Icy Tree with Silver Branches

What Liu Kuo-sung’s Icy Tree with Silver Branches Conveys Is Perseverance
by Timothy Chang

Set against an icy outcrop, clusters of snow-clad branches dominate the painting. Despite the weight of winter snow, the branches remain upright and shoot toward the sky, patiently waiting for the arrival of spring. The metaphor of perseverance in winter scenes is a prevalent motif in the Classical tradition, dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960 – 1127), when monumental landscapes emerged as a distinct genre. As the genre developed, physical attributes of nature became equated with character traits and ideals upheld by the literati class, as seen in Fan Kuan two monumental landscapes, Desolate Temple in Snowy Mountains in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, and Snowy Scene of Wintry Trees in the Tianjin Museum. As for Liu Kuo-sung, perseverance was a trait upheld by the artist himself.

During Liu Kuo-sung’s time as an art student in the 1950s, the concept of Modern Art was rejected by elite ink painting circles of Taiwan, and traditionalists such as Pu Xinyu, and Huang Junbi dominated academia. Facing criticism from conservatives within the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University, upon graduation in 1956, Liu Kuo-sung founded an independent art movement called the Fifth Moon Group, dedicated to promoting Modern Art. The Group’s success brought international attention to Liu’s art, and in 1966 Liu received a prestigious grant from the John D. Rockefeller III foundation, which in turn led to the launch of a promising career in the US. Liu’s success abroad prompted a reevaluation of his art in Taiwan, and in 1968 he was awarded as one of Taiwan “Ten Outstanding Youths.”

Today, Liu Kuo-sung is of course widely recognized throughout the US, Europe, Taiwan and Mainland China as a distinguished artist and a pioneer of Modern Art in Taiwan, who played an indispensable role in the development of ink painting from its traditional roots to its contemporary form. However, often forgotten is the rejection and hardship Liu faced early in his career. Without perseverance and key breakthroughs, the direction of Liu’s art could have been drastically different. If he had conformed to the traditions of his time, like branches collapsing under the weight of heavy winter snow, Liu’s art would have never taken on the unique and Modern dimensions it is known for today.