Sculpture

Length:41.1 x Width:23 x Height:87.7 (cm)

Chen Ting-Shih (1913-2002, Changle, Fujian) was born into a literary family and trained from a young age in calligraphy, painting, and seal carving. During wartime upheaval in his youth, he adopted the pen name “Erh Shih” and produced hand-carved woodblock illustrations, which were printed directly onto publications. After relocating to Taiwan, Chen transitioned to modern printmaking and became a key figure in Taiwan’s contemporary art movement. He represented Taiwan in numerous international biennials and received first prize at the 1970 Korea International Print Biennale for his print Hibernation. In 1958, Chen co-founded the Modern Print Association with Lee Shi-Chi and Chiang Han-Tong, and actively participated in artist groups such as the Fifth Moon Group and the Modern Eye Art Society. In his later years, he turned to collecting scholar’s rocks and creating welded iron sculptures. His iconic piece Johnnie Walker was featured in the volume Masters of Iron and Space, securing his place in the global history of twentieth-century sculpture. Chen’s sculptures were typically assembled from discarded industrial materials, such as shipbreaking scrap metal, turbine blades, broken household items, and fragments of antique folk objects. Through cutting and welding, he transformed these rusted remnants into softened, abstract forms. The marks of age and use were not erased but recontextualized, becoming new visual symbols imbued with fresh life and aesthetic meaning.
663 is anchored on a cast iron plate. A series of irregularly shaped wooden blocks are stacked into a horizontal arrangement, topped by a circular industrial component with a single protruding screw. The juxtaposition of the organic grain and uneven contours of the wood with the sharp, mechanical precision of the metal part creates a strong visual tension. Despite the contrasting materials and forms, the piece is unified by a consistent rust-colored finish that gives it overall coherence. The round industrial element, suggestive of an eye, introduces a subtle focal point that lends the work an unexpected sense of presence and vitality.

Accession number:20220200025