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생생화화(生生化化)

 

정주영

2007. 12. 7 - 2008. 1. 13

‘생생화화(生生化化)’ 전은 작가의 제8회 개인전으로, 7회 개인전 ‘활경(活景)’에서 보여 준 산(山)그림의 또 다른 연장선상에 있다. 암산(岩山)을 위주로 바위가 주가 되었던 ‘활경’의 그림들과 달리, 이번에는 토산(土山), 즉 흙과 나무가 어우러진 숲의 부드러운 풍경을 보여준다. 암산/토산의 구도는 조선 후기 성리학적 태도를 반영한 것인데, 생생화화生生化化는 음양의 조화를 떠나 태극의 묘를 말할 수 없다는 화담 서경덕의 글에서 발췌한 것이다. 이는 우리 회화의 근간을 이루는 진경의 의미와 태도를 현재의 시각으로 변용, 확장하고자 하는 작가의 일관된 행보 속에서 읽혀지는 바, 진경과 실경/전체와 부분/산수와 풍경의 구도로 이해할 수 있다. 작가는 산山의 전체적인 풍경을 통합적인 시선으로 옮기는 것이 아니라 부분을 클로즈업하여 하나의 추상적인 화면으로 제시함으로써, 전통적인 산수화를 서양회화의 문맥으로 위치시킨다. 이러한 우리 산수화에 대한 현대적 해석과 적용은 진경의 의미를 현재에 이르러 다시 새롭게 이해하는 것으로, 진경을 과거의 고정적 개념이 아닌 삶의 원형적 현재성 속에서 바라보는 것이다. 살아있는 원형으로 새롭게 이해하고자 하는 것, 이는 고정적인 것으로서가 아닌 나날이 새로워지고 변화하는 자연의 모습 - 생생화화 生生化化와도 - 겹쳐지는 태도일 것이다. 

갤러리 소소

Saeng Saeng Hwa Hwa (生生化化, 생생화화) - Mountains Eternally present
Zuyoung Chung Solo Exhibition
7th Dec.- 13th Jan. 

Zuyoung Chung had the 1st exhibition at Kumho Museum of art, where she enlarged the part of the landscapes that Kim Hong-do and Cheong Sun painted. She has studied the contemporary meaning and the enlarged interpretation of the ‘Jinkyung(진경)’ real landscape painting reflecting the painter’s mind which Cheong Sun created the style of, since her 1st exhibition. She gave the same titles to her paintings as Kim Hong-do and Cheong Sun gave titles to theirs in her 1st exhibition. And she entitled her paintings of the Han-river the names of those days when Cheong Sun lived at the exhibition ‘Hansujuyu’. Then in the exhibition ‘Mountains before your eyes’, she painted her paintings of mountains, which she saw with her own eyes without seeing through Cheong Sun’s and Kim Hong-do’s paintings. Continually she painted the mountains located in and around Seoul with her own eyes in the exhibition ‘Mountains before your eyes’. The exhibition of ‘Saeng Saeng Hwa Hwa (生生化化, 생생화화) - Mountains Eternally present’ is Chung’s 8th exhibition, connected with last exhibition ‘Mountains before your eyes.’ While she displayed paintings of a rocky mountain in ‘Mountains before your eyes’, she exhibits those of an earthy mountain where wood and earth are joined together in ‘Mountains eternally present’. The separation of a rocky mountain and an earthy mountain is reflecting Confucianism of the late Chosun Dynasty. The English title ‘Mountains eternally present’ comes from T.S. Eliot’s poem. And the Korean title, ‘Saeng Saeng Hwa Hwa (生生化化, 생생화화)’ that means the formation and the change comes from the book, ‘Hwadamjip(화담집)’ by ‘Seo Kyung-Duk(서경덕)’. It reads as follows; the harmony of the cosmic dual forces {one is called “Um(陰, 음)” and the other is called “Yang(陽, 양)} makes the miracle(妙, 묘)of the Great Absolute(太極, 태극). The harmony is a kind of change so “Saeng Saeng Hwa Hwa” is the principle of the miracle(妙, 묘) of the Great Absolute. The title implies Chung Zuyoung’s attitude or intention; to modify and enlarge the meaning of ‘Jinkyung’ that is the tradition of the Korean painting in the contemporary view. The main principle of her idea is the interpretation of three separations; ‘Jinkyung’ vs. ‘Silkyung ? just a real landscape descriptive painting’, the whole vs. the part, landscape on the traditional view vs. landscape on the modern view”. She has presented the abstract image of the enlarged part; not synthetic image of the whole mountain. And it makes Korean traditional landscape painting connected with Western painting. This contemporary interpretation and application of the Korean traditional landscape painting are renewal understanding of ‘Jinkyung(진경)’ on the modern viewpoints. And we can view ‘Jinkyung’ not from the fixed idea but from the original form of the present life with them. Conclusively those viewpoints, interpretation and application relate with the title, ‘Saeng Saeng Hwa Hwa (生生化化, 생생화화) - Mountains Eternally present’. p.s. ‘Mountains eternally present’ comes from the poem ‘Burnt Norton in Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot with modification.

 

Gallery SoSo

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