Towards the completion of something that will never be completed

 
 
Towards the completion of something that will never be completed
Sound from a distant space
Dec. 3-13. 2015
Cheongju Art Studio
Written by Min Hye Ahn (Independent Curator)


Han Jin creates images by connecting memories. Afterwards, she mashes, unveils the images, and repeats the reassembling. The repetition is the vestige of denial, rather than a mere accumulation of paint and energy. She attempts to make her painting get nearer to its original memory by denying the images of representation, narrative, or symbol. However, she denies once more. What she ultimately tries to extract is a memory being a reality, and a reality being a memory, something that is neither of the world or exists outside of the world. In trying to speak of the being that cannot be explained in the language of now although it clearly exists, she uses the grammar of endless denial, negative of the negative.
 
The artist brings in the scene from a certain point in the past for her artwork, but she does not confine it as it is into the frame. It is because the memory is a continuous image that cannot be condensed into one single scene. Once again, the artist denies the narrative that aims to explain the flow. It is because it is a passageway without an entrance and exit, and it is an existence existing as itself that does not require any explanation. The artist attempts to connect the image being a flow in itself with the memory by circumventing the production of a complete scene. Once again, the artist utilizes the complete property of the matter in order to circumvent any symbol or narrative, but denies it ultimately. The memory of the artist-image is too heavy to be named a mere memory, but too light to be named a reality-does not exist in reality at the moment, but is a flexible and yet strong energy, which can exist whenever, wherever. The emphasis on the property of the matter makes the memory itself too heavy, but the emphasis on the rhythm makes the memory too light. The artist once again searches for the point of ‘gap’-where one does not completely rely on visuality-but not completely denying, or rather cannot deny. The attempt to dissipate all the possibilities in order to be nearer to the essence, it is the work of Han Jin, and the artist’s attitude towards the work.
 
Compared to painting, drawing still embodies shapes. However, it also moves toward general shapes from individualized shapes, and eventually slides off from the shape. Especially, clearly evinces the artist’s attitude and contemplation regarding the search for hints to slip off the shapes. The artist allows the soft or rough surfaces formed by rubbing the self-grinded big or small bits of graphite slowly or fast on the paper’s surface to have tempo. The artist makes use of the shapes in order to allow the various properties of the pencil-sharp or blunt, firm or soft-to manifest itself and also to embody rhythm in itself. However, once again, the artist emphasizes the properties of the materials in order to transform the memories into the energy and rhythm, such that it is sensed in its own movements. However, the artist once again denies it all. The artist corners herself and the work until the energy itself, not that of the properties or that of visually sensible, is effused, until every visually imaginable possibility is dissipated.
 
On the other hand, the artist dreams of another ‘gap’ that can deny the inevitability of being captured into a frame, while not foregoing the artist’s own paintings’ own existence. In other words, the artist wants for the painting to come out of the boundaries of the painting and interact with a different space, different person, different media to form relationship and amend its own boundaries, where at this point, the painting becomes the existence having its own language. At a point where one thought it was all complete, another painting is being drawn, and dialogue similar to sound among the language of others is experimented. The dream of tuning, harmony, combination and more with other medium is reminiscent of the artist’s remark that the painting itself is not the ultimate goal in life, but rather to experience the extremity of life through painting. The artist knows that even the most regarded artwork can never be a condensed truth, speaking for all worldly existence, thus she desires that her artwork, being an entity, to endlessly encounter other beings. The painting, which became the owner of its own existence by encountering the outer world, once again is directed toward its own dissipation.
 
Perhaps, it is such an attitude toward her work that one should especially pay attention to. In order to depict something that cannot be replaced by any pre-existing image as closely as one can on the surface, the artist does not hold on to the completion, beauty, symbolic meaning as normally required in the realm of painting. The artist only focuses on what it is that she wants to express, while leaving one’s senses and emotions regarding it all behind. Perhaps the expression of condensed energy, but not being one static image, is not so suitable in the context of painting where it is inevitable to be static. Furthermore, to an artist engaging in contemporary art, painting may well be a lingering media which is forced to be left behind for the sake of completing its requested task. Nevertheless, the reason why the artist is absorbed in expressing via painting is because to the artist, the painting has not come to completion yet. The painting is still a media of possibility which can adeptly express something that is flowing, and the artist has not exhausted it all yet. The artist continues to fragment one’s own grammar of painting into pieces until no more possibility is visible, and produces ‘gaps’ in between. Additionally, the artist fragments the whole painting, in an attempt to dissipate even the very possibility of existence. However, rather than describing it as one’s command regarding the media, it is more similar to the adamant attitude one is facing-memory or painting-with diligence and sincerity. The artist continues to doubt and strives to get closer to the essence, but doubts even the essence itself-regarding whether one has accurately understood the essence of oneslef-while does not stop the movement. It is yet to be completed, and the artist is still on the way.
 
 

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완결되지 않을 것의 완결을 향해
아득한 울림
2015. 12. 3 - 13
청주미술창작스튜디오
글. 안민혜 (독립 큐레이터)

한진은 기억을 연결하여 이미지를 만든다. 하지만 그는 이내 그 이미지들을 으깨고 벗겨낸 후 다시 쌓는 행위를 반복한다. 그 반복은 다만 물감과 에너지의 축적이 아닌, 부정의 흔적이다. 그는 재현, 서사, 기호로서의 이미지를 부정하며 자신의 그림이 본래 기억에 더욱 가까워질 수 있을 ‘무엇’을 찾아내려 한다. 기억이지만 실제이며, 실제인 듯 하지만 기억인, 세상의 것도 세상 바깥의 것도 아니기 때문이다. 분명히 존재하지만 지금의 언어로 설명될 수 없는 것을 말하기 위해 그는 지금까지 쌓아올린 것들을 또다시 부정한다. 네거티브의 네거티브, 계속되는 부정의 문법으로 그는 끝나지 않는 걸음을 걷는다.
 
작가는 자신의 작업을 위해 지난 시간 어디쯤의 장면을 끌어오지만 그것 그대로를 프레임에 가두지 않는다. 기억은 하나의 장면으로도 압축될 수 없는 지속적인 이미지기 때문이다. 다시, 작가는 흐름을 설명하기 위한 서사를 거부한다. 그것은 시작과 끝이 없는 통로이며 설명을 요구하지 않는 존재 그 자체이기 때문이다. 작가는 완결된 장면의 연출를 피함으로써 통로이자 흐름 그 자체인 이미지를 기억과 연결하고자 한다. 다시, 작가는 상징이나 서사를 피하기 위해 자체의 물성을 이용하지만 이내 그것을 부정한다. 작가의 기억-이미지는 단순한 기억이라 하기엔 너무 무겁고 현실이라 하기엔 가벼운 지금 여기 실제하진 않으나 언제 어디서든 실제할 수 있는, 유연하면서도 강한 에너지이기 때문이다. 물성의 강조는 기억을 너무 무겁게하고, 리듬의 도드라짐은 기억을 너무 가볍게 한다. 시각에 완전히 의존하지 않으면서 그 자체를 거부하지도 않는 – 또는 거부할 수 없는 – 지점을 찾기 위해 그는 다시 틈을 찾는다. 본질에 더욱 가까워지기 위해 모든 가능성들을 소진시키고자 하는 것, 그것은 한진의 그림에 대한 묘사이자, 작업태도에 대한 묘사이다.
 
페인팅에 비해 드로잉은 여전히 형상을 지닌다. 그러나 그것 역시 개체의 모습에서 보편적 모습으로, 그리고 마침내 형상으로부터 점차 미끄러져 간다. 특히 <밤은 아직 기다려야 하고 낮은 이미 아니다.>는 형상을 미끄러뜨리기 위한 실마리를 찾는 듯한 작가의 태도와 고민이 여실히 드러난다. 작가는 종이 위에 직접 갈아낸 크고 작은 알갱이의 흑연을 느리게 또는 빠르게 문지르며 부드러운 혹은 거친 표면을 만들고 그것이 템포를 가질 수 있도록 한다. 이후 연필이 가진 뾰족하거나 뭉뚝한, 단단하거나 무른 성질들이 그 자체를 드러내면서 동시에 그 안에 리듬을 가질 수 있도록, 작가는 형상을 이용한다. 그러나 다시, 기억들이 연필의 에너지와 리듬으로 옮겨지고 그 자체의 움직임으로써 감각될 수 있도록 작가는 재료들의 물성을 도드라지게 한다. 작가는 여기서 한 번 더 그것들을 부정한다. 물성의 에너지가 아닌, 즉 보이는 것의 에너지가 아닌 에너지 그 자체가 내뿜어질 수 있도록, 보임으로 상상될 수 있는 모든 가능성들이 소진될 때까지 그림을 – 또는 자신을 – 몰아간다.
 
한편, 작가는 자신의 그림들이 그림으로서의 존재 자체를 버리지 않으면서 프레임에 갇혀질 수 밖에 없는 필연성을 거부할 수 있을 또다른 균열을 꿈꾼다. 다시 말해, 그는 그림이 바깥으로 나와 다른 공간, 다른 사람, 다른 매체들을 만나 관계를 형성하고 스스로의 경계를 수정하기를 원하는 것인데, 이때의 그림은 스스로의 언어를 가진 존재가 된다. 완성되었다고 생각했던 그 곳에서 다시 그림이 그려지고, 타인의 언어들과 뒤섞여 소리에 가까운 대화를 시도한다. 다른 매체와의 조율, 조화, 혼합 등을 꿈꾸는 것은 그림 그 자체가 자신의 삶의 목적이 아니며, 그것을 통해 삶의 궁극을 경험하고자 한다는 작가의 말을 떠오르게 한다. 작가는 아무리 훌륭한 예술이라 하더라도 그것이 세상 모든 것을 대변하는 응축된 진리가 될 수 없음을 알고 그렇기 때문에 자신의 작업이 한 개체로서 다른 것들과의 끊임없이 마주치길 바라는 것이다. 바깥과의 접촉에서 그림은 스스로 주체가 되었으나 다시 그것의 소멸을 향해간다.
 
어쩌면 한진의 작업에서 더욱 주목해야 할 것은 그의 이러한 작업태도일지 모른다. 기존의 어떤 이미지로도 대체될 수 없는 것을 화면 위에 보다 가깝게 떠내기 위해 그는 회화에서 요구되는 완성도나 아름다움, 상징적 의미 같은 것을 붙들지 않는다. 그것들을 위한 자신의 감각이나 감성을 내려놓고 오로지 자신이 표현하고자 하는 것이 무엇인지에만 집중한다. 응축된 에너지이면서 동시에 하나의 고정된 장면이 아닌 것, 그것의 표현은 어쩌면 필연적으로 고정될 수 밖에 없는 회화에 적합한 것이 아닐 것이다. 게다 현대미술을 하는 작가에게 회화는 이미 주어진 과제가 완료되어, 벗어버리길 강요당하는 미련스런 매체일 수 있다. 그럼에도 불구하고 작가가 회화를 통한 표현에 아직까지 몰두하고 있는 이유는 작가에게 회화가 아직 완료되지 않았기 때문이다. 유동하는 어떤 것을 표현하는 데에 그림은 여전히 가능성을 지닌 매체이며, 작가는 아직 그것들을 오롯이 소진시키지 못했다. 작가는 더 이상 아무런 가능성이 보이지 않을때까지 자신이 알고 있는 회화문법들을 더욱 잘개 쪼개고 그 사이에 틈을 만든다. 그리고 다시 그림 자체를 쪼개어 존재로서의 가능성마저 소진시키려한다. 하지만 그것은 매체에 대한 스스로의 명령 같은 것이라기 보다 자신이 마주한 것들 – 기억, 또는 그림 – 에 성실함과 진실함으로 최선을 다하고자 하는 고집스런 태도에 가깝다. 작가는 끊임없이 의심하며 본질에 더 가깝게 다가고자 하지만 그 본질마저도 의심하며 – 정확히는 자신이 본질을 제대로 파악한 것이 맞는지에 대해 – 그러면서도 행위자체는 멈추지 않는다. 그것은 완결되지 않았으며, 작가는 아직 길 위에 있다.