Purple Sun

Liu Kuo-sung once said “although my composition is essentially a circle and an arc, the colors, technique, and texture are greatly different.” Purple Sun is a prime example of a painting from the Space Series, composed of an upper circle and lower arc, in which the colors, technique, and texture are remarkable and visually stunning.

Firstly, the sun occupies nearly half of the image and is positioned in the exact center. The composition is extremely bold, as is the use of colors; the bright neon red seemingly floats on top of the image, in stark contrast with the lower green arc representing the Earth’s surface. Swept horizontally across the Earth’s surface, are powerful calligraphic brushstrokes, which add a new dynamic between the sun and the Earth. Also, the background’s fade from blue to yellow brings a sense of harmony to the image.

The composition is modern, and the technique is a fusion of East and West. The bold use of colors, as well as the organic calligraphic lines, counteracts the seemingly simple composition and the predominance of geometric shapes. Although Liu Kuo-sung advocates “revolution against the brush,” he remains profoundly skilled in traditional brushwork; his command of the Chinese brush explores the elements of ink and wash in a spatial background.