Park, Kie soo

▲백두산Ⅰ 90.9×72.7㎝ oil on canvas 2008

▲산 이야기 90.9×72.7㎝ oil on canvas 2008

 

The Artwork of Park, Kie-Soo

The Spirit and Energy of Mountains

- Shin Hang-Seop / Art Critic

What does a mountain mean to people? It might not be considered as the universal question because people living in a desert or plain can not see a mountain all their life. For that reason, people living in the Korean peninsula where mountains were placed seventy percent of the country could be very happy in the fact of looking at mountains easily. It is necessary that we recognize mountains as the major term of nature.

Mountains are not only simply being for the beauties of landscape, but also offering multiple foodstuffs to people as an abundant habitat of animals and plants.

In addition, mountains are the mysterious vital habitats of all kinds of hidden creatures in it, giving multiple creative inspirations to the artists in art, literature, and music.

Above all, the artists seek the beauty can be strongly captured by the visual beauty of mountains.

It might be the reason why he has been seeking a mountain as the main theme on his painting, since Park Kie-soo has started painting. In his painting, we can meet the different view of mountain in comparison to common beauty of mountain. Mountains are transformed into the omitted, simplified and condensed image. It was expressed not a form of mountain in everyday sense, but the pictorial image. Therefore, we can not find the natural beauty in his mountain painting. The mountain was expressed by the formative analysis which completely different with a real nature.

Surely, he is not just painting of mountains. Sometimes, he paints a tree, wood, and a flower as the component part of mountain. In spite of that, his artistic image can be inseparable from mountain. It has the reason keeping on mountains as the theme of painting in his 20 solo exhibitions. He has his certain reason why he likes to paint a mountain, rather than that he simply likes mountains. Presumably, it might be connected with his personality.

During opening his 20 exhibitions, as seeing that he just put once the comment of art critic about his painting, because he doesn't like showing himself. However, he had actively exhibited his artwork so many times, and then he suddenly disappeared in the world of artists as the vestige which birds sits on the branch a short while.

We can guess easily about his temper which can be compared with the strong and determined like an appearance of mountain staying silently suffer hardships for a long time. It can be explained the reason why so many courageous men who are not artists frequently go in and out to mountain like their house, that can be explained the masculine power of mountain in catholicity, grandeur and silent. He was indulged in painting mountains during enjoying hiking in the mountains, not only the subject matter, but also the variable forms of mountain. In fact, it was occasionally changing the look depends on the change of seasons, which can offer an abundant subject matter and materials like a fountain that never dried out. Also similar to his lifestyle going regularly to mountain, he was inspired of mountains in the philosophical speculation, which found the other side of magnanimous mountain gathering all little creatures. Mountains have the plentiful nutritions, which evokes the artist's aesthetic inspiration to keep on his creative impulse.

So, the expression of mountain was reflected the artist's will on the painting to embody about the essential matter of life in simple artistic language which does not just simply represent the visual reality. Accordingly, he would express mountain in a general outline and thick matiere, away from perspective and chiaroscuro. It was condensed the inner world by sacrificing of the outer look of mountain constituting with a tree, wood and rock. Therefore, the images of multiple creatures constituting of mountain, that is, the details should omit or hide. Even though it is invisible, it is not nonexistent but contains in the condensed image. He tries to absorb mountains on his painting as the symbol of the endless catholicity that involves all creatures, the sublime appearance and the masculine power. Above all, it is the spirit and energy of magnificent of mountains that is the symbol of dynamic movement. To illuminate the essence of mountain in creative way, it could be limited to the expository real description. In other words, it can be contained the powerful expression of visual image, the sprite of life by the matiere revealing the physical power as it is, or the energy of mountain.

His work from the beginning to the present has been consistently painted in thick colors. And it was expressed in the strong brushwork beyond his capacity. It was achieved in the successive activity applying thick colors to the painting. This can be told about the moral question of expression. In the process of work, the form is out of consideration. The form of mountain was barely revealed by black outlines during repetitive thick brushing of colors. It can be found out that he does not care about the form of mountains, which is not important to enjoy his painting.

Although it has the difference depends on artworks, the touch of brush approaches in very delightful way. It can be stirred naturally the rhythm in the simple succession of the activity fully brushing colors without recognizing the form. The rhythmical touch is very natural. So to speak, the rhythm was related to the self-interest rising above self. The simple repetitive activity brushing colors can be promoted to unite body, emotion and soul together. The expressive achievement in this way is the rhythm of life. The original rhythm of life belongs to God moves into his canvas.

By the way, by this delightful touch, it contains multiple expressions. Depends on artworks, sometime the touch is big and rough, or soft and still. It is not existed any regular rule, but appeared a little different expression accompanying with the time and the instant inspiration during the work. Sometimes, a knife, or a thick brush used it. The image is different whether focus on the expressive emotion, or allow the important meaning to the appearance itself.

However, he focuses on the rhythm of life rather than the outer expression. He puts forth his whole energy into the inner spirit of great nature, that is, the rhythm strongly rocking like a pulse by the expression of brush. The matiere of canvas was made by the repetitive brushwork, and it is natural that the depth is getting deeper.

The layer of colors formed by the repetitive activity can be reflected the depth of mountain in the abyss. Like a geological stratum formed during several thousands.

By overlapping the rhythm of life, the depth of painting is also getting deeper. Although the Visual image, the figure of mountain is steadily simple, the certain absorption force capturing the viewer's mind was arisen in the depth from the layer of colors. It was emphasized the oil painting's depth made by oil colors, and the taste of oil painting. The existence of oily colors can be made by the thick matiere. Sometimes it was enhanced the degree of purity by using a pure color from tubes without mixing colors. As seeing a painting of van Gogh, the color image with a high degree of purity can be approached the fresh vitality of life. This expressing technique can be brought the delightful original spirit of nature, namely, it is the dynamic energy.

In recent his artworks, it shows something different signs in difference to the previous works. The analysis of form and the expressing technique are still there, but the outline is much more distinctive. Thus, the image of mountain and the existence are given stronger and more vigorous impression. Particularly, the outline that revealed more vivid in black can be remarkably suggesting the existence of mountain than the rhythmical sense by the previous brushwork.

In particular, the image of mountain landscapes in the theme of snow scene including Paekdu Mountain is distinctive. It can be summarized his pursuing creative world in obvious way in the snow scene of Paekdu Mountain with deep blue Cheonji and white snow and the black outline revealed the form of mountain.

Generally, it has a very simple landscape, but a very strong impression. In spite of a rare visual reality, it approaches the atmosphere that can not be found in the realistic description. It can be called as the magic of creation in the condensed image without any realistic image. Although the form of mountain can distinguish by the strong and broad outline, which contained the real image of winter Paekdu Mountain.

When we partly look his mountain painting, it can not reveal any specific form but just an abstract image. For that reason, it can be found out that he freely crosses the boundary between concrete and abstract through his mountain paintings.

Clearly, he pursues into the expression of real existence in difference to the unconsciousness or automatic expression. Therefore, it can be shown the clear difference with a pure abstract expression. Even though it strongly appears an abstraction, it is his understanding and impression about a real mountain by the hiking in the mountains. It can be explained about the reason that contains the existence of all creatures constituting mountains, without revealing the specific form.

Now his art is entering a new stage. It was already reflecting his new style in his recent artworks. By applying the outline in a clear way and the color in a simpler way, it is more moderate than his previous works.

It was related to the depth of speculation, for instance, the settlement of consciousness.

In short, it shows the reaching into the inner depth beyond a visual stimulus by moderating the physical power and tuning the emotion. 

박기수

경희대 교육대학원 미술과 졸업 ( 서양화 )

개인전 22회

단체전 500여회

대한민국 미술대전 심사위원역임

국제교류협회 미술대전 심사위원역임

국제아트페어 및 박물관전시(홍콩,이태리,오스트리아,캐나다,

러시아,몽골,중국,독일,프랑스)

국내아트페어 (화랑제,SOAF,각종 호텔아트페어)

Park Ki-soo

 

Graduated from Kyunghee University, Graduate School of Education with a M.A. (Western Painting)

* Solo exhibitions: 22

* Group exhibitions: 500 and some

 

* Member of the Jury for the Korea National Art Exhibition

* Member of the International Art Exchange Exhibition

 

* Participated in international art fairs and museum exhibitions (Hong Kong, Italy, Austria, Canada, Russia, Mongolia, China, Germany, France, etc.)

▲산이야기10호

▲백두산20호

▲독도Ⅰ 72.7×60.6㎝ oil on canvas 2008