Xu Bing - Contemporary Art Part II New York Friday, November 17, 2006 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Acquired directly from the artist

  • Exhibited

    Washington, D.C., Sackler Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institute, Words without Meaning, Meaning without Words...The Art of Xu Bing, December 29, 2001-May 12, 2002 (illustrated, p. 69); Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, January 26-May 1, 2005 and Indianapolis Museum of Art, June 30-September 24, 2006, On the Edge: Contemporary Chinese Artists Encounter the West (illustrated, pp. 83, 85-86); Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College, Xu Bing: "Any Opinions?", February 15-June 3, 2006

  • Catalogue Essay

    Xu Bing's trademarked "Square Word Calligraphy," also known as "New English Calligraphy," reconceptualizes English words in Chinese calligraphic font. The present lot features two of Xu's "An Introduction to Square Word Calligraphy - Classroom Books," which are modeled after Chinese schoolchildren's calligraphy exercise books and instruct the reader in the art of writing "Square Word Calligraphy." In 1999 Xu's installation at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York simulated a classroom in which participants could write Square Word Calligraphy using Chinese calligraphy brushes. Together with a Japanese software designer, Xu has also worked on creating a computer program to allow Square Word Calligraphy input using a standard computer keyboard.

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Square Word Calligraphy (Classroom Book)

2001
Two printed books: black ink on paper and red ink on paper, each contained within a paper cover.
16 1/4 x 10 3/4 in. (41.3 x 27.3 cm) each.
Paper Cover: titled "Square Word" in the artist's unique Square Word Calligraphy script, upper right; printed book in black ink: titled "An Introduction to Square Word Calligraphy By Xu Bing" in the artist's unique New English Calligraphy script, upper right and signed and dated in ink "Xu Bing 2001" in the artist's unique Square Word Calligraphy script, page one; printed book in red ink: titled "Square Word Calligraphy Red Line Tracing Book By Xu Bing" in the artist's unique Square Word Calligraphy script, upper right.

Estimate
$4,000 - 6,000 

Sold for $4,200

Contemporary Art Part II

17 Nov 2006, 10am & 2pm
New York