Page 25 - PHOTODOT 2017년 2월호 VOL. 39 February

Shadows of History

Various Aspects of Our Perception Social Engagement
Ha, Choon-keun’s work makes us conscious of how our perception oper- In at least two meaningful contextual respects, the photography work by
ates in our body and brain. There are several phases in perception. The first Ha, Choon-keun can be characterized as that for social engagement. In gen-
phase is to see something in a fleeting moment. At that moment, it seems eral terms, ‘social engagement’ refers to an involvement in contemporary
certain that everything is recognized. Our belief in what we saw clashes social issues. In the respect that he is conscious of his role as a contem-
with fleeting things, vague memories, and things that cannot be directly sen- porary photographer and uses his work as a means of actively reacting to
sible that goes beyond our perception. However, time cannot be stopped, diverse sensitive and thorny situations of reality, his work belongs to the
and we can’t keep holding onto such details. The second is the much longer category of social engagement. Another implication of social engagement
perception than the first one. We usually see and remember well the events can be found in that his work in its own way has deep insight into the
that take a certain lapse of time. Images taken at this phase reveal forgotten status of the contemporary photographic art. In some respect, the artist,
details, vague and transient things, and missed things at that moment of Ha, Choon-keun, photographs simple images that most people can capture,
seeing. And this phase is applicable to the case when we reconstruct our too. Sometimes, his photos deal with somewhat familiar places and scenes
perception after a short trip to a certain place. The third is the most general that anyone can recall and go easily. His images made through overlapping
phase that makes us attempt to get out of the darkness of our memory that and montaging often yield such nuance of lucid but ambiguous, emotive but
happened long time ago. In this case, it makes it hard for us to sort what meaningful, and indefinite but firm. What’s notable about his work is that
is true and definite or what is false. What’s recalled from our memory can the completion process of two facets of social engagement underlying his
be easily regarded as something nice. However, to be frank with oneself, work is similar to that of a work, which gets richer once several photos
one will suddenly realize such memory is not so. We can be completely have been overlapped to make a final piece. These two aspects of social en-
confused by so many elements in our incomplete memories as they can gagement have the same intention. In consequence, his photographs acquire
mess up what we have thought true and definite. The artist’s works made unique force, take off plainness and proceed to function as successful tool
through overlapped images is a creative series that specific place, theme, or for social engagement.
life’s moments are reconstructed. Each photograph contains serious, deep
insight into the veracity of perceptional experience and the mechanism of Jean-Louis Poitevin
Doctor of Philosophy. Novelist. Art Critic. Member of AICA international. Chief
subconscious perception. Editor, TK-21 La Rerue (www.tk-21.com)

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