Wenxi Chen (1906 - 1991)
Wenxi Chen was active/lived in China, Singapore. Wenxi Chen is known for painting.
Oil on canvas
Painting Size: 20 x 24 in.
Frame Size: 25 x 29 in.
Created in 1960s
Signed lower left
Artist: Wenxi Chen (1906 - 1991)
Biography
Abstract’s contingency comes from the formless emotions and spiritual world within. The Moon Rises not only formats through its splashes of colors and strokes but also through the form of art expression that reflects on the reality, which enables us to peep into the artist’s inner self. The background of the work was piled up by layers of black paints and was embellished with liquid gold as if it were reflection of moonlight scattered on a silent ground. The work was then decorate with red, green and blue making it a scene of a starry night. In representation of harmony displayed by light and darkness, the contrast of gold and black also symbolized yin and yang, an implication of the philosophical rule of nature in the traditional Chinese culture. In The Moon Rises, the use of ever-changing combination of colors as a form of medium aided in neglect of the figurative form. Instead of presenting structures in a geometric dimensional space, the irregularity in time and space of this work precipitated philosopher Matei Calinescu’s quote, “time and the self-identity are the fundamentals of modernism,†which is also a representation of Chen’s pursue in artistic freedom. The only geometric figure that is visible on board is the rhombus chunk at the upper right hand corner, which could relate to the shining moon. In contrast of the background, the fluid brush strokes in gold embellish with emerald green, cerulean blue, crimson, greyish purple, and milk white to form a visual depth on a two-dimensional degree, which further outlined the disparity between light, darkness, different levels of layering, and also reality and emptiness. Implication of the different reflections of moonlight and also symbolize the five basic color elements in Chinese tradition (cyan, red, yellow, white and black). The detailed brush strokes and sumptuous color over the solid background once again proved that the fusion of Eastern and Western philosophy by Chen Wen Hsi is a milestone in the Asian art history.
CONDITION
Excellent

PROVENANCE
Private Collection from New York
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Excellent condition