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Sally
Yu Leung
Sponsored by Dr. Dennis Law
Tiger Hat
China, late 1800s-early 1900s
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Conversation:
"Blessings and Happiness—Finding
Meaning in Collecting Chinese Art,"
Sally Leung looks for meaning
in Chinese art not only as a collector who searches for the perfect
object but also as a sleuth who deciphers its hidden significance.
The symbols found on Chinese art can "talk to you" if
you are familiar with the language. In a conversation with curator
Ronald Otsuka, Ms. Leung discusses her collection of Chinese folk
art and reveals the symbolic meaning of images on baskets, ceramics,
jades, and embroidered textiles. For example, a child's pillow
with appliqués of the "five poisons" (scorpions,
lizards, centipedes, snakes, and spiders) protects a child against
harm. Mothers and grandmothers lovingly stitch these symbols of
good luck onto a pillow to ward away evil spirits from a sleeping
child. Similarly, fish, bats, turtles, and cats appear on a variety
of objects as emblems of good luck, happiness, and longevity.
Many of the objects that Ms. Leung collects are rapidly disappearing
because of changes in Chinese society. She explains that tons
of artifacts were destroyed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution,
when "anything old was bad." Her mission is to preserve
these threatened objects and to encourage others to share in her
enjoyment of them.
January 8, 2002
Workshop:
"Saving Memories—Collecting for the Chinese New Year"
Using objects from her collection and selected works belonging
to the Denver Art Museum, Sally Leung shares the joy of collecting
objects associated with the Chinese New Year and other auspicious
occasions. Both treasured heirlooms and ephemeral mementos have
a special place in her collection. By saving the material culture
of China, she preserves objects that recall personal reminiscences
and unforgettable events. They reflect popular attitudes toward
happiness, long life, good fortune, prosperity, and a wish for
progeny.
January
9, 2002
Event
Highlights
Biography
Articles
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Dr.
Li Chaoyuan
Sponsored
by an
anonymous foundation
Shanghai
Museum
China, opened 1996
Photo by Mary Fletcher Deal
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Conversation:
"The Shanghai Museum's Collection of Ancient Chinese Bronzes"
Established in 1952, the Shanghai Museum has a collection of over
120,000 objects, dating from about 5000 BC to the present. These
works are divided into twenty-one categories, including bronzes,
ceramics, paintings, and calligraphy. Dr. Li Chaoyuan oversees Shanghai's
outstanding collection of ancient Chinese bronzes. In a conversation
with curator Ronald Otsuka, he discusses the history of these bronzes
and the development of his curatorial department. He also describes
the sensation caused by the museum's new building when it opened
in 1996. The stone structure was likened to a "post-modern
ritual vessel in the middle of People's Square." The Shanghai
Museum is known for its research laboratory and its organization
of international exhibitions, and Dr. Li gives his thoughts on the
role of the Shanghai Museum in the world of Chinese art.
February 7, 2002
Workshop:
"Ancient Bronzes from Southern China"
Dr. Li Chaoyuan presents his recent research on bronzes of
the Shang (ca. 1500-1050 BC) and Zhou (ca. 1050-221 BC) dynasties
from the Yangtse River region. These southern bronzes have close
connections with bronzes from the Yellow River valley and the
northern grasslands, but they possess distinctive characteristics
that distinguish them from their northern counterparts. Archaeological
sites in the lower, middle, and upper reaches of the Yangtse provide
a rich body of evidence for Dr. Li's studies. He is attracted
to these southern bronzes because of the unique problems they
present when compared to the well-established order and structure
already assigned to bronzes from northern China. Dr. Li's workshop
may prove useful to collectors whose pieces do not fit the usual
mold of Chinese bronze manufacture. In addition, he will examine
Chinese bronzes in the Denver Art Museum's collection and comment
on their significance.
February 8, 2002
Event
Highlights
Biography
Articles
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Vicki
and Kent Logan and Dianne Perry Vanderlip
Sponsored by Grace Wu Bruce
Mao Decorated
by Youhan Yu
China, 1993
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Conversation:
"Collecting Contemporary Asian Art"
In December 2001, Vicki and Kent Logan donated over two hundred
artworks from the 1980s and 1990s to the Denver Art Museum's Modern
and Contemporary Art Department as a fractional and promised gift.
"Tremendous. Unbelievable. Nothing like this has ever happened
in this part of the country," exclaimed Dianne Perry Vanderlip,
curator of the department. Among the gifts from the Logan Collection
are several works by contemporary Asian artists, including paintings,
photographs, and electronic-based objects from China, Japan, Laos,
and Taiwan—a thoughtful representation of the visual arts
of Asia since the late 1980s, when the world's political and economic
order was rapidly changing. In a conversation with curators Vanderlip
and Ronald Otsuka, the Logans describe their decision to collect
works by Asian artists along with those by James Rosenquist, Bruce
Nauman, and Francesco Clemente.
April
11, 2002
Workshop:
"Collecting Avant-Garde Asian Art"
Dianne Perry Vanderlip, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art,
describes her delight in increasing the number of works by Asian
artists in the Denver Art Museum's collection. Contemporary Asian
artists embrace a wide variety of styles. The Vicki and Kent Logan
Collection features artists who not only reflect their cultural
backgrounds, but also address issues affecting the societies in
which they live, among them Tatsuo Miyajima, Yonghong Song, Youhan
Yu, Fanzhi Zeng, and Huan Zhang. Participants in the workshop
have an opportunity to explore topics concerning contemporary
art, and avant-garde Asian art in particular.
April 12, 2002
Event
Highlights
Biography
Articles
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Lloyd Cotsen
Sponsored by Eula and Paul Hoff
Flower Arranging Basket by Suemura Shobun
Japan, 1970s
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Conversation:
"Japanese Baskets—Looking and Collecting"
As
a student of architecture and an admirer of a particular Japanese
aesthetic, Lloyd Cotsen responds to the form and texture of Japanese
baskets. Assembled over a forty-year period, his collection is acknowledged
as the most comprehensive group of bamboo flower baskets in the
world. He says, "Over the years, I have continued to acquire
baskets that please my eye, baskets with the simplest of pure forms,
and those primarily distinguished by their texture-raveling or unraveling,
twisting and turning, calling my eye to be touched and caressed.
I began to marvel, and still do, at what can be achieved with a
few simple pieces of bamboo." In a conversation with curator
Ronald Otsuka, Mr. Cotsen will further explain how and why he collects
Japanese baskets. During his interview, he will share his personal
perceptions and insights into the accomplishments of basket makers
in Japan.
May 2, 2002
Workshop:
"Japanese Baskets—What Areas to Consider Collecting"
There are a variety of issues
that a person must consider when acquiring a Japanese basket:
where to find it, does it have a signature, how old is it, does
it have historical significance, is it utilitarian, what are its
sculptural qualities? By reviewing examples in his collection,
Lloyd Cotsen will address these points and others. His workshop
will benefit those interested in Japanese baskets, both beginning
collectors and advanced enthusiasts alike.
May 3, 2002
Event
Highlights
Biography
Articles
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Panel Discussion with Dr. Jenny So and Dr. George Fan
Sponsored by John and Cynthia Kendrick and an anonymous
foundation
Bronze Jue Vessel
China, 1400s-1300s BC
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Conversation:
"Collecting Chinese Art Today"
What is the present state of collecting Chinese art? Dr. Jenny
So and Dr. George Fan express their views in a discussion moderated
by curator Ronald Otsuka. They offer their opinions on the influence
of historic events on the Chinese art market. June 30, 2002, marks
the fifth anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China. What
impact did reunification have on Chinese art collectors? Major
auctions of Chinese art originally scheduled for September 2001
were postponed following the events of September 11. What were
the immediate effects, and are they long-lasting? Audience members
may participate by submitting questions for Dr. So and Dr. Fan
to answer.
June 6, 2002
Workshop:
"Collecting Chinese Art in the Future"
Dr. Jenny So and Dr. George Fan discuss the future of collecting
Chinese art. Are objects available now that may soon become unavailable?
Will the authentication of objects become easier or more difficult?
Dr. So and Dr. Fan are familiar with the long history of collecting
ancient Chinese bronzes. By examining examples from the Denver
Art Museum's collection, they assess the traditional importance
of Chinese bronzes and consider their significance for future
collectors.
June 7, 2002
Event
Highlights
Biography
for Dr. Fan
Biography
for Dr. So
Articles
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