A Symphony of Nature, outstanding abstract expression of forms and images
Written by Kim, Nam Soo / Art Critic (2007)
The relationship between Nature and human are limitless and everlasting just as the universe. Human and nature are living in the principle
of limitless coexistence making the history. Forms and images that visualize the implicative language with the pattern of abstract
expressionism are the essence and highest reach of abstraction. When it comes to the appearance of abstract, such spirits as desire
to go beyond the limitation of closed square space(canvas), which is insufficient to achieve dreams and cravings of human,
and fly above to the limitless space resulted in the new artistic style. In other words, the metaphor expressed with forms and images,
and the small pieces started to seek the creative techniques and methods in the embodiment of reduction and spread of passwords,
symbols, which is the very core of Durye Kim’s art.
In short, the unique individualism of the artist is making the outstanding language of her own. Such tendencies in her works result
from the deep attachment and effort to sublime the new formative order into art, and the messages, forms, and images conveyed
through the screens are exclamation and insistence of the artist to resist without a word. The writhing and strong desire to escape
from the closed space seems to result from the effort to fly into another world. The meaning of paintings expressed with accumulation
and condensation of specific formative elements includes the sincere hope to adapt herself to the other of the universe,
in which the theory of two universal spirits from one origin, and this seems to be the reason why she consistently tried
to inspire the endless conversation and implied soul into the plain of paper. It might be that her desire for formation results
from the brilliant conception and creative ideas. Having been raising a number of questions, she mastered various artistic styles
deeply and thoroughly.
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Attempting wordless communication with nature, she has performed the panoramic fantasy of Korea in nature, and played the music of
honest life in the long itinerary of booming. When it comes to the changing cycle of her painting works in the past decade,
nude paintings she sought in early 2000’s were regarded as the best in her lessons for painting. Rather than a nude figure
of a sensual, charming woman, she focused on a certain body part, which is regarded as pursuing a high level of art
and thus evaluated positively. In 2003, the changes in her abstract expressionism style was huge in transforming the nude painting
style into deformer, or distorted forms. It would be proper to call it a dramatic change into rainbow-striped, colorful Korea fantasy.
Byeonggak Min, a Western style painter, in her exhibition critique under the theme, ‘Form the expression of nihility
to representation of the emotional ego,’ stated, ‘the artist, as in the formative works, presented atypical works with feminine,
mild, worm colors in contrast to drastic screen treatment in the last exhibition. This time, she symbolically represents
the implied ego image in the self-portrait, children, town, landscape, etc. in the canvas of more emotional colors.
Such features are representation of emotions through the pure formative languages based on the graceful colors(simplified in general),
which makes us bring up more emotional imagination.’ The appreciative eye is well reflected in this very impressive words.
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Today, modern art is rising to the surface, and the border is vague under the influence of advanced countries.
Abstract expressionism is emerging in such Asian countries as China as well as New York. However, artist Durye Kim,
rather than taking advantage of the trend, tries to pursue her taste and spirit for abstraction with concreteness at the back.
In other words, she admits that her work is not related to the common trend or tendency today. It seems that this change to her
life started while she was in New York and affected by one of her seniors.
In her recent biographical essay, she started this:
I don’t know since when I started to like the fragrance of Nam-do. “One lonely road, Nam-do three hundred miles”
I recalled the verse almost every moment two or three times a month, it has been 30 years since I started to go around Goheung,
Haenam the edge of the Korea, Suncheon Seonam-sa, etc. It seems that I was born with everything of Nam-do. When I was a freshmen
in college, I participated in an context exhibit. Seniors and even the assistant professor all failed, but I happened to win a prize.
Thereafter, I was branded with a ‘scarlet letter.’ People said “all because her father is behind her, her father is helping him
“Everybody knows that the theory of my father as for painting is excellent, but his indifference in his well known. In time,
my father even did not know whether I participated in Mokuhwe exhibition with what painting. So I determined that I would never
let my painting take after his. His paintings are his own, and there is no need to put them in others’ place or to bring
dishonor to him in any way.
He enjoyed painting African women, but never painted a nude. After all, I stopped painting nudes by the time when I held the
5th exhibition. My father wondered why I insisted to paint nudes which not be sold, but in time, I was painting only nudes,
and finally from the 6th exhibition, I started to paint women in clothes and landscape. After graduating from college,
I have never worked with my father, but his color is still deeply carved in my works, which is because I was fascinated by
his single but brilliant primary colors. I was oppressed by the subtle feelings about whether there is a border between
unconsciousness and consciousness. I had the 11th private exhibition already. As the styles and paintings have been changed,
I feel like my heart has been a lot more nature.
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Since 2002~2003, the landscape in my paintings to be limited to colors, and the colors too are summarized to the least.
Now the complementary colors are falling the canvas. The color that I usually use for the earth is red orange
(used also when I paint skins in nudes), green for forests, and gold for rice fields in the harvesting season,
which shows that I simplify nature with colors. Snake-like narrow road in golden rice fields, faint roads in the heap of red,
yellow soil, towns gathered close to each other in hazy light near the unpaved road –all within my head are landscapes.
Her composition skills are outstanding just as exclaiming poetic languages.
I recall what master Bohyeon Kim said in New York, “I like your figures. The colors are mature, and all yours.
By the way, are you still looking at a model while painting?” In time, it was unimaginable to paint without looking at a model.
His word was shocking. He meant to reveal from the hearth not by looking at an object. I am lucky since my parents are artists,
and I am involved in painting too.
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“I don’t know how my paintings will go and change, but I would like to make the big canvas focus on one small point or line.
I believe that this exhibition will be a turning point to me. I wish my dream to come back to nature can be realized said
the artist.
The abstraction style of artist Durye Kim represents the emerging of a new world of painting based on formation.
Her father, who once was highly honored as an impressionism artist of light and colors, has remained in the circles of
painting as the last fortification, senior, and witness of abstract painting. Now her daughter, artist Durye Kim turned
to abstraction painting styles, which is a shocking but inspiring event in terms of the coexistence of art styles.
In short, this is meaningful in terms of the reformation to join the trend of modern art. I hope the course of artist Durye Kim open
a new prospect in the field.
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