The view of an artist serenely contemplating
the nature is unconventional. The artist has the ability, and potential,
to catch every moment of sensation on the sketch book, sharing her unspoken
feelings even with humble and routine subjects that we usually overlook.
It is even more amazing when a rough sketch on the spot turns into a brilliant
art in her atelier. Regardless of the subjects, which could be landscape,
a man, a flower or a random stationary thing, the processes that they are
reconstructed into another quality themselves are the grand creativity.
All objects attracted to the eyes of an artist
are translated in the way of figurative aesthetics. The reason art and religion
can be united and unified is that both are the ultimate prayer and desire
for the human race.
Yu, Jin Sun, the artist of this show, who is having her third individual
exhibition, would probably be the artist who is gentle in appearance, but
sturdy in spirit, having taciturnity and strong self-consciousness. Yu is
pacific and gentle, but when it comes to art production, she is the candid
artist who devotes herself to the works, no less than other artists.
That she has had only three individual
exhibitions could imply that Yu is a very prudent artist, careful about
her works and exhibitions, even having several experiences of joint or
team exhibition in Korea and overseas, including Japan and European countries.
Works of Yu, Jin Sun
For an artist, the style and originality usually parallel to her philosophy
and speculations. Therefore, her own way of approach is corresponding
to her self-portrait. Critically speaking, similarity and resemblance
cannot take their place among any art productions. For Yu, Jin Sun, I
would indicate some of her traits of characters as her forte. First of
all, I would say it is her field of vision to depict the nature.
Çϵ¿ÀÇ ±â¾ï 80.3 x 65.1cm
½Ã¼± 32 x 41cm
Áø´Þ·¡ 41 x 31.3cm
She pursues the technique of focusing to scrutinize and inquire the
objects; it could be because of her personality that does not have an
inclination for general and redundant explanations. In other words, based
on her habitual, or trained, way of eliminating unnecessary parts and
loose extensions, Yu shows us very lucid and candid images, also concise,
retaining the tension during the production. Secondly, we can observe
the composition skills from ideal ratio in her space divisions. I would
say that she composes spaces in very mature way, more than refined arrangement.
The third one that I am going to mention is her use of brush; she is using
delicate and elaborated lines, but she always creates works with the beauty
of moderation with elegant curves. Separated from roughness and coarseness,
the fine and fluent images and figures show us the paintings on a professional
level. The last factor is her choice colors. It is just like a magical
fantasy when Yu rules the canvas with calm and quiet midrange color tones,
using some of distinctive pure color spots. As she discovers objects sharing
her feelings and having silent conversations with the nature, she uses
the selected midrange colors to depict the world at the same time; all
of these remind us of the Artist¡¯s desire to create mysterious profundity.
In his evaluation, art critic Shin, Hang Surb said ¡°I could read the unordinary
images of colors from Yu¡¯s works. In a way, her drawings are incredibly
soft, warm and quiet for oil paintings. Even in a gorgeous flower, there
is no visual irritation because of her temperate use of colors. It suggests
that those well refined midrange colors from pure colors are dominating
the overall canvas.
It also reflects that the delicate
midrange colors are not slanted neither toward the strong nor soft colors;
she is using those delicate colors.¡± I would say this is one good example
of analyzing an artist¡¯s characteristics from the exploration of her aesthetics.
Among the works from Yu¡¯s third exhibition, ¡®The memories in Hadong,¡¯ and
¡®Spring Excursion¡¯ are both depicting cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms
came into full bloom vividly remind us of our young days. ¡®In Damyang,¡¯
¡®The morning at Bulyoung Temple,¡¯ ¡®Autumn Street,¡¯ ¡®Pyungsari,¡¯ and ¡®Hometown¡¯
are describing objects from the closest possible distances to illustrate
only selected portions of them. Rather than using ingenious lines to describe,
Yu completed those figures with planes; these works also include modern
sensuous beauty with full of pondering. ¡®Reeds Field of Hongchun River,¡¯
¡®Early Summer with Lotus Flowers,¡¯ ¡®Autumn Garden with Mums¡¯ would in a
way be poems, just as the subjects are indicating; these are the works from
artist¡¯s sprit of praise and admiration to the nature. Besides, ¡®Fall in
Jusanji¡¯ is very well depicting the maple tree taking its root deep into
the river.
¹è²ÉÀÌ Çʶ§ 41 x 31cm
These scenes arouse the poetic sentiment and nostalgia inside us.
Her other flower and still object drawings such as ¡®Azalea,¡¯ ¡®The Conversation
of Dreams,¡¯ ¡®Street of Stone Walls,¡¯ ¡®Wish,¡¯ ¡®Love Song,¡¯ ¡®Flutter¡¯ ¡®Accompany,¡¯
¡®Sweetbrier,¡¯ ¡®The Incense of June,¡¯ ¡®Meet,¡¯ ¡®Chrysanthemum,¡¯ ¡®Garden,¡¯
¡®Missing Days,¡¯ ¡®Smile,¡¯ ¡®Morning Glory,¡¯ ¡®Gaze¡¯ ¡®Dream¡¯ are also the
lively works in close distances from the objects on the spot.
µé±¹È 60.6 x 50c
¹é·Ã 33.3 x 24.2cm
Using pure colors, showing beautiful
figures, using elaborated lines, all to create perfect works, she could
maintain the fluency based on her characteristics which always tend avoid
the flippant and gaudy impressions. The reason that Yu¡¯s works have mysterious
attractions would be her trained technique and wits.
Conclusion
There are some artists who depict the reality, concentrating on actual figures.
On the other hand, some other artist creates another nature which reflects
her spirit, deliberating the existing nature. We could say that Yu, Jin
Sun is one of the latter artists, who values her sprit when she is translating
the nature. The reason Yu chooses moderation with everyday objects, instead
of famous temples or intense pure colors, would also be her trait that loves
the sentiment of Asia.
I am sure that this exhibition would be the
starting point for her to open a new horizon; her third exhibition is
also speaking it.
The palette employed by an artist
usually has something to do with his or her character, as it more often
than not reflects a type of inner mental and emotional state. If one¡¯s disposition
is calm and composed, he will not usually prefer showy, primary colors.
If one hides his ardor and passion within, despite a tranquil outer appearance,
he will perhaps enjoy using intense hues. Thus, colors cannot be the only
standard to explore the inward world of an artist.
Yu Jin-sun¡¯s colors appear unique and distinctive,
and by no means usual or common. In some sense, her work feels so gentle,
calm, and genial that it is hard to believe it is an oil painting. When
she depicts flamboyant flowers, there is not an intense visual stimulation
due her choice of restrained colors. In fact, her color range is dominated
by toned-down neutral tints derived from pure colors. Intermediary colors,
or neutral tints, whether strong or weak, reflect her subtle color psychology.
¼Ò¸Á 41 x 31.3cm
³ªÆÈ²É 53 x 45.5cm
Presenting a delicate palette, Yu¡¯s
paintings seem to connote emotions that are beyond those we can only feel
visually.
Her primary subject matter and themes come from nature and in this depiction,
mountains and waters, trees and flowers are in all accord with temples or
cottages. However, she does not always stick to specific subject matters
and objects. Such natural scenery is often found in the suburbs of a city,
even if not far away from urban districts. Upon closer examination, however,
we become aware that Yu¡¯s sense of composition differs from the norm.
If employing a unique style of composition, a familiar scene
can uncommon or unfamiliar, but this does not
always mean that the composition is extremely outstanding. If a composition
strays from the standard, it can also mean the composition is not so good.
Actually, as landscape painting, her work¡¯s composition can sometimes appear
closed and stuffy. But, instead of presenting a nice, formal composition,
Yu intends to represent the aesthetic impression and emotion she feels when
facing landscapes using gentle tints and serene brushwork. Her attempt to
avoid hyper-realistic representation can be interpreted as an expression
of her desire to emphasize emotions.
¿µ¿ù
53 x 41cm
Even though painting is a representation
of reality, it is also an outgrowth of purified consciousness and sentiment.
Emotions in Yu¡¯s painting are derived from the nature she views and feels.
In other words, it is a world explored by her aesthetic sensitivity as an
artist. Realistic images are transformed into pictorial images through her
aesthetic sense. In this process, reality is reduced and a pictorial fantasy
evolves, created with the artist¡¯s interpretation of form. Of course, Yu
doesn¡¯t simply distort and reinterpret reality. She instead modifies the
whole impression of an image by applying neutral tones to her work.
Yu¡¯s painting is less stimulating in its visual sense by weakening color
images, but rather reinforces the depth of space. It shows less concrete
form and brings about a weak impression, but has spatial depth. Associated
with aesthetic matter, this has to do with the world of thought, moving
beyond visual perception. In other words, her painting is not an
Æò»ç¸® 45.5 x 38cm
°¡ÆòÀÇ °¡À» 45.5 x 33.3cm
¸¸³² 27 x 41cm
interpretation of space but a result
of aesthetic interpretation. Yu¡¯s work may raise the problem of facing nature
and feeling it through the mind, transcending the level of viewing it with
the eyes.
Yu usually exploits her memories in the process of discovering subject matter
and theme. She first makes herself familiar with impressive places with
the eyes by visiting there many times, deeply feeling the emotions such
scenes evoke. The artist more seriously and deeply approaches nature through
the process of exploration and thinking of nature, thereby attaining a better
understanding of it.
Yu¡¯s on-spot work helps express the real sense of space, lending spatial
depth and obviousness to her work. Yu reflects a sense of distance she views
and feels on the spot, thereby generating the depth of space in her work.
In addition, she approaches closely to her subject matter and objects to
emphasize a sense of actual existence. A sense of substance particularly
stands out in her depiction of flowers as she approaches them as closely
as she can. Their visual images become more vivid by expressing the backgrounds
in abstraction.
Through this process, spatial depth and meditative marks dwell in her work.
The viewer may discover a clue to appreciating
¹Ì¼Ò 24.2 x 33cm
her work in her aesthetic approach, which provokes a subtle atmosphere
that cannot be visually understood.Yu¡¯s painting¡¯s inward emotion is derived
from her aesthetic sense, moving beyond any hand skills and superficial
senses.
If viewers are captivated by her work without any particularly provocative
elements, it proves that they respond to the emotions her work exudes.
Yu¡¯s neutral tints leading them to inside are surely conveying meanings
more than our visual perception.
• BFA in Painting, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea
Solo Exhibitions
• 2008 The 3rd Solo Exhibition, Dansung Gallery
• 2005 The 2nd Solo Exhibition, Dansung Gallery
• 1995 The 1st Solo Exhibition, Kyung-In Museum of Fine Arts
Selected Overseas Invitational Exhibitions
• 2004-2006 Contemporary Koran and German Art Exhibitions, Berlin,
Germany
• 1992-2000 Korea-Japan Exchange Art Exhibitions, Ueno Museum of
Art, Tokyo, Japan
• 1992-1997 International Art Exhibitions, Tokyo, Japan
• 2005 European Culture Invitational Exhibition, Germany / Austria
/ Czech Republic
• 2003 100 Korean Artists Invitational Exhibition, USA
• 1997 Contemporary Korean and Japanese Artists Exhibition,
Hiroshima, Japan
• 1996 Contemporary Korean and Russian Art Exhibition, Moscow, Russia
• 1995 Two Korean and Japanese Artists Exhibition,
Ginaz Central Art Museum, Tokyo
Selected Group Exhibitions
• 2002-2008 Korea Fine Art Festivals
• 1996-2007 Shinki-hoe Exhibitions
• 2008 Small Arts Festival
• 2007 Dream and Vision, Chosun Ilbo Art Museum
• Namdo Meditation, Gwangju Museum of Art
• Poems and Pictures, Sejong Center Art Museum
• 2006 The Contemplation of Creative Phenomena,
Chosun Ilbo Art Museum
• Sensibilities in Early Summer, Jongno Gallery
• Goyang Art Fair, goyang flower exhibition center
• Today¡¯s View, Sejong Center Art Museum
• 2005 Autumnal Outing, Small-scale Painting Exhibition,
Hyundai Department Store
• Hyelume Exhibition, Sejong Center Art Museum
• Small-scale Work Exhibition, Gwangju
• 2004 The Roots of Sensibility, Gwangju
• Jomi-hoe Exhibition, Hanaro Gallery
• 2003 Nature, Man, and Objects, Seoul Gallery
• Open Art Exhibition, Deoksu Palace Museum
• Self-portraits Today, Seoul Gallery
• 2002 Small-size Work Exhibition, Chongdam-dong
• South and North Koreas Unification Exchange Art Exhibition,
Sejong Center Art Museum
• 1998 Beautiful Seoul, Seoul Museum of Art
• Yangcheon Fine Arts Association Exhibition
• Seven Countries International Exchange Art Exhibition, Incheon
• International Art Exhibition Award Winners Exhibition,
Lotte Department Store Gallery
• 1995 Korean Art Today, Seoul Arts Center Art Museum
• 1992 Asian Art Exhibition, Seoul Museum of Art
• Korea Young Artists Exhibition, Seoul Museum of Art
/ Bongsung Gallery, Daegu
• Weekly Art Invitational Exhibition, Baiksang Gallery
• Sketch groups joint exhibition, Seoul Museum of Art
• 1990 Hyundai Sketch Exhibition, Seoul Gallery
Present Affiliation
Member, Korean Fine Arts Association / Korea Fine Art Festival
Steering Committee Member, Shinki-hoe Artist Group / Mujin-hoe Artist
Group
E-mail: arjinsun@hotmail.com