Underneath the admiration and awe, the painting also consists of some foreboding signs on America’s deepening socio-economic crisis of 1930s: the sun is waning towards the West – an indication that the sun may be setting on such unrestrained prosperity; the wheel-shaped polo team brings to mind the twelve disciples of the Christian faith, who are often portrayed as flawed characters, thus discrediting any notion of harmony within the group; dressed in a fashion akin to the Crusaders of the Middle Ages, they bring with them the implication of the Janus-faced ways in which American entrepreneurs created immense wealth through the exploitation of the working classes. Finally, an ancient Greek discus thrower marginalised at the lower left-hand corner forms a smaller circle of its own, in contrast with the wheel of entrepreneurs. One cannot help but sense his solitude and helplessness, perhaps a suggestion that America was cornering its own cultural roots in exchange for its global dominance.

The birth of Wheels: Industrial New York also epitomised the gradual development of Yun Gee’s theory of ‘Diamondism’ – a reconciliation of the bold and rhythmic Synchronism from his early career and the Surrealism that he subsequently developed in Paris. Composed of numerous colourful, fragmented triangular shapes, the present work takes its inspiration from reality, yet is imbued with Yun Gee’s psychological metaphors and surreal narratives – a major characteristic of Diamondism.

Last but not least, it is worth noting that in the history of Chinese art, the majority of large works created by first-generation oil painters prior to the Second Sino- Japanese War era had either been damaged or destroyed, yet only Yun Gee’s Wheels: Industrial New York was able to withstand the test of time.