Spring of Old Banyan

This painting is a representative work of Liu Kuo-sung’s “Ink-staining” technique. Liu began experimenting with technique in the 1980s; utilizing the seeping quality of ink, he rid the image of preconceived brushstrokes, in search of a more natural and spontaneous effect.

“Ink-staining” also utilizes the absorbent nature of rice paper, which allows the ink to spread more freely than the cotton papers normally used in Liu’s artworks. However, the most remarkable element of the painting is the twisting and turning lines found on the weathered trunk of the old banyan tree. On the tangled branches, Liu cleverly sprinkled spots of red and yellow, appearing as fruits on the old tree, and acting as the life of the image. On the bottom of the painting lies an earthy beige, symbolizing the nurturing earth from which the banyan grows, while the top is covered by an array of emerald green, like a blanket of leaves and shade provided by the old tree. Together, all the colors on the painting blend and interact harmoniously, in a vivid poetic resonance.

In painting, Liu Kuo-sung opposes the notion of a preconceived composition, and instead treasures the painterly process of creation, in which the composition develops and changes as the painting is executed. Fostering spontaneity of the “Ink-staining” technique, Spring of Old Banyan is a great testament to this notion.