Mark Rothko Violet, Black, Orange, Yellow on White and Red  (1949)

 

                                       

 

 

Jackson Pollock  Number 25  (1950)

Willem de Kooning Woman I  (1952)   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jiro Yoshihara Blue Calligraphic Lines on Dark Blue (1963)

 

 

Gu Gan The Mountains are Breaking Up (1985) *

 

  

Xu Bing Books from Heaven (1988)  

 

Cy Twombly Untitled (Peony blossoms), (2007) ***

 

 

 

NB     The images are from Wikipaintings.org  which allows unlimited copying for informational and educational purposes.

*     Gu Gan’s The Mountains are Breaking Up: top character is ‘sh’an’ (mountain) and bottom one ‘cui’ (crumble).

**    Xu Bing’s Book from Heaven [the word ‘heaven’ here is I think the meaning implied in the Chinese title (Tianshu). The title is often literally translated into Book from the Sky.] : All the characters in the books and manuscripts here are non-existent, not Chinese words at all. 

***  Cy Twombly Untitled (Peony blossoms): A continuation of American Abstract Expressionism from the 1950s, re-interpreting the action painting of Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning as well as the color field work of Mark Rothko (first three images above).  The peonies also allude to the prized place of peonies in Japanese and Chinese art and culture. More about this in my next post.