“Now all I think about is painting, following the inspiration of the moment and the demands of color. Color is everything and nothing at the same t.mes . It must be used precisely, even sparingly... This is the path to infinity through pure color”
After nearly 60 years of artistic creation, Zao Wou-Ki’s career has reached its pinnacle after entering the 21st century. In 2002, Zao Wou-Ki was elected a member of the French Academy of Replica Handbags s, and in the following year, he held a major retrospective at the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume; both events indicating the peak of his artistic career. With nothing more to prove, Zao's creation is no longer limited by any constraints or limitations; this open mindset is reflected on the various elements of his creation. 12.02.2004 - Vague rouge blanc bleu, created on February 12th, 2004, the eve of the artist’s 84th birthday, is a joyous celebration of Zao’s life spanning over eighty years, reflected through its vibrant colours, expressive strokes, and free-spirited energy.
The first thing one might notice upon viewing 12.02.2004 - Vague rouge blanc bleu might be its vibrant pink palette. Pink is a colour Zao Wou-Ki only started using as a primary palette in his works after entering his Infinity Period, marking a significant breakthrough in his artistic style. In the 1980s, Zao Wou-Ki created a series of works paying homage to Impressionist masters, including Hommage à Henri Matisse I – 02.02.86 and Hommage à Claude Monet, fevrier-juin 91 – Triptych. Since then, inspired by Impressionist artists’ use of pastel colours, Zao began to feature pastels and fluorescent colors in his paintings, creating a striking contrast to the subdued, earth-tone palette of his works from earlier periods. During the 1970s and 1980s, Zao Wou-Ki often used ink to paint, which influenced the composition and execution of his oil paintings. The present work features vibrant, colorful strokes at its center, echoing the lines and brushstrokes of his ink paintings. These lines extend outward, leading the viewer's gaze to the vast and open background, created with vibrant colours and ink-wash technique. This composition echoes the characteristic 'liubai' (leaving white space) of traditional ink paintings, which is also signature in the artist's Infinity Period oeuvre.
Purchased directly from the artist by the present owner, 12.02.2004 - Vague rouge blanc bleu is being offered at auction for the first t.mes . After 2000, Zao Wou-Ki gradually reduced the amount of oil paintings he created, and eventually stopped painting with oil after 20008. Large-scale works from this period rarely surface at auction, highlighting the rarity of the present work.
「現在我只一心作畫，隨當時的靈感、隨色彩的需要。色彩是一切，也什麼都不是，要用得非常精簡，甚至吝惜…這是單純以色彩走向無限的途徑。」
在經歷過近六十載創作生涯後，趙無極的藝術生涯在進入二十一世紀後達到了頂峰。2002年，趙無極榮獲法蘭西藝術院士終身院士的頭銜，並於翌年在法國國立網球場現代美術館舉辦大型回顧展，藝術生涯可謂是已到登峰造極的境界。此時，他在藝術創作上再無任何局限與拘束，豁然開朗的心境轉變亦反映在藝術家的各種創作元素中。《12.02.2004 - 朦朧的紅白藍》創作於2004年2月12日，正值趙無極84歲生日前夕。從本作豔麗的色彩，奔放的線條及灑脫的意境，無不展現出藝術家此時在事業與藝術造詣皆登峰造極後，對八十餘載生涯的滿足與愉悅。
《12.02.2004 - 朦朧的紅白藍》最先映入觀眾眼簾的，便是其鮮豔的粉紅色主調。粉紅色是趙無極在進入「無境時期」之後才被用於作品主調的顏色，標誌著趙無極在此時期藝術創作的一大突破。1980年代，趙無極創作一系列致敬印象派大師的作品，包括《向馬蒂斯致敬》和《向莫內致敬（三聯作）-1991年2月至6月》。趙無極自此受到西方印象派藝術家粉彩色用色的啟發，開始中作品中運用粉彩色、螢光色等色系，與50至70年代沈穩厚實的用色形成了鮮明的對比。 本作以粉色為基調，細看之下更有粉紫、粉藍、橙色的點綴，色彩層次豐富，令人耳目一新。七、八〇年代，趙無極以水墨為創作重心，並以此啟發油畫的構圖及創作。本作的畫面中心是鮮艷的彩色線條，呼應了其水墨作品的線條及筆觸。這些彩色線條向畫面四周伸展蔓延，藝術家以色彩渲染的手法營造出廣闊空矇的背景，是「無境時期」標誌性的構圖，並呼應了傳統水墨創作中「留白」的特色。
《12.02.2004 - 朦朧的紅白藍》由現藏家直接購自藝術家，將在本場拍賣首次登上拍場。千禧年後，趙無極逐漸減少油畫創作，而2008年後更是再無繪畫油畫作品；而此時期作品中登上拍場的大尺幅油畫更是甚少，可見本拍品難得可貴，是收藏藝術家「無境時期」佳作的絕好時機。