Art freezes time amid summer heat

By Ines Min

Staff reporter

By the time late July hits, it becomes difficult to focus on much else besides the weather. Luckily, snuggled among the office buildings and political centers of Seoul, one can find cool respites from the oppressive humidity in the form of art.

Two contrasting exhibitions provide a look at modern culture ― one a light-hearted reminder of youth, the other from a more wry social commentary ― at the Gallery Factory and the Doosan Art Center this month. Though the two seem only to meet on tangential lines of similarity, what both these exhibitions provide is a window into a frozen moment of time.

Introspection and a ``Giant Funfair''

Entering the Gallery Factory in Hyoja-dong, one might initially feel a slight sense of unease. Delicate-looking 3D works are suspended from the ceiling, one lays snug in a corner, another is stapled precariously, hanging sideways in a gravity-defying stance. The ambiance seems so still, visitors take extra care to not disturb the array of meticulously detailed art.

The gallery is quiet on a weekday, so these works by Roh Sang-jun seem to expand the sense of self-examination the artist wishes to incite. Each piece is made of used cardboard and soft watercolors, giving the exhibition a feeling of age; the quietude of the hall a hiccup in time.

``I don't know when we began to live life within the daily pattern of throwing away the worn, taking for granted to seek out the new,'' Roh said in an author's note. ``The more we go after faster and newer things; the individual becomes accustomed to these items. I feel that we forget the importance of the preciousness we used to be able to feel about simpler things.''

Swarms of retro airplanes circle in-flight, a stampede of wild horses run forever chasing their tails, while a mountain waterfall is transformed into an amusement park water ride for one lone cardboard figure. The characteristics of the medium are evident everywhere: the texture of the torn edges provides interest, while the exposed layers remind viewers of the reality behind each mesmerizing piece.

On the gallery's darkened second floor, more work hangs from the ceiling under harsh spotlights. The effect leaves eclipses of light underneath the artwork, while the height allows a chance for people to lean over and see the work at eye-level. This perspective further compounds the sense that time has slowly stopped its natural progression ― a horde of racing tigers circle around the base of a peak that holds a pagoda. They have been there for ages; they will be there for ages.

``Giant Funfair'' runs through July 28 at Gallery Factory, located in Hyoja-dong near exit 4 of Gyeongbokgung Station, subway line 3. For more information, visit www.factory483.org.

It's all in the ``Eye of the Beholder''

The mention of summer automatically brings to mind images of relaxing vacations and fun in the sun. Artist Lee Sang-won explores the figures of people at leisure, enjoying life on a summer beach or at a winter ski resort.

Recreated from photographs the painter took, these halted actions are nostalgic, bringing to mind personal histories. ``Children's Grand Park'' depicts a wide-angle lens view of the eastern Seoul park, providing an aerial view of dozens of families enjoying the surroundings. ``The Red'' and ``The Blue'' are two monotone pieces that demonstrate excitement within social settings, allowing the painted forms to forever live in a moment of elation.

Though the majority of Doosan's high-ceilinged space is filled with Lee's large-scale, oil paintings, a fantastic array of his watercolors can also be seen. In a tiny nook barely 6-feet-tall, a series of smaller pieces that carry a certain charm of precision are revealed.

The subject matter is predominantly the same ― scenes from ski lodges and hiking trails ― but the smoother medium allows for the inclusion of smaller details. A still handrail is sharp and clear, yet the red of a man's jacket is smeared, to imply the wind of his movement within the setting's quietude.

One unique black-and-white piece ― the works are unnamed as they are an additional, but unofficial part of the exhibition ― shows a watercolor in the same vein as ``The Red'' and ``The Blue.'' Yet it carries the urgency of a frenetic fervor; the lines harshly run together in a chaotic, yet logical order.

The colorless painting serves as the perfect example of the artist capturing a fragmentary instant of time and holding it within his paint. So if life seems to be passing by quickly, the heat too slowly and childhood a distant memory, step out of the sun for just a second and be reinserted into a setting where the second hand on the clock does not stir.

``Eye of the Beholder'' runs through July 22 at the Doosan Art Center, located near exit 1 of Jongno 5-ga Station on subway line 5. For more information, visit www.doosangallery.com.