Page 151 - 강화산의 작품세계

Hwasaan, Kang - Incidental Dominion in Life
Hwasaan, Kang - Incidental Dominion in Life
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“Incidental dominion in life-Tranquility and activity”우연의 지배 - 고요와 움직임
Song in praise of inevitability ruling ‘incidental dominion in life’

Kim Young-jai, art philosopher, Ph. D.-2007

Kang Goo-won’s exhibition will be shown under the title of “Incidental Dominion in Life”, subtitled
“Tranquility and Activity”, The theme, in other words, is a chance-operated life, signifying an unexpec-
ted consequences that might happen by unknown or unpredictable force, far from our expectations.

Tranquility and Activity
Under the main title, that is, “Incidental Dominion in Life”, the subtitle “Ttranquility and Activity” de-
notes a simple motive that might evoke calmness. For instance, there’s a saying, “As if a black kite
swoops down on pray, a carp breaks the water’s surface,-” That is to say, after a long, dozing appear-
ance, the kite takes the pray while the carp breaks the tranquility with a sudden jump. In the painting,
as the kite and carp stand for brush strokes, so the dozing appearance and the calm water surface
blankness.
Time-consuming and elaborate blank space used to be a central feature in Kang’s paintings. On the
surface, mostly stubby brushes dig into the half-dried layers of pigments, forming a multiple-layered
structure. Sometimes, the stubby brushes leave a trace like electric shock waves and splashed pig-
ments.

Partly because of the self awareness of Oriental thoughts, and partly because of his will to represent
his inner life as full of energy, Kang transformed his paintings on canvas to that of brush strokes on
Korean Hanji paper. However, the prepared canvases are not immune to the conflict between the
artist’s will to spread his creative power on the canvas, and the protesting drive of the tableau for
preserving its intact nature, that is, the blank surface.

To reach harmony with the two contradictory factors, Kang compromises with the blank space by
admitting its independent space while preparing a careful layer full of tension but seemingly with no
intentions involved. Thus, the most tense but worthy moment comes at the first stroke on the canvas.
The more maintenance it takes to allow the canvas to remain silent, the more satisfactorily the process
and results will be executed.

The most important moment in this process is not when it is done, but when it stops. Figuratively
speaking, the process of self-purifying through the painting is compared to the pilgrimage to catharsis,
that is, the aim of the pilgrimage is not reaching the sacred place, but the process.

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