Painters have their own art style
considered as valuable assets by themselves. The world's great artists have
also their own language and art style. For example, Cezanne, Gogh, Picasso,
Shagall have their own unique lauguage, characteristics and mentalism. It
is generally accepted that masterpieces provide beautiful, impressive and
forever feelings. The works of above-mentioned artists are called as 'masterpiece'
because they are composed of these elements.
The artist, Song Yong opens his 15th exhibition
of works this time, and the author of this paper thinks he has art style
called new naturalism. It is old fashioned to discuss the artists' group
or trend, but an artist has the meaning of existence to have his/her own
trend and vitality. This artist influenced by his mentor during the modern
art education at college, has completed all such processes such as the academism,
impressionism and field sketching theory, and has consolidated
°¡À» ºñ¼±´ë 91 x 72.7cm 1992
ºñ¼±´ë °¡´Â ±æ 116.7 x 91cm 2006
his unique position as persona
grata in Korea artist world.
His experiences as an artist have been almost 40 years. He will face
the mature age of 70 in 3 years. Unlikely other artists, he did not chase
after something else except for painting works.
From his present clear shift to the new naturalism style of painting,
it is noted that he is undergoing considerable changes in his art world
if we consider his impressionist style once influenced by Oh Ji-ho and
Im Jik-soon. The human being's existence is too small for immerse universe
and nature, but he is the painter who is clearly aware of the recovery
of humanism through nature. The figurative elements commonly have lengthy
and unnecessary explanation on the canvas. Even though he also pursues
of realism style of figurative art, Song Yong has different point that
he creates another nature by reflecting his artist spirit. It is noted
that he has much changed position as the artist, from the dense screen
split, well-arranged objects disposition, white and clean color tone within
Korean ink outlines enough to think of Korean fantasy, and his techniques.
In other words, we can point out nature as the art subject screened through
his spirit and formative inspiration is creating new another nature world.
Putting the several characteristics in his
works summarized, with his richness sensibility to observe the nature,
his own unique formative language, tranquil description, sharp theme choice
and insightful re-interpretation of nature, revelation of humanism, magical
and gorgeous color art with degree of highly purity, he is considered
as the most representative and leading artist in neo-naturalism in the
Korean world of artists.
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Especially, it is expected that
his revelation of Korean uniqueness in the objects and techniques will open
up the new prospects in his path as an artist. Looking into his changing
cycle of the painting style by the period, he was first taught as a middle
school 3rd grader by Oh Ji-ho, the master painter, and then he was taught
by Im Jik-soon, the professor in college, in pursuit of academism describing
the true nature when he set his direction of art as an independent artist.
After that, this artist familiarized himself to nature by visiting every
Korean 'mountains and veins', placing his easel on such field and finish
the work or at his own atelier. Sometimes he visit the world famous Bukhan
Mountain including Sorak Mt., Halla Mt. and Jiri Mt to show us excellent
and gorgeous description of four seasonal Korean fantasy in five primary
colors.
As mentioned earlier, the main mission of the artists is to discover
his/her own language or dialect, because the uniqueness spirit is in the
same context of self-completeness spirit.
As the veteran artist in Korean world of artist,
Song Yong has mastered and explored every art styles till today, known as
the competent artist who has been pursuit of the figurative art at the end
of realism art style. He has widely and deeply explored of aesthetics of
experiences and freedom in line with the art trends, attempting various
experiments ranging from the extreme-realism, extreme slender brushing,
light and color mixed impressionism to the fauvism's strongly passionate
style.
It is the fact that so far in Korean western art world, there have been
the unknown nationality art due to lack in mentality and theme along with
the colonial view and western art leading the Korean art world. Even though
existed some groups of Korean identity artists such as Park Su-geun, Lee
Jung-sup, Oh Ji-ho, Kim Hwan-gi, now today's art require the new turn
of Korean art history with the advent of the global world where the Biennale,
art fair and FIAC come and every country should combine their own people's
art to be officially combined with the international sense.
¸¶ºÎ 24 x 19cm 1997
Song
Yong's neo-nationalism
The author of this article conveniently named Song Yong's recent works
as ¡®neo-naturalism¡¯. In these recent works, new formative language is
represented differently with his past art style. For example, we can find
the way to observe nature, newly set perspectives as subjects, smaller
and simpler expression method, and this artist's own mentalism of crossover
nature and human beings. Even though his recent works including 'Fall
of Sorak Mt.', 'Sunset' and 'Riverside' are exhibited in 'Korea Figurative
Art Great Exhibition' in 12" size, all of these pieces contain his
heart and soul. Drawn in delicate touch, these feel like watching the
live and true aspects of nature on the canvas including the measured taste,
fresh capture of objects, ideal space split, free description along with
the lively canvas composition. In addition, the fairies of flowers are
living as indicated in titles in his favorite objects 'yellow rose', 'freesia
and peach' and 'chrysanthemum'. Just like the color tamer, he freely commands
the five Korean primary colors with his own unique Selchae(color in the
Korean ink outline) method. Another recent pieces 'Hangyeryung', 'Valley
of October', 'Sorak's perpetual snow', 'Valley of Fall' and 'Valley' seem
like the outstanding works in which the fantasy
is well described in detailed, bright and
gorgeous by maximizing the focus of the expression quality.He has commanded
various techniques especially on the portrait pieces, in which he tried
new attempts of expressionism elements such as the delicate lines on the
nude paintings or thick line drawings in the 'Little maid figure'.
Finally, let's look into another several pieces of his recent works to
be exhibited on his coming invitation exhibition in July.
Á¦º¹À» ÀÔÀº ¼Ò³à 53 x 45.5cm 1979
įº¸µð¾Æ À¯ÀûÁö Angkor Thom
ÃÊÃß 162 x 112cm
From his piece titled ¡®Fresh Green¡¯,
it is noted that the green oak tree and bushes of June valley are described
in detailed touch. It feels like as if lively rhythmic sense and fresh smell
would come out from it. From the piece ¡®Morning valley¡¯, there stretches
the scenery of morning value along with the rocks and pebbles in lively
touch, which is outstanding detailed and sharp touch lines. In the piece
titled ¡®Autumn color¡¯, the thick bush and forest of autumn in high mountains
and secluded valleys are well described with detailed lines and dense composition.
The work titled ¡®Seeing the apartments village¡¯ is the outstanding piece
that describes the massive and attractive forest of fall, apartment village
in the middle and high and steep peaks of cobalt blue mountain in distant
view in the good perspectives. In the piece of ¡®Valley of Woljung Temple¡¯,
valley dyed with tinged Autumn leaves and colors such as yellow
Àå¹Ì 72.7 x 60.6cm
brown and purple brown used as the basic color
for Korean wash drawing. Therefore, it has the scent of Autumn mood. The
works titled ¡®White rose¡¯ has the innocent and pure image compared with
red rose, the symbol of passion. Rose flower bundles are in lively harmony
with the fruits on the table and fancy mattress. The works ¡®Rollei Temple¡¯
is noted for the ethnic scent of mood with the composition of foreign
temples with bricks. The work titled ¡®The Wall¡¯ is the expressionism style
of works which are composed of individual tiles with each color. This
is remarkable to see the sharp insights of this writer.
Conclusion
As the Korean veteran artist, Song Yong has taken important role in its
history up to his age of 60's. As an artist, he has the motto of "Do
our best and leave the rest to God', representing Korean art history.
He has very pure dignity saying, his art will get more meaningful from
the present in a sense. His spirit lies in the humanism of art and the
liberation of human hearts. It is expected that he would open up the new
prospects by setting his own vein and axis in Korean art world.
The artist Song Yong was born in Jangsung
of Jeonnam Province in 1940. After graduating from Art Department of Chosun
University, he has contributed to creative development as the proof of
Korean artist words. He has been in the jury of more than 20 art competitions
including Korean Art Great Exhibition, and exhibited his works in more
than 50 overseas invite exhibitions and international exchange exhibitions.
Art and human beings come from the
same root. The psychological proposition of ¡®HwaeSaHuSo¡¯ made by Confucius
suggest that human beings precede painting. It means that human beings come
before painting.
This is why works of art are called heart, mind and self-portraits of
an artist. Jangja said that ¡®art is what is obtained through energy (or
gi in Chinese) what one saw with eyes, heard with ears and felt with heart.¡¯
Therefore, it is immortal, because it is obtained
in a precious way. That is the psychological reason why people say that
human beings are mortal but art is immortal.
The canvas shows that he did his best for the sake of sincerity without
the slightest distraction from start to finish. He is a perfectionist
who never relaxes mental tension and an honest artist who does not know
bluff or exaggeration. Song Yong spends more time on small pieces of painting.
±â¾Ï 91 x 65.2cm
½Å·Ï 162 x 120cm
Such an attitude has widened
the depth and the molding by ranging over various art forms Throughout
his life, Song Yong has sympathized with nature through mountain climbing,
and worked in the field through sketching from nature.
His recent works show that his style of painting is clearly turning
toward realism which is pure and graceful.
Àå¹Ì 40.9 x 31.8cm
Considering his study period when he dug into
impressionism persistently, his world of art has changed considerably. Existence
of human beings is insignificant and trivial compared to that of the boundless
universe or nature, but Song Yong is an artist who has clear awareness to
restore human nature and realize humanism through nature. In the case of
representational painting, the canvas often includes tedious explanations
or unnecessary words. But Song Yong differs from other artists in that although
he pursues realism within a representational mode, he does not simply reorganize
nature, but creates another nature which reflects idealism of the artist.
Many changes can be discovered in his expression techniques and methodology.
That is, he divides the canvas in a substantial way, neatly arranges objects
in order, and uses a pure tone of color enough to suggest ¡®Korean Fantage.¡¯
In other words, he recreates another new nature natural with objects as
a subject filtered through formative inspiration inherent in his mind.
The characteristics of his world
of art can be summed up in several ways. That is, he is a sensitive artist
who observes nature, uses his own languages in the formative arts, paints
with extremely high purity, chooses the theme precisely, has the insight
to reinterpret nature, has painting ideology based on humanity, and employs
splendid and highly pure color.
In all, Song Yong is one of the leading artists who pursues neonaturalism
in Korean painting circles. In particular, his employment of Korean peculiarities
in terms of the subject matter and techniques is expected to pave a new
way for his career.
His activities and style of painting can be divided in a periodic way.
While in college, during his early years of painting study,
Song Yong painted the truth of nature honestly
while pursuing academism. When infatuated with Oh Jo-ho¡¯s world of art,
he explored impressionism intensively. While in college, Professor Im
Jik-soon instructed him intensively. In those days, he took his course
as an artist, and formed the basis for independent activities.
Song Yong harmonizes, converses and sympathizes with nature. He has visited
almost all the mountains in Korea and painted in the field. They include
Mt. Seorak, Mt. Halla, Mt. Jiri, Mt. Geumgang Including Mt. Bukhan, one
of the most famous mountains in the world, located in the suburbs of Seoul.
The tone of color, which changes according to the season, attains the
highest perfection of dazzling and splendid description.
Á¤¹° - ¿ÀÈÄ 53 x 45.5cm
The proper function of artists lies
in developing their own words and their own dialects, because personalism
is in line with perfection of self. So great artists in the world have their
own languages.
Song Yong, known as one of the leading and most competent artists in
Korean painting circles, who pursues realism and a representational painting,
has ranged over an extensive art forms. In accordance with the trend of
art, he has explored esthetics of experience and freedom extensively and
intensively. In addition, he has conducted a variety of experiments, ranging
from painting styles of extreme realism and extreme fineness, impressionistic
style harmonized with light and color, to passionate painting style or
fauvism with the scenes of a scorching sun in a southern country.