Location: Hultquist library Bldg. east stairwell
Media: acrylic and oil on canvas
__________________________________________________________________
Here one observes the colors associated with fall - shades of red, orange, and yellow - gradually converting into the deep blues and purples of shade and darkness as one sweeps across the canvas. In addition, two peculiar objects blend together and invite the viewer into the center of the piece. This curious union consists of the jade pi and the nautilus shell.
In ancient China, jade was thought to be a sacred material that embodied an “essential” vital force. Because its tint is continuously changing, the mineral is also associated with the idea of flux. The pi disc shape, on the other hand, represents symmetry and perfection, as it is believed to have derived from the circular path that the sun follows in the sky. The central hole may be associated with the absolute, or nameless void, that heaven and earth were born from according to Taoist philosophy. Consequently, the jade pi symbolizes both transformation and completion.
In addition, the nautilus shell is incorporated into the painting for similar purposes as it exhibits the qualities of the “golden ratio.” Without delving into the geometrical complexities of this ratio, a perfectly balanced spiral emerges from this unique proportion and its mathematical uses date back to the Greeks and the Parthenon. Thus, Kong Ho inserts yet another symbol of order. However, layered upon these representations are the remnants of chaotic brush strokes and dripping paint, with the resultant work forcing the observer to contemplate both chaos and order, flux and stability.