 3,400,000-4,200,000
HKD 874,000-1,080,000
USD 112,700-139,200
Sold Price
TWD 4,320,000
HKD 1,119,171
USD 143,569
Signature
Signed on the reverse Ting, titled Outside Raining in English, and dated 79
+ OVERVIEW
Walasse Ting’s daring use of colors and willful, unhindered splashing of paint on the canvas not only portray the influence Matisse and other Fauvist artists have exerted upon him, after he moved to the US in the 1950s he was moreover inspired by the abstract expressionism prevalent during that period. In the beginning, he expressed himself freely through unconstrained compositions of spaces formulated out of acrylics painted in brilliantly-colored parallel lines, iconic images that embodied a natural and graceful beauty but were at the same time unbridled and liberating.
From the 1970s, Walasse Ting began harnessing the enormous amounts of creative force he had accumulated from having lived for over a decade in the city of New York. Meanwhile, the majority of his emotions and creativity were directed toward the most beloved subject of his entire lifetime--”Women. In New York, Ting developed his style of wild and powerful brush strokes, as well as the unapologetic use of vibrant colors tinged with arrogance, extravagance, and lack of inhibition. This artwork depicting the two beauties can indeed be regarded as one of Ting's masterpieces. Resplendent and exuberant, infused with the romantic sublime, the figures, still-life objects, flowers and fruits are all part of his celebration of life. The eyes of both women gaze out into the distance, as if reliving a fleeting memory of intimate passion and intriguing charm. This extravagant and poetic journey of color filled with visual impact dazzles the eye but it is also a feast for the senses, one that transcends the viewer into an imaginary dimension that Ting had always been adept at creating. In addition to being highly decorative, the image furthermore portrays an atmosphere filled with joy and contentment. At this moment in life, the artist was free to create whatever pleased him. Completely free from restraint, he was able to enjoy the little wonders brought to him through the creation of art; form was no longer a concern. The painting reveals the artist's innate intuition for color and his extreme passion for art--he had proudly bared all of these insuppressible emotions on the canvas, and how splendid they are indeed.
Walasse Ting's daring boldness has enabled him to splash the brightest colors of his palette directly onto the canvas without resulting in any sort of vulgarity or insolence. His artworks instead exhibit the magnificent beauty of colors layered with an acute perceptiveness and attention to detail that never ceases to amaze. He was the Casanova of his time, a master of life who devoted his love and passion to art and lived life to the fullest.
Modern & Contemporary Asian Art
Ravenel Spring Auction 2017 Taipei
Sunday, June 4, 2017, 2:00pm