Dreaming of Enchanted Land at A Contact Point of Independent Aesthetics  

                                                       Art Critic Kim You-jeong

  

How far can artists be changed during their lifetime? Of course, it depends on individual differences, however the materiality has the attribute of change and such change is the wheel of Dharma in the world. In other words, it seems that what I am isn't what I was. Time is identified in space. Because changes in the space make time sensible. In this regard, there are beginning and end for everything, and processes between the beginning and the end give root meanings to all acts. So, while the beginning is always fresh, the end is ultimately gentle and sincere.  

  There is no doubt that art is unchanged. This is because environmental conditions, as well as the flow of the world, make artistic acts of artists changeable. Accordingly, they control their acts by themselves in stoppage and movement, and the level of changes becomes different according to directions of the acts. However, time is unconsciously changeable to artists, and they can measure and control the level of their changes consciously.

Problems in contents of art are confronted with aesthetic problems. This means that they are connected directly with artists' whole life. Such aesthetic problems are the supreme value pursued by them, and seeking for artistic values become meaningful by meeting people who enjoy them, according as artistic values are linked directly with purposes of art. Without people, there is no art. They sometimes misguide art, however it leads them in general. Art that leads people requires the well of freshness all the time, so it carries moss in standing water into the sea. In this regard, there is an old saying of wisdom that flowing water is considered safe to drink. That's right. Art is exactly flowing water. Fresh water that is safe for people to drink. It is valuable art they hope that is not decayed through changes and is not standing through flows.

  Choi Hyung-yang's recent works shows the wonders of changes. The greatest change in his works is introduction of Western painting techniques, out of accordance with Korean traditional ink painting techniques. Even so, their contents are not completely changed. In other words, they are gradually and slowly getting adaptable to changes such as differences in materials. Nevertheless, It is so stupid to limit division of Oriental and Western paintings according to their materials alone. As people wearing Western clothes are not all Westerners, the material is just a form of changing a person's image. Likewise, irrespective of differences in materials, the identity of the Orient is unchanged, that has been essentially formed with natural features. Such material, therefore, is just a tool for realizing Oriental images newly. However, due to its frequent use, there is no denying that it becomes a new tool as the concrete methodology for realization of Oriental images. 

  Today, the standards for the East and the West are determined by attitude toward life which is generated from the spirit of the times, natural features, social consciousness and customs of communities. In that such attitude is the reference for formation of artistic contents, the actual division of the east and the west is based on our lives, and art also is not free from this fact. 

It is so interesting that Choi Hyung-yang's works 'give an impression that there seems to be somewhere but actually there is nowhere.‘ In other words, there is no typical and academic refinement, nevertheless the breakage from general theories of Western paintings looks more unique through non-refinement. Freedom is free from a specific formula. It also includes a positive meaning on the assumption of breakage from institutional restrictions which have been already provided. Unconventional and fancy-free features of Korean traditional paintings mean brisky breakage from institutional framework of literati paintings.

There are few painters who enjoy Oriental thoughts with Western materials, such as Choi Hyung-yang, and particularly, such works are not so easy. Nevertheless, his will to rush into works which seem to be reckless is led by reaction to a narrow view of expression in traditional ink painting works he has produced for a long time. His works gives off classical beauty like folk paintings, instead of his traditional ink painting techniques. Such beauty reaches the beginning of new beauty for advance into the way of 'Great skill seems awkward,' as Laozi said. This is just like the taste of food expressed by Korean people alone. In other words, if there is 'the mark for Korean-style expression,' there must be 'the mark for discernment' in response to this. The pursuit of Korean beauty isn't arrangement of symbolic signs, which have been already stylized and standardized, as a passing vogue. In this regard, the realization of Korean beauty is disclosure of spaces positioned in Korean nature and expression of emotional sympathy with Korean people through their shapes and colors.    

 In general, Western painters today are not free from the art movement about for 100 years from the mid-nineteenth to the late twentieth century. In this period, the West was not unrelated to the age of colonization and the power of the capitalist empire. The Powers governing the economy achieved art through the logic of power to take. Korean senior painters were enthusiastic to this trend in the modernization process, then they accepted Western paintings which were reimported from Japan in the Japanese colonial period and applied them to the academy. Finally, it led to adherence to the trend of painters in Korea. Foreign tendency which has not been completely cleared in Korean art started from such trend of uncritical acceptance. In Korean art, it's a long time since these limits on Western aura became a task to be achieved. 

  Moreover, narrow-minded international view is so dangerous. The history of Western arts has been concentrated on Europe and America. If so, where can we find our spirit to learn it? This problem is so important because art is an expression work through emotional reaction. In our experience, we know how the internationalism can disturb our spirit. The essence of internationalism has been widely known as globalization as a variant of the principle of Europe and America, and more easily, it is just like taking lead in globalization. However, I don't know exactly what I am, and what ground can make us seek for globalization? As I am only the subject, art is also achieved by me as the subject, without me, the subject, it leads to idealized art without my art, that is, unconscious following of others' art. In other words, it is just like a castaway floating in the sea, without subjects and aims.  

 Choi Hyung-yang, a native of the art county, Jeollanam-do, learned basic techniques on traditional ink faithfully. The comfort of traditional ink was given by excellent appearance of three bests, poem, writing and painting, their contents also  stimulated feeling of Korean people easily with our old symbols fulfilled. However, traditional ink techniques have been handed over about for several thousands of years since formation in traditional society. Paper and brushes, coloring paints are the result of traditional ages, which may be suitable for the age of the brush. Accordingly, as changes in tools lead to those in consciousness, revival of material civilization exactly causes rapid changes in consciousness to change the value of life, in addition to the world of spirit. As a result, in that the consciousness of appreciators and the collection of acceptors are changed, it is impossible to include periodical conditions today merely with styles in traditional ages.

 Choi Hyung-yang recognized sensible limits of Korean traditional paintings. In other words, he empirically sensed the reason why Korean traditional paintings or Oriential paintings including literati paintings based on ink and brushes. Processes in changes of art history are closely connected with those in periodical changes. In this regard, without regard for them, there is no freshness and originality. 

 In topics, he deals with another world beyond the real space, which seems to be a space in the real world. In other words, it is also called Pleasant land (樂土), Utopia, Pure land (淨土), Ideal world, etc., however he calls it 'Enchanted land (仙界).’ The land is world beyond human world, which is eagerly desired by humans. It is also ideal world, which is beyond actual contradictions and free from roughness of Three Poisons, craving, hatred, and ignorance (貪塵癡). 

Sea and hills bathed in brilliant moonlight bring up the image of Su Shih's poem 'Red Cliffs.' The point that Tamra's sea and capes look like rivers and cliffs in a deep mountain is understood as ideal world painted mentally by the writer. It is the reason that the space is Tamra but it looks like a river in Enchanted land. Tamra's enchanted world coincides emotionally with thoughts of Korean people dreaming of picturesque world. In other words, such world they hold in their minds and agree without a word is not another space beyond the space but space of human desires to make and hide a different  space in it. Therefore, it is impossible to be free from the area of spirit because of being made by the spirit.  

  Choi Hyung-yang's thought of Enchanted land is similar to words of 'Free and Easy Wandering' in《Zhuangzi(莊子)》. Free and Easy Wandering means absolutely free human life without restrictions, and it includes an expression of 'A world where nothing really exists (無何有之郷)', which indicates ideal world. This originates in a story that someone had a big tree but he thought the tree was really useless, then the Zhuangzi said as follows, "Hey brother, you know what? You can plant the tree in countryside." In other words, he points out metaphorically that he doesn't need to worry about whether the tree would be bent after being planted in imaginary world, if so, there is no pain. Because real world is practical world, so such world is filled with anxieties and worries and contained with hurts and agonies. In this regard, his series, <Enchanted Land of Tamra>, are actual views of expressing the mind of Korean people with their spirit and imagination. 

Historically, people have always dreamt of Utopia. His Enchanted Land has two meanings that he saw it or searched for it in Tamra. Inversely, what he can see the Enchanted Land is similar to what he saw the Three Poisons, craving, hatred, and ignorance, in the world. Even though the dream of the Enchanted Land is just a dream, if it coincides with Korean people's Jeong and Han, in addition to their feelings, it is exactly seeing the Enchanted world. 

  Now, Choi Hyung-yang should be considered as a writer who has pursued Korean-style classical beauty, based on the tradition of Korean traditional paintings. As shown from paintings in Mexico, Bali, and Indian and Oceanian areas, their vitality is achieved by intensive national shapes and colors in view of classical beauty. Unlike the past based on Western refinement, such contents will be filled with national shapes and colors from now on. Accordingly, Choi Hyung-yang is now dreaming of a new enchanted land toward global people at a contact point of independent aesthetics, which is closer to Korean beauty in view of classical beauty, instead of being more distant from the West.