Yang Jiechang

Ink on xuan paper，cotton and Korean paper
175.5 x 95.5 cm. 69 1/8 x 37 5/8 in.
Signed in Chinese and in Pinyin “Yang Jiechang” and dated “1990” on lower left；signed in Chinese and Pinyin “Yang Jiechang” on the reverse
Yang Jiechang
Yang Jiechang began to paint with writing brushes at the age of 3. Later he came to realize that the real essence of traditions lies in the constantly changing daily actions,and that any “conventional forms” can be used to effectively express the state of the contemporary world. Influenced by Zen and Taoism,he began to express his concepts through the very nature of the ink instead of imagery,thus unleashing the potential of ink. Although he started creating abstract ink paintings before he left for France in 1989,it was during his stay in Paris that he redefined ink painting as “the time of art”.
In the series Hundreds Layers of Ink created between 1989 and 1998,the artist adopted Western deconstructive strategies to break ink,paper,water and the action of painting into individual basic elements,thus reconstructing artistic forms familiar to him. While traditional ink painting is said to have reached its end,the artist initiated a constructive “reform”,expressing his profound understanding of old and new,inheritace and reformation,the
Hundreds Layers of Ink 5 in this auction is an early work in the series. It presents two contrasting textures both created from ink – a rectangular ink slab at the center with an almost metallic shine,and a dark matte surrounding background. The ink slab and the two stubs protruding out of its sides resemble a vertical and a horizontal stroke crossing each other. Together they form a bas-relief representing the artist’s view of his works：�