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• Auction House:
  Webb's
• Sale Name:
  Important Paintings and Contemporary Art
• Sale Date:
  06 Dec 2011 ~ 6.30pm (NZ Time)
• Lot #:
  43
• Lot Description:
  Raymond Ching
  Ray Ching, Ark, Oil on board, 2005 Internationally renowned as a painter of ornithological specimens, Raymond Ching is also a significant por
  oil on board
  1050mm x 1680mm
  signed Ray Ching and dated 2005 in brushpoint lower right
• Exhibited:
  Ark, Artis Gallery, 4 - 29 April 2007.
• References:
  Ching, Raymond et al. Ark, exhibition catalogue, Artis Gallery, Auckland, 2007.
• Notes:
  Ray Ching, Ark, Oil on board, 2005 Internationally renowned as a painter of ornithological specimens, Raymond Ching is also a significant portrait painter and works such as Ark from 2005 showcase a seamless amalgamation of these two areas of the artist's speciality. Painted in a reduced monochromatic palette of white on a black background that is completed by little accents of yellow and green, Ark presents a calming reverie that showcases the possibility of humanity flying effortlessly amongst birdlife. The technicalities of flight, the structure and appearance of birds and the possibility that humans might fly have each retained a strong thematic presence in Ching's work over the decades. In Ark, this possibility is realised as a female figure is joined in her flight path by two swans and a dove. The outstretched arms of the woman echo the angle of the wings of the dove and the front swan, creating a graceful and rhythmical pattern that crosses over the boundaries between humans and bird life. The alabaster dove complete with emblematic olive branch turns and glances out of the picture plane at the viewer while the female figure and two large swans stare resolutely ahead. The olive branch neatly echoes the curve of the woman's head and functions as something of a halo or crown. Small leaves scatter from the branch and spill out over the swans. In conjunction with the passages of vibrant yellow seen on the swans' beaks, this little trail of verdant greenery both creates chromatic interest and provides an invocation of forward motion. Attired in what is possibly a simple white sundress or perhaps a nightdress, with her hair woven in a plait at the back of her head, the gliding female character in Ching's narrative exudes serene repose as though soaring through the night sky were a commonplace occurrence. Set against a raven ground, the ivory white of the birds' feathers and the figure's dress strikes a compelling and dynamic contrast. The female figure in Ark appears almost weightless as she skilfully sails across the black expanse of the painted panel. Modelled from life , Ching consistently chooses models that he finds personally interesting and, in painting them, seeks to reveal something of their interiority. The sitter for Ark is thus characterised by serenity and peacefulness that is echoed symbolically in the olive branch, yet she also displays determination and an ability to conquer adversity: such as the travails posed by gravity. Ark is executed with a high level of finish and Ching's aptitude for details is readily apparent where the mimetic transcription of bird feathers, bills and webbed feet as well as human form is carried out in his barely perceptible brushwork. Ching's tightly controlled brushwork borders on the bounds of photographic realism, although the artist commonly chooses to leave the backdrop as an unmodulated field of colour. In doing so, he plucks his subjects from the tangible world and casts them into the domain of the imaginary and fantastical where humans can indeed fly and birds readily accompany them as they arc and float across the sky. JEMMA FIELD
• Estimate:
  NZ$45,000 - 65,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Art

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.