Footnotes

Provenance
Sale: Sotheby's, Hong Kong, Chinese Contemporary Art, 31 October 2004, Lot 329.
Private Collection, Asia.
Sale: Kingsley's Art Auction, Taipei, Modern & Contemporary Art, 17 December 2011, Lot 175.
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Private Collection, Asia.

朱銘
太極系列—雲手
銅雕

簽名：Ju Ming 1/6（刻於背面下方）
版數： 1/6

此作附財團法人朱銘文教基金會開立之作品保證書

來源
拍賣：香港，蘇富比，「中國當代藝術」，2004年10月31日，拍品編號329
亞洲私人收藏
拍賣：台北，金仕發，「現代與當代藝術」，2011年12月17日，拍品編號175
現藏家得自上述來源
亞洲私人收藏

Best known for his Taichi series sculpture, Ju Ming is one of the most important Asian sculptors, whose extraordinary talent has brought him international reputation. "Cloud Hands" is the tenth movement of the twenty-four forms of Taichi, known as the "Mother Form," embodying the philosophical and defensive principles of Taichi. It is the core of the Taichi technique, representing a paradigmatic move of the interplay between firmness and gentleness. Ju Ming has fervently reshaped the philosophical insights and essence of Taichi through his artistic language, condensing "Cloud Hands" into abstract sculptural works that showcase the classic interplay of Yin and Yang, movement and stillness, firmness and gentleness inherent in Taichi.

His exploration of materials and craftsmanship is characterised by ingenuity. With his mastery of bronze casting techniques, Ju Ming has perfected the expression of natural wood textures in his works. Initially rooted in wood carving, Ju Ming demonstrated an intimate understanding of wood characteristics. During the creation of Cloud Hands, he meticulously carved the prototype from wood, infusing his understanding and insights of the "Cloud Hands" movement into every chisel and cut. Ju Ming ingeniously preserved the natural texture of wood in his bronze works, creating a harmonious dialogue between wood and bronze, with each texture exquisitely realistic, as if conveying the warmth and texture of the original wood, giving the work a simple and warm ambiance. This perfect fusion of material and craftsmanship not only demonstrates Ju Ming's pursuit of excellence in sculptural materials and techniques but also reflects his profound understanding of the integration of traditional and modern art.

The overall form of Cloud Hands is concise, with the legs firmly rooted in the ground, exuding a steadfast and unyielding momentum. The alternating movements of the "Cloud Hands" display rich and overlapping variations. The upward left arm conveys a sense of steady and unstoppable power with its neat and robust straight lines, while the downward right arm intertwines irregular surfaces, adding a touch of fierceness to the originally solid and dignified structure, forming a superb blend of offence and defence, demonstrating a heroic and fearless demeanour.

Ju Ming infused "Cloud Hands" with soul through his multidimensional wood carving techniques. The beauty of the interplay between movement and stillness runs through the entire sculpture, much like the Yin and Yang of Taichi, dancing in harmony. The sturdy legs symbolise tranquillity and strength, while the dynamic and versatile movements of the "Cloud Hands" in the upper body exhibit lightness and vitality, perfectly demonstrating a high level of balance between motion and stillness. Ju Ming's wood carving techniques infuse the sculpture with life, capturing the essence of Taichi's dynamic balance and vitality.

朱銘堪稱亞洲最舉足輕重的雕塑家之一，以其「太極系列」雕塑見稱，憑藉超凡卓越的才華而蜚聲國際。在朱銘眾多的藝術創作中，「太極系列」無疑佔據著重要地位。 「雲手」是太極二十四式第十式，被稱作 「母式」，蘊含太極哲學與攻防理念，是太極拳技術體系核心，是典型的剛柔並濟，互相轉換的典範招式。 朱銘以其藝術語言竭力重塑出太極的哲學見解與精髓，將「雲手」凝練成抽象的雕塑作品，展現太極的陰陽兩極與動靜、剛柔的經典之作。

朱銘對材質與工藝的探索可謂獨具匠心。隨著藝術家青銅翻模技術的不斷嫻熟使作品對於木紋天然肌理的質感表現更加完美。早期，朱銘以木雕為基礎，對木材的特性瞭若指掌。 在創作《雲手》的過程中，他先以木材為原模，精心雕琢出作品的雛形，將自己對「雲手」動作的理解與感悟融入到木材的每一刀每一鑿之中。朱銘在青銅作品中巧妙地保留了木材天然肌理的質感表現，讓木與銅在作品中相互呼應，每一處紋理的呈現都細膩逼真，彷彿能讓人觸摸到木材原本的溫度與質感，賦予了作品一種質樸而溫暖的氣息 。這種材質與工藝的完美結合，不僅展現了朱銘對雕塑材料及工藝的精益求精，更體現了他對傳統與現代藝術融合的深刻理解。

《雲手》一作整體造型簡練，腿部線條穩穩紮根於大地，呈現出一種穩如泰山、堅不可摧的雄渾氣勢，而一上一下的「雲手式」則呈現豐富的交疊變化，上推的左臂以工整且剛健有力的直線，源源不斷地傳遞出穩健磅礴、勢不可擋的氣力; 下搭的右臂則以多個不規則塊面相互交錯，為原本厚實莊重的整體構造增添了幾分別樣的淩厲之態，形成了一種精妙絕倫的攻守合一的態勢，展現其豪邁大氣魄與無畏無懼的強者風範。

朱銘憑藉其多維度的木刻手法，為《雲手》注入了靈魂。動靜相生的美感貫穿始終，恰似太極的陰陽兩極，和諧共舞。 腿部穩固如山，盡顯靜態的沉穩與力量，而上半身靈動多變的「雲手」招式，又展現出動態的輕盈與活力，動靜相隨間，完美呈現出高超的平衡性，將潛藏於其中的生命力全然釋放，淋漓盡致地展現出朱銘太極系列作品深邃的內蘊之美。