Contemplating Perspectives

Lee Yoonjung(Curator at GalleryBK)

Human beings turn their eyes towards themselves from external matters. _ Kandinsky

We build our own perspectives as we try to recognize and understand our inner selves. Opinions created from personal experiences help us expand our identity and embrace the world in our own ways. Contemplation through each individual perspective, in combination with what has been perceived and experienced, works to form a world of imagination. The recognition of an object through an individual perspective adds multiple layers of meaning to its existence, and people come up with a system of developing their ideas into beliefs through perspectives built in different situations and environments. The inner aspect of recognition through an individual perspective and the outwardly expression of existence come into contact with each other, using the theme of contemplation as a medium, and the newly created emotions and understanding shed light upon uncharted territory. They elaborate on the scope of the expanded vision between the spiritual time and concepts.

Kandinsky said, “Art is the very first realm, through which psychological conversion is recognized in a form that exists in reality.” A perspective originates from emotional stimulation; it results in contemplation and connotes a concept of existence. That is why a utopia, which is perceived and understood through individual perspectives, is created, portraying day-to-day lives, social issues, and personal introspections in varying times and spaces. People and experiences from different places and memories, as well as scenes from varying times and spaces, are overlaid with subjectivity to produce the structure of the screen and to describe fantasies. The expression of a perspective lies within the boundary of each individual’s contemplation and ideas, unfolding a new existential story. In other words, it helps us to break free from the present, which is focused on matters that do not exist materially, and guides us to an imaginary world (or more accurately speaking, a super-sensory world), satisfying non-material psychological needs. 

This exhibition brings together artists Kang Min-soo, Jang Hyun-joo, and Cho Tae-gwang, each of whom is known for his/her unique world built upon the platform of dynamic perspectives and ideas. They turn their eyes to the times that have attracted less attention, providing non-material value obtained through contemplation. By doing so, they work to remove the barrier that binds people with notable, overwhelming order and causes them to settle for status quo, and provides the forum to discuss the possibility of recognizing and expanding the willpower that pushes them forward into the future. An individual’s ideas sprouting from the relationship between perspective and contemplation erase all the existing doubts and help to reach new heights. 

The work of Kang, who delivers messages about the past and the present through the portrayal of children, captures heartwarming images on the canvas through an original perspective on memories and places. The artist reframes stories from bygone days to fit into the canvas and draws a new narrative out of them. Children who appear on the canvas represent our past and bring back the memories. Long lost stories of our childhood are reflected on our children of the present. The artist depicts reality in a serene manner by displaying social landscapes and elements of everyday life through children. 

Jang’s perspective represents a utopia of the present. The artist goes back and forth between reality and the ideal and portrays a utopia from her perspective. However, she does not deny reality. She faces up to day-to-day experiences and ideas arising from them and depicts imaginary beings of the world beyond without being constrained by forms. The artist’s utopia is a mixture of her past experiences and aspirations and a demonstration of the co-existence of reality and the ideal. 

Cho gazes at the future. He recognizes the social landscape of the present and talks of the future that is drawing closer. The artist stands on the borderline between reality and unreality and portrays what is anticipated to take place following the events of reality. He envisions unseen aspects of society through a human perspective. Such unseen aspects form a utopia of the future. This utopia painted with warm colors feels like a scene from a dream or a fairytale, but it is by no means a brilliant future promising happiness. The artist continues to stand on the borderline demarcating reality and crosses into his own utopia from time to time.  

What is viewed becomes the strong driving force to develop unique ways of expression, and the movement of contemplation continues. As such, artists hold fast to their own perspectives and adhere to their own principles. The combination of perspective and contemplation not only transforms into a concrete shape but also serves to play a symbolic role, and creates a non-material ambiance. Contemplation through an individual perspective provides inner orientation and calls into being psychological outcomes. And it leads us to discover new aesthetic concepts and uncovers the glamour of underlying inner contemplation.