[Solo Show] The Universe in the Golden Eye | Atelier Aki

The Universe in the Golden Eye
Kwon Kisoo
July 12 - August 20 2022
Atelier Aki
Seoul

 아뜰리에 아키는 오는 7월 12일부터 8월 20일까지 다양한 매체를 통해 한국화의 정신을 현대적으로 재해석한 작품을 선보이며 동시대 미술 영역에서 공고한 위치를 다져온 작가 권기수의 개인전 을 개최한다. 이번 전시는 2019년 이후 아뜰리에 아키에서 선보이는 두 번째 개인전으로 ‘금(金)’이라는 매체가 지닌 상징적인 의미를 해체시키며 새로운 서사를 구축한 신작 20여 점을 소개할 예정이다. 특히 이번 전시는 작가가 보여주는 재료에 대한 깊이와 형식적 독창성을 비롯하여 그간 밀도 있게 구축해온 고유의 작업세계를 조망할 수 있는 기회를 제공할 것이다. 

권기수는 1990년대 후반부터 회화, 조각, 설치 등 다양한 매체를 넘나들며 동양의 전통적인 사상과 기법을 현대적인 감각으로 재해석한 작업을 선보여 왔다. 작가는 성별이나 나이로 규정지어지지 않는 사람을 의미하는 기호인 동구리를 창조, ‘사회적 상호 작용 속에서 인간은 어떻게 살아가고 있는가?’에 대한 작가의 고찰을 작업에 담아낸다. 웃는 얼굴의 캐릭터적인 요소를 통해 작가는 사회적 관계에서 비롯되는 희로애락(喜怒哀樂) 속 웃음이라는 사회적 가면을 쓴 현대인의 모습을 선명히 드러낸다. 또한 단순화된 형상의 캐릭터가 지닌 한계를 확장시키기 위해 작가는 강열한 색감을 기반으로 다채로운 소재를 선택, 구성하며 화면 안에 담아낸다. 이번 전시에 소개되는 작품 속 배를 타고 있는 동구리의 형상은 현대 사회 속에서 뜻 없이 부유하고 있는 현대인들의 초상을 담아내며, 근원을 알 수 없는 모호함과 외로움 등의 익숙하면서도 낯선 감정을 동시에 불러일으킨다. 더불어 작가는 소재에 의미를 부여함에 있어서 과거와 현재를 구별하지 않는다. 작가의 작업 속 색면으로 처리된 대나무는 한국화에서 많이 등장하는 중요한 소재로 은자(隱者)의 공간을 상징하기도 하지만 현대적인 의미에서 보면 수직적인 형태감이 강조된 마천루의 공간을 의미하기도 한다. 이러한 과거와 현대를 아우르는 권기수 특유의 통시대적 의미부여는 한국화의 전통을 잇는 방법이 단순히 붓과 먹을 사용한 표현방식만이 아니라는 점을 강조하고 있다.  

이번 전시에 소개되는 대다수의 작품에는 금(金)이 주 재료로 사용되었다. 작가는 시대와 장소를 초월하여 강한 상징적 의미를 지닌 금(金)을 고유한 회화 언어 일부로 승화시킨다. 금은 신성함, 위엄, 고귀함, 권력, 힘, 부(富) 등을 나타내는 강한 상징적 요소를 내포하고 있다. 하지만 권기수의 작업에서 금이라는 소재의 상징성은 중요한 요소가 아니다. 작가에게 있어 금은 하나의 매체일 뿐, 특정한 메시지를 전달하지 않는다. 오히려 그는 어떤 의미를 강요하지도 않으며 대상을 바라보는 관습적 시선에서 탈피하고자 한다. 이는 관습적 시선에서 벗어남으로써 보다 새로운 방식으로 현실을 인식하겠다는 작가의 의지를 드러내며 현대사회 속 작가의 역할에 대해 끊임없이 자문하는 권기수 작가의 고찰과 작업을 대하는 본질적 태도를 담아낸다.  

작가의 작업은 동구리를 중심으로 계속 변화하고 있다. 그는 지난 2021년부터 선보이고 있는 Two Eyes시리즈를 통해 작가에게 중요한 원천으로 자리 잡은 ‘동구리’라는 캐릭터의 눈을 통해 발현된 권기수의 새로운 전환을 보여준다. ‘동구리의 눈동자 속 세계’라는 보다 직설적이고 유니버셜한 개념으로 확장된 작가의 세계관은 폭넓고 실험적인 작업 스펙트럼을 나타낸다. 그의 화면 속 칼로 도려낸 결과로서 나타나는 예리한 단면은 원색의 색면을 더욱 강조하고 있다. 한국의 단청색을 떠올리게 하는 선명한 색채 사용은 세심하게 계산되어 재단되었으며, 테이핑 작업을 수없이 반복하여 덧칠한 결과로서 노동집약적인 작업이다. 이러한 색의 사용은 권기수가 작업을 통해 회화로서의 가치를 최대한 발휘하고자 하려는 노력이기도 하다. 사회 속에서 발견한 소재를 자신만의 독자적인 언어로 해석한 권기수의 작업은 단순한 예술적 실험을 넘어 관람객과 전시 작품 사이의 관계성을 창조, 화면 안으로 우리를 인도한다. 이번 전시는 권기수의 작업이 어떻게 진화 및 확장되어 왔는지 그리고 이를 어떠한 매체를 통해 표현해왔는지 등 작가의 폭넓은 예술세계를 밀도 있게 조망하는 유의미한 자리가 될 것이다.

ATELIER AKI will present a solo exhibition from July 12 to August 20 by Kwon Kisoo, a multidisciplinary artist who has showcased the modernization of Korean painting and thus established his presence in the contemporary arts. This exhibition is the second Kwon Kisoo solo exhibition to be presented by ATELIER AKI since 2019 that will showcase 20 of his new art pieces focused on the medium of ‘Gold Leaf’. 

Since the late 1990s, Kwon Kisoo has created works across various media from painting and sculpture to installations that reinterpret and modernize traditional oriental painting concepts and techniques. By creating Dongguri, the modern icon portraying a person not defined by gender or age, the artist explores how humans live amidst the very complex social interactions present in our world. The smiling face of Donguri is a representation of individuals living in this world wearing a societal mask of laughter and joy that coexist with the sorrows that arise from social relation-ships. Furthermore, to supplement the richness of the character, the artist expands the simplified characterization of the being through selection of strong, bold colors and implementation of various media. In one of his iconic works presented in this exhibition, Donguri on a boat reflects the loneliness and ambiguity that individuals feel amidst living in a modern yet void affluence. In regards to his use of media, Kwon does not distinguish between the past and the present. The colored bamboo is an element that is not only prevalent in traditional Korean paintings, symbolizing a life of a societal hermit; but also reflects an environment splashed with skyscrapers in the modern  day with its vertical presence. Kwon’s unique cross-pollination of elements of the past and the now emphasizes that the way to continue the techniques of Korean traditional painting is not limited to the use of brush and ink. 

In this exhibition, Gold Leaf is used as one the most prominent medium for Kwon’s works. The artist elevates the essence of Gold Leaf, which has a strong symbolic meaning that transcends beyond time and place, as a part of his unique panting discourse. Traditionally, Gold Leaf represents sacredness, dignity, nobility, power and wealth. However, in Kwon’s work, the conventional meaning of Gold Leaf is not the crux of his use of the medium. Rather, it is only one of the many media that doesn’t embody a particular message. Kwon does not impose any meaning and attempts to break away from the universal gaze perspective deeply embedded in the audience. The very essence of breaking away from the conventional perspective reveals the artist’s willingness to recognize reality with a new attitude and his mission to continuously question his role as an individual living in our modern society. 

The artist’s work evolves through and around Donguri. Since 2021, Kwon has presend the ‘Two Eyes’ series that represents the artist’s new transition of perspective through the eyes of Donguri, an essential source of his work. As Kwon’s universe expands to encompass ‘the world through the eyes of Donguri’, his works have also developed a wider and more experimental work spectrum. The sharp cross-sections that arise as a result of cutting the canvas emphasizes the use of primary colors. The vivid use of color is reminiscent of Korean’s monochromatic color use, a result of a labor-intensive work of paining over the canvas via numerous taping techniques. Thus, the colors are one of the most important aspects of his painting that maximizes the value of his work. Kwon’s art, which reflects the lives of individuals in the modern world through his unique interpretation, goes beyond artistic experimentation and creates a relationship with the audience by bringing the audience closer to the world of the canvas. The solo exhibition will be a meaningful opportunity to explore the dense perspective of the artist’s art world and how he has evolved and expanded his universe through his use of various media.