Since the art scenes in Korea are pretty much tuned to seeking the essence and value of art, artists are called on to experiment for various styles and media. Although this might just seem like a temporary phenomenon, it seems inevitable, taking into account the fact that the cultural society in Korea is undergoing a rapid change. Especially young artists are more likely to rely on these experiments as a means to establish their own identity in the midst of an illusion of cultural globalism, for they have grown up being exposed to ideas representing the western hemisphere. Therefore, all in all it does not seem that worrisome.
Won Ha is one of the emerging artists, who has been steadily building her own idiom of expression after she returned to Korea upon completion of her graduate studies in Philadelphia. As she experienced two different cultures, she has continued to work on her art, which interprets nature on a conceptual level based on existentialism. She also demonstrates an attitude of realist, who reacts to her cultural, societal surroundings. For this reason, one can easily find the traces of speculation, manifested in a lyrical fashion in terms of style and medium. Her work, thus, has a quality of dichotomy which mirrors the two realms of concept and experience.
Ha’s art ranges from paintings, three dimensional installations, silkscreens to digital media. No matter what medium she chooses, she sticks to a consistent paradigm, which questions the idea of <realness and illusion>. Through various techniques — <paper casting> <arranging in repetition> <hanging in the air> <boxing> — she visualizes her main ideas for art.
In this exhibition, she shows the series of tree casts which accounts for her spirit for experimentation. It is remarkable not only because the paper cast is faithfully representing the original state of the subject matter but also because she employs different ways to elevate the value of tree trunk to another level. At this point, we need to focus on the techniques of Ha’s. The common thing about them is that the objects have lost their fundamental meanings and functioned as a device to transform and conceptualize what is original. They also well attest to the artistic sensibility of Ha.
In the <paper casting> technique, Ha wraps the tree trunk with wet dakji, which is then peeled off after it dries. The cast object transforms the presence into a virtual entity. The hollow paper cast is a skin of existence, which is also a reminder of past memories. Furthermore, bits of tree barks have been taken off, attached to the underneath of new skin. The materiality of an original is envisaged with the bark bits intact; sometimes she turns it inside out to show them conspicuously. One has to pay particular attention to the fact that paper, which comes from tree, is shown in a tree figuration again, triggering viewers to examine the stipulation that is essential and conventional. In other words, Ha’s paper-casting is about the issue of ‘presence’ and ‘absence’ beyond that of ‘presence of tree represented’.
<Arranging in repetition > efficiently negates the individuality of each image and accentuates the whole structure. Repeatedly arranged, tree trunks become objects put in orderly array. The fragmented images of tree barks get to bring out a logical meaning through the repeated system. Although the disassemble and assemble of divided units do not necessarily imply an narrative, they adhere to the Gestalt theory that the whole is more than a combination of units. Ha continues her experimentation with the series of attempts in her works, including display of objects d’art on the floor or in acrylic boxes, piling of silkscreened three images against the gallery walls, and digital image pieces.
Ha <hangs objects in the air> so as to represent tree as a symbol of a sort. The illusory volume of tree is floating in the gallery space, defying gravity. According to Ha, it refers to an idea of ‘still time’ or ‘expanded space.’ As the bits and pieces of fragments have been transformed into hollow, light objects, they put on a show of psychological gestures like pantomime actors. At the same time, the shadows cast on the gallery walls and floor amplify the three-dimensionality of the deliberate space. This is why Ha’s work has a quality of installation.
Lastly, <boxing> is a way of executing a dual device for categorization. The paper cast is already placed in a confined, box-shaped space called gallery. Ha sees the need to fortify the segregation of art from viewers thus restricts the overlapped space so as to enable the object to transcend from a present space into a system that is rather multi-functional. On the surface of the transparent box, printed are the tree images, which, in integration with the paper cast of tree trunks placed inside the box, make up a third entity. To represent the tree, she utilizes two illusory images in a construct in which the clash of two dimensional image and three dimensional object is generated.
In short, Ha’s work questions the idea of realness and illusion of a being, and executes it accordingly. Consequently, her experiment originates from tree, part of nature, and its image but traverses over the boundaries of realness and illusion freely with her diverse attempts, which are the pathway to determine one’s existence. One of the distinct features in Ha’s work is that she expands the possibility of traditional Korean paper, dakji, to a greater degree. At the same time, it is a great pleasure of mine to see her produce works of a consistent theme with a delicate, unique artistry; therefore, I would like to keep my expectations high for her future career as a promising artist.