Darren Almond’s Works at PKM Trinity
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Darren Almond has always been considered a part of the Young British Artists (YBA), since his work was included in the controversial ``Sensation’’ exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art in London in 1997 which brought artists like Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin into the spotlight.
But the 39-year-old British artist admitted he is not comfortable with the YBA label attached to his name
``I’m not a YBA. I was the last person added to the `Sensation’ exhibition and the youngest artist there. But (most of them) were a generation ahead of me. ... So I separated myself and kept my distance. I was also included in the Tate Triennial (2009), which is supposed to be a show for the new generation of YBAs. So I’m kind of in the new generation as well,’’ Almond said, in a press conference at PKM Trinity Gallery, Cheongdam-dong, last week.
Almond, who was nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize in 2005 for ``If I Had You,’’ was in Seoul for the first time for the opening of his solo show that included video works ``Marathon Monk,’’ ``Bearing” and ``Arctic Pull,’’ and the photo series ``Fullmoon,’’ and ``Arctic Plate.’’ His works usually deal with themes of travel, time and memory.
In the riveting 35-minute video ``Bearing,’’ Almond filmed a miner harvesting sulfur chunks inside a volcano in Java, Indonesia. The miner is shown in close-up, emerging from the depths of the volcano while carrying a heavy load. He breathes in the acid smoke, with only a small cloth stuffed in his mouth as protection.
``I came from a family of miners, so I know the suffering they go through. I saw a documentary by an Austrian director about the place and it was a case of ‘lost in translation’ and he removed the dignity of the workers. ... I felt like I needed to go there and give back the dignity of these guys,’’ Almond said.
After only two days of filming in the volcano area, Almond became sick and his lungs were filled with blood. ``These men had no health equipment. They only had a fabric stuffed in their mouth as protection. The men die at an average age of 35,’’ he said.
Unlike similar documentaries on the Indonesian sulfur miners, Almond said there are no facts in his work, just pure emotions.
Meanwhile, in the pitch-black basement hall of the gallery, ``Marathon Monk’’ is projected on five screens. It follows a Tendai monk running through the forests at Mt. Hiei overlooking Kyoto, as part of his training. He runs two marathons a day for 100 days, and after completing this, he can try the 1,000-day, 40,000-kilometer challenge. The monk undergoes such demanding physical and metal challenge in order to achieve enlightenment.
Almond’s photographs also have an eerie calmness about them. The ``Fullmoon’’ series, which he started in 1998, features landscape photographs taken during a full moon evening with an exposure of 15 minutes to several hours to catch the light.
``The first was an accident. I took the photo of the stars while having a romantic moment, and there was something about the quality of the light. It sat in the studio for years before I decided to work on it,” he said.
In photographs such as ``Fullmoon@Wall’’ and ``Fullmoon@Yesnaby,’’ night has been turned into day, transforming an ordinary landscape into an otherworldly scene filled with silvery light. The ``Arctic Plate’’ series, likewise, reveals a different side of the Antarctica landscape.
While there’s an aura of spirituality in his photographs and films, Almond admitted he does not have a religion. ``I don’t practice a religion. I practice making art,’’ he said.
PKM Trinity Gallery is located at the basement of The Trinity Place, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam. Admission is free. Visit www.pkmgallery.com or call (02) 515-9496.