Geometry Gets Organic at Kukje Gallery
By Joon Soh
Contributing Writer
Geometry is considered by many to be the language of the logical and measured mind. For the past century, however, modern artists have learned that geometric shapes and designs can also be infused with an emotive, even poetic quality despite their rational appearance.
Artist Hong Seung-hye seems to come from such a tradition of geometric art. Hong, whose latest works are on display at Kukje Gallery in downtown Seoul, deals with what she calls ``organic geometry.'' The term is an apt description for her artistic approach, as the human element is present in every seemingly logical decision.
Hong studied painting at Seoul National University and in Paris in the 1980s, but since then has abandoned the traditional canvas and brush for more modern means of making art. At present, she uses computers to come up with her ideas, and then commissions factories to turn them into sculptures. Because of this working method, which is probably more suited to commercial design than fine arts, there is a strong industrial quality to her artwork.
Hong's latest exhibit, her fifth at Kukje, is titled ``Debris.'' According to the press release, the pieces in the show originate from earlier works by the artist, as she ``deliberately disassembled the geometrical forms and texts'' she made over the last 10 years. Each piece is distinct in design and material, and possibly refers to specific periods of her artistic development.
In a sense, the show can be seen as a retrospective of the veteran artist, but the loose, disheveled quality to the presentation keeps it from becoming one. It's almost as if Hong deliberately disassembled her own artworks to see what made them tick. Or perhaps she wanted to see if she could create new meaning from old ideas.
A diversity of material and method is seen throughout the exhibit. On one wall, a series of neatly matted and framed inkjet prints depicts strange geometric pictographs, while across from the prints are a pair of wooden shelves in muted industrial colors jutting out from the wall. On the floor, the words ``MORE INTERESTING THAN ART'' are spelled out with blocks of letters to make a sculpture.
The largest room of the gallery looks more like a construction site than art. The room is dominated by long, colorful strips of aluminum pipe that are scattered on the floor. A row of box-shaped structures, reminiscent of architectural models, is displayed on one of the walls, while in another corner there is a small acrylic panel lit from behind with the word ``[Way]'' curiously inscribed upon it.
The final piece of the exhibit is a video work by Hong and is presented on the second floor. Titled ``The Sentimental,'' it is a simple flash animation of a pair of rectangular shapes dancing slowly to a digitally manipulated Baroque piano piece. The resulting effect is melancholic and perhaps hints at the emotion that lies behind the other, more reticent pieces in the exhibit.
``Debris'' will run until Feb. 26 at Kukje Gallery. For more information, go to www.kukjegallery.com.