Footnotes

Provenance
Chan Liu Art Gallery, Taipei
Acquired from the above by the present owner.
Private collection, Asia.

Exhibited
San Francisco, Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, International Modern Brush Painting, 2006

Published
21st Century, Latest Works of Liu Kuo-sung, Chung Hua University Arts Center, Hsin-chu, 2006, p. 120, illustrated in colour
The Universe in the Mind – A Retrospective of Liu Kuo-sung,Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taoyuan County Government, Taoyuan, 2007, p. 141, illustrated in colour
Liu Kuo-sung 60 Years of Painting, Chan Liu Art Museum, Taoyuan, 2007, p. 213, illustrated in colour

劉國松
秋夜：九寨溝系列之八十
設色 紙本
2005年作

簽名：劉國松 二零零五（左下）
鈐印：國松（左下）

此作附長流畫廊開立之作品保證書。
此件作品將收錄于藝術家全集（資料提供／劉國松基金會）。

來源
台北，長流畫廊
現藏家得自上述來源
亞洲私人收藏

展覽
「國際現代水墨畫展」，舊金山中華文化中心，舊金山，2006年

出版
《21世紀 劉國松 新作集》，中華大學藝文中心，新竹，2006，第120頁，彩圖
《宇宙心印︰劉國松回顧展》，桃園縣政府文化局，桃園，2007，第141頁，彩圖
《劉國松繪畫一甲子》，長流美術館，桃園，2007，第213頁，彩圖


Known as the father of modern Chinese ink painting and a pioneer of Chinese modern art, Liu Kuo-sung graduated from the Fine Arts Department of National Taiwan Normal University in 1956. Driven by a steadfast commitment to revolutionize the prevailing artistic landscape of his time, he co-founded the influential "Fifth Moon Group" and championed the cause of "Modernization of Chinese Painting." By harmonizing traditional Chinese ink aesthetics with avant-garde Western abstract concepts under the guiding principle of "Eastern Medium." By blending Chinese classical ink aesthetics with Western abstract concepts, Liu pioneered a fresh and innovative style, paving the way for a new direction in Modern Chinese ink painting.

"Chinese painting is an assemblage of dots and lines...If we could introduce white lines into Chinese painting, so that there are both white and black lines, the scope of Chinese painting would be broadened."
— Liu Kuo-sung, excerpted from an interview for the exhibition " The Weight of Lightness: Ink Art at M+ " at M+

Liu Kuo-sung was not satisfied with the limitations of traditional painting techniques and began to continuously explore and innovate since the 1950s. In 1963, he collaborated with a paper mill to invent "Kuo-sung Paper," which led to his invention of the "texturing by plucking and flaying" technique. By removing fibres from coarse cotton paper after applying ink, he introduced white lines appear on the black ink painting surface and highlighting the texture of mountains and rivers. Liu Kuo-sung meticulously outlined the general form of mountains and rivers on the front of the "Kuo-sung Paper," soaked it through with ink on the back of the paper, and after the ink naturally permeated the paper, tore off the rough paper fibers to leave white lines. This action seems to be a process of "subtraction" for the image, removing some elements of the original paper, but miraculously, this "subtraction" process is actually a clever "addition" to the image, creating white lines that traditional ink paintings do not have and the "Tibet Series" is a representative work of this unique technique.

In the summer of 2000, Liu was invited to lecture at Tibet University. After Liu visiting the snow - capped mountains, he began to create the Tibet series. Tibet Series No.202 (Lot 22) is in the mature stage of the "Tibet" series. With a striking black - and - white contrast, the vast snowy mountain scenery is laid out without reservation from an overhead perspective. The rigid mountain structures in the foreground are depicted with solid ink, while the surrounding distant mountains, after being blurred and stripped of paper tendons, present a natural snow texture. The background uses the technique of leaving white space to create a "void" space, not only setting off the towering mountains covered in white snow in the painting but also becoming a natural extension of the mood in the image, endowing a sense of ethereal and distant space for viewers to construct their own snowy mountain scenery. Liu Kuo-sung combines Western abstract forms of expression with the essence of classical Chinese aesthetics to create a new realm of ink painting, presenting the snowy mountain scenery of Tibet to viewers through his innovative ink techniques.

Between 2000 and 2001, Liu Kuo-sung visited Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan multiple times, moved by the dreamlike lake scenery in the area. Due to the deposition of special minerals, the lakes in Jiuzhaigou are colourful under the sunlight. Drawing inspiration from this, Liu tried various Chinese Xuan paper and eventually selecting waterproof architectural drawing paper and the "Steeped Ink" technique to portray the shimmering and tranquil water surfaces. This technique creates natural effects using the permeability of ink, rather than relying on traditional brush techniques. Liu initially applies ink and watercolor to damp, non-absorbent tracing paper, followed by layering another sheet on top. He then sweeps the composition with a wide brush, creating unpredictable horizontal patterns as the two sheets are separated, enabling adaptable creative adjustments and capturing a tranquil ambiance and the grace of a lake as seen in Autumn: Jiuzhaigou Series No. 80 (Lot 23). The traditional way of depicting water mainly involves simple brush strokes, which struggle to convey the complexity and subtle reflection of water. Liu Kuo-sung bravely innovates, presenting various forms of water, breaking through the limitations of traditional brush and ink, achieving effects that brush and ink alone cannot, reflecting the artist's continuous spirit of exploration.

The prevailing trend of imitation has long overshadowed traditional Chinese ink painting, with techniques stagnating for centuries, leading to a dull and oppressive atmosphere in the field of Chinese ink art. Liu Kuo-sung boldly innovated Chinese ink painting, challenging the traditional Chinese painting learning methods that mainly focused on imitation. He created techniques like "texturing by plucking and flaying" and "Steeped Ink", breaking the limitations of traditional brush and ink. Drawing from personal experiences and emotions, he envisioned the universe over time, shifting from realistic to expressive and finally to abstract art. His creations reflected his inner world and life encounters uniquely. Throughout his journey, he experimented with various visual effects, exploring new possibilities with painting materials. His innovative "Kuo-sung paper" stands as a tangible testament to his inventive spirit. Liu Kuo-sung's bold departure from tradition and embrace of new ideas inspire future artists, driving the evolution of Chinese ink painting.


劉國松1956年畢業於台灣師範大學美術系，憑藉著對藝術創新的敏銳感知與一腔熱忱，隨即創立「五月畫會」，掀起台灣現代藝術運動的浪潮。在創作過程中，劉國松大膽革新，被譽為「現代水墨畫之父」。當時他有感於華人地區藝壇普遍存在「不用中鋒就畫不出好畫」的氛圍，他提出「中國畫現代化」的口號，堅持在「東方媒材」的理念下，開拓水墨創作的多種技法，將中國古典水墨美學與西方繪畫的抽象概念融合，成功開創出「中國現代水墨畫」的嶄新風格，推動現代水墨的新思路。

「中國畫是用點和線來組合的......如果能夠把白線也加到中國畫裏，然後中國畫又有白線又有黑線，那不就把中國繪畫的領域拓寬了？」
— 劉國松, 摘自M+ 「似重若輕：M+ 水墨藏品」展覽專訪

劉國松並不滿足於傳統繪畫技法的局限，從五十年代便開始持續探索創新。為了要把白線應用到中國畫裏，代替傳統水墨中的飛白效果，他於1963 年與造紙廠合作，定制了一批表面富有紙筋的棉紙，成功研發出獨樹一幟的「粗紙筋國松紙」，後更首創「抽筋剝皮皴」技法，即是在紙上撕下粗糙的紙筋，令黑墨畫面上出現白色的線條，凸顯山巒河流的肌理。劉國松先在「國松紙」正面精心設定勾畫山川的大致形態，施以水墨染透紙背，讓墨色在紙上自然滲透後，撕下粗糙的紙筋留下白色的線條。這一動作看似是在為畫面做 「減法」，去除了紙張原有的部分元素，然而，奇妙之處就在於，這一 「減」 的過程，實則是在為畫面做巧妙的 「加法」，產生傳統水墨所沒有的白線，這種白線的抽象水墨畫自此誕生，「西藏組曲系列」便是這一技法的代表作。

2000年劉國松應西藏大學之邀講學，並前往珠穆朗瑪峰，受瞬息萬變的雪山景色所吸引，從而創作出一系列壯麗雄偉的「西藏組曲」。創作於 2013 年的《西藏組曲202》(拍品22)，處於「西藏組曲」系列創作的成熟階段。作品墨、白兩色對比強烈，層次豐富。以俯瞰視角將廣漠無垠的雪山盛景毫無保留地鋪陳開來。前景中剛硬的山脈結構以堅實的墨色來表現，環繞四周的遠山則在暈染後並抽去紙筋，呈現出仿若自然生成的白雪紋理。背景運用 「留白」 手法，營造出 「虛」 的空間，不僅襯托畫中如白雪覆蓋的巍峨山川，更成為畫面意境的自然延伸，賦予空靈悠遠的空間感，讓觀者構建出屬於自己的雪山盛景。劉國松揉合西洋抽象表現形式和中國古典美學精髓創立水墨新境界，以其獨創水墨技法為觀者呈現西藏的雪域山景。
2000 至 2001 年間，劉國松多次前往四川九寨溝，被當地如夢似幻的湖泊景色吸引。九寨溝因特殊礦物質沉澱，湖泊在陽光下五彩斑斕。藝術家以此為創作靈感，嘗試多種中國宣紙，運用水拓、漬墨技巧，最終選定抗水性的建築繪圖紙與「漬墨法」再現水面波光瀲灩的景象。「漬墨法」是利用墨的滲透性來創造的自然效果，而不是依賴傳統的毛筆技巧。他先在濕潤的建築繪圖紙上塗墨和水彩，然後將另一張建築繪圖紙鋪在畫上，用排筆掃刷後分開，便能形成獨特橫向線條和紋理，借此靈活調整創作細節，描繪出如《秋夜：九寨溝系列八十》(拍品23)般平靜和優雅的水面。傳統描繪水的方式主要是以簡單的筆觸勾勒，雖有韻味，卻難以展現水的複雜與獨特質感。劉國松勇於創新，呈現出多樣的水的形態，突破了傳統筆墨的局限，表現了筆墨不能達到的效果，也反映出藝術家不斷求索的精神。

臨摹之風長期籠罩傳統中國水墨畫，數百年間技法近乎停滯不前，中國水墨藝術領域沉悶壓抑。劉國松大膽革新中國水墨畫， 他挑戰傳統中國畫以臨摹為主的學習方式，自創 「抽筋剝皮皴」、「漬墨法」 等技法，打破傳統筆墨局限。將親身體驗，個人感受，歲月延伸而發酵出對宇宙萬物的想像與思考，無論是雪域高原上連綿巍峨的山景，還是九寨溝澄澈斑斕的湖泊，創作風格從具象過渡到寫意，最終走向抽象，讓畫作成為其內心世界與外在體驗的獨特映射。在這個過程中，他不斷追求畫面的不同視覺效果，經過無數次的嘗試，探索繪畫材質的無限可能，他研創的「國松紙」，便是其創新理念的有力見證。劉國松破舊立新的創作精神，對後世的啟發與影響無疑是相當重大，成為推動中國水墨畫持續創新發展的強大動力泉源。