now01-2008soma.pdf   (리블렛)

° 전시명 : Drawing Now 01 - 불경한, 그리고 은밀한 (Unfaithful, and Secret)
° 전시기간 : 2008. 1. 31(목)  ~  3. 23(일)
° 전시오픈 : 2008. 1. 31  오후 5시, 소마미술관 1층 로비
° 주      최 : SOSFO (국민체육진흥공단)
° 주      관 : 소마미술관
° 전시장소 : 소마드로잉센터 전시실
° 전시작가 : 류지선, 성유진, 심정은, 안진우, 윤여범, 이선경, 이재헌, 임춘희
° 출품작    : 드로잉, 회화, 오브제 약 20여점

Unfaithful and Secret
By Nayoung Jung, Curator of SOMA Museum of Art

The divine and profane, the overt and covert, are not antonyms contrary to each other. Their relations change depending on where and how they appear. They can issue from dualities like revealing and concealing or, feeling desire for society while criticizing it. Artists experience these confusing aspects, as often they desire expression within places of surveillance, law, and morality. Away from these places, acts expressing treacherous even profane ideas and feelings are possible, albeit without ease in reality.

Its’ often the case a strong reaction is expected to any straightforward biting comment. If well trained as a social animal, a human being knows alluding to something indirectly is more efficient and desirable in many respects. We often say art is liberal, but “How candidly artists express their thoughts and feelings?” and “How can they achieve their purpose by revealing their irrelevant attempts?”. Did they get freedom of expression they want through drawings as a means of expressing their personal feelings1) and as an act of liberating themselves from other’s gaze.2)

Jisun Ryu’s bull’s head appears divided by a barbed-wire fence, in form conjoining animal with man, spotlighting humanity’s desire set in a depressing atmosphere. Yujin Sung’s Cat Man is weird and deformed - neither man nor animal. Its weirdness is captivating and alludes to humanity’s anxieties and abnormal psychology. Jeongeun Shim’s work evokes disquieting psychological states, hovering between what she conceals and reveals. Like peeping through doors ajar; disclosing personal information; prying into secrets; secretly informing one about another. Representing femininity with a sponge, a seemingly innocuous, malleable material, Jinu Ahn’s moulds the everyday to conjure a perilous spiritual state.

A man with strange physiognomy wears the tattoo Why ugly? With it, Yeobeum Yoon questions the nature and absolutism of beauty through unconventional nudes that convey concise messages. Sunkyung Lee’s drawn portraits, contrasting feelings, self-absorption and self-abhorrence, expose human dualities, like multiple personality, and confused identity. Jaeheon Lee, who calls his work filthy painting, uses “filthy” cynically to express his tottering faith, and conviction value is hidden in filth, and is thereby worthy of Art.3) Chunhee Im’s work candidly depicts strange worlds; unfamiliar and insecure Being, to convey several entwined narratives beyond reality and imagination.

Each work here has a distinctive aura, idea and sensibility, stimulating profanity through shocking representation and simmering, psychological unrest. This exhibition aims to arouse tension between poignantly uttered, ambiguously muttered messages by artists, and interpretation - or the neutralization of poison perhaps - by viewers. What the artists say and how they express? And what the appreciators feel and how they read works of art? Brief comments on each work above mentioned will be helpful to enjoy such tension and have leeway to neutralize the poison.