변숙경01 틈새의 선 Lines in Between masses...

[미관彌款]

Lines in between masses, and sensitive colored sculptures 

Kim Young-jai(Art philosopher, Ph. D., Kimcineart Production )

-변숙경의 작품을 평문으로 비디오로 남기기 위해 작업장에서 인터뷰와 작품의 설치공간를 순방했다. 변숙경01이란 작업장과 평문을 싣는다는 뜻이다. 비디오와 팜플렛 등 방계자료를 추슬러 변숙경02를 실을 생각이다.

Ambitious but Cautious, daring but exquisite sculpture works by Byun Sook-kyung well express the aim of the artist to achieve an objective sensitivity and to be verified in the context of the art and art history, specifically in alternating Minimalist or Minimal Art aesthetics.   

In the exhibition hall, simplified structured sculptures, and reliefs will be displayed simultaneously in terms of aestheticism of sculpture, installation art and painterly organization. That is, huge iron sculpture fit for the exhibition hall, will be surrounded what might be called painterly reliefs or relief paintings on the wall. In doing so, the tensions between the iron sculpture and reliefs will be released until reached to a peaceful co-existence.

What is called ambitions in Byun's sculptures comes from gigantic scale. Over three quarter tons of iron plate could not be handled with no crane nor supporting equipment, however, the scale could be larger than the one supposed to be shown in the comparatively small exhibition hall against her ambition.

Fitting for the shoes, however, works of the artist took both aims cautiously, i.e., showing the profundity of the iron plate and vivify the smooth lines in the sculpture at the same time-although the combination of the two factors seems to be very difficult. She solved the discrepancy problem by constructing second work with no hesitance, as she found the swiftness of line couldn't be alive because of the thick and dumb iron plate of the first attempt.

Therefore, second and improved lines could be attained by alternating comparatively thin and large plate. Not only an ambitious attempt to show her ability to ride the untamed mustang-like iron plate, but also cautious approach to the aesthetic possibility to focus on line in the sculpture will be realized.

What makes that ambitious, grand scale in the sculpture? She points out the feeling from the shape according to the scale. In this case, two contradictory but co-related concept are to be discussed, that is, the larger scale makes the heavier work, however, the bulky forms can make smooth lines more easily.

The reason why she used to work with the iron plate for the sculpture, might be strange to hear, comes from her hot temper to draw none other than quick and direct output from direct input. That is to say, iron plates could be a sculpture work in no time nor tedious procedure except direct cutting, welding and finishing.

Who could tell iron sculpture not courageous, but easy? It needs not only cranes carrying over tons of iron plates, but also meticulous techniques, such as plasma cutting, welding, grinding and bending and many others.

Irons, what is more, subordinated our culture, in terms of iron age. However, against the importance of the iron, it is pointed out that the irons are considerably vulnerable to the moisture. Moreover, none other than rust. i.e., oxidized steel used to put the iron sculpture aside from collector's item, in the context of art history.

Therefore, it is one thing to choose the iron sculpture against the common demand and flux of art market, and recognizing the fact that the iron represents the iron age culture of human beings, is another.

Before the courageous but seemingly reckless choice in terms of art market, sentimental motives had stirred the initial steps up in Byun's sculpture. That is, the lines, seemingly logical and phenomenological design, were taken from the lines found in the ordinary surroundings of life. Strictly speaking, the line what she aims to reproduce, comes from the web, not world wide web sort of things, but the dewey web of the spider in between the wall of her studio, early in the daybreak.

The lines in the sculpture which will be shown in the exhibition, therefore, signified the innate and intuitive discovery of the artist which became her conviction during the process. Also the lines stands for the artist's sculptural language based on painterly lines in the painterly relief.

Lines altogether, the colors in the reliefs comes from her sensitive discovery of the seasonal changes surround her studio, specifically by vulnerable heart in the spring times. However, the easy-to-hurt sentimentalism transforms a solid painterly and colored relief after processing industrial chemicals and heat treatment in the first place, sanding, grinding and waxing as finishing stage.

In the meantime, the artist calls the title of her sculptures as the "diary of the daybreak," because the motives of the web-line came into her mind at the dawn, breaking the tedious errors and trials through the night, and the marquette completed at the time of the daybreak as a signal of grand fanfare of her achievements .

Although the importance of the discovery of the web-lines were great, she never lost her moderation. All she had taken from the photos of the dew-laden spider web is not the figurative representation, but see-through lines in between walls, that is, what she had chosen was 3-dimensional lines, and painterly lines in the sculpture.

Therefore, the meticulous line aesthetics which had been derived from the discovery of cobweb between the wall, sensitive creation out of spider's thread, and susceptible color transformation of the relief derived from that of Spring season, and most of all, the huge scaled iron sculpture, all of above factors well represent her direct influence of art from the life, life from the art, vise versa.

The lines in the reliefs, of course, could be found in the large sculpture. The iron plates are welded with some supports leaving lines in between the plates, however, considering the lines are nothing but vacant crack compared to the solid iron plates, let's say the crack, line what she aims to create, as 'useful uselessness' in Tao-te-ching by Lao-Zu, the philosopher in ancient China of 6th century.

In the lines of the artist, that is, the ventilating passages in between the massive iron plates not only help breath the stubborn iron sculptures, but also let the works breath in the context of the art history. Literally, Byun's sculpture succeeded Minimal art in a sense, however, the far advanced and spontaneous achievements were seemingly attained.

In Minimal art, primary structure were counted most important factors, as well as Conceptual art. However, the anticipation of the art history to find the most fundamental aesthetics by means of the primary structure had faced strongest enemy in, none other than the primary structure itself.

Since the primary structure is bound to be anonymous in itself, the evolution of the minimal aesthetics destined to be stopped when the primary structure come to reality as common formula. Therefore, the minimal artists strived for their survival by installing the concept of 'spectator participation.'

The notion of the atmosphere completed by the participating spectators as both subjective and objective in the Minimal Art, seemed to be far advanced stage compared to former spectator participation before Minimal Art and Conceptual Art, that is, spectators as appreciators. However, the Minimal artists could not create the, what is called, discriminative, distinctive and characteristic identity of the Minimal art, without the spectators.

However, Byun willingly allow the breeze and breath of the spectators passing through the works through provided lines, if we can say crack of the sculpture as lines, which the minimal artists apparently fail to claim for their discovery and achievement in terms of their aesthetics and doctrines.

Therefore, Byun's art can be manifested stately in three manners according to the state and location. that is, majestic in itself, on the wall, and in the space where the works are displayed. The reason why the works in any location could be majestic is that the peaceful co-existence between the sculpture and colorful relief could be established through the lines derived from crevice, which is far from a result of common sculptures based on bulky masses.

Isn't it a 'Brave New World', if we remember a novel by Aldous Huxley(1894-1963), with self-sufficient, sensitive statement, and cautious line, simply satisfying aesthetics of sculpture, paint and Installation art? Isn't it a self sufficient aesthetics with no need of spectators as the fundamental factors as we had seen in the Minimal art of the 20th Century?

#변숙경_조각가 #ByunSookKyung_Sculptress