Metastasis through Variations of Brush Strokes
Painting dwells on the canvas’ surface. The canvas’ surface or skin surface either informs the interior and exterior, or brings up a notional space. The surface of a painting is, thus, peculiar. While the conventional paintings of the Western world endlessly pursued the depth, it may be fair to state that modernism was compulsive to pursue a physical condition, flatness or planarity. On the other hand, the contemporary painting is rather focused on ‘surface.’ Unlike modernism, flatness or planarity in the contemporary painting leads a life near home within and outside the borderline. I reckon that the flatness simultaneously considers the layers of the both sides. In other words, it is the flatness or planarity is represented in various ways; and such diversity is expressed on the skin. Interestingly, there are some movements, which aim to achieve a new kind of painting-painting on painting, or to bear another possibility in meta-painting that surfaces conventional paintings. Surface is the necessary requirement for a painting. Individual understanding, imagination and interpretations on the surface, and brush strokes enable the visualization of such attempts. It is, thus, fair to state that painting is constantly reborn and newly called over. Ham Myung Su, too, summons the painting in the similar manner.
Ham Myung Su once wrote, “Ironically, I examine the inner and outer world at the threshold of painting, surface.” The term, ‘threshold of painting’ amuses me. The artist intends to embrace both sides of the world at the surface. Surface does not belong to either side; it rather belongs to both. It is impossible to go in or out in the painting; however, the painting’s surface has such depth and effects. A painting is made on a flat surface. Displaying how the flat surface is planned and worked-an artist’s unique sense and handlings of surface-is painting. In Ham Myung Su’s paintings, diverse variations on the surface is evident. Somewhat bizarre, humorous and unfamiliar they are, and they are from peculiar brush strokes of the artist. Brush strokes may suggest a certain object and they may even seem to reproduce it. As a matter of fact, however, brush strokes on their own stimulate some self-contained situations, textures, and senses. Initially, it seems that brush works were to delineate an object; gradually, brush works expose their own flesh escaping from a certain image. Still, these ‘odd’ touches-movements of a hand-render overall cityscapes. The usual, everyday cityscapes on a seemingly familiar flat canvas are now turned unusual. I am put to confront the surface, which has been believed familiar; the surface is now unordinary from aerial view, distorted images, atypical composition, incredible colors and textures created by absurd brush strokes. The cityscape in his painting seems reproduced as it is; at the same time, it becomes absurd and fictional. The painting solely made from brush works is an abstract painting; it is also illusionary as the multi-layer space, which covers the canvas space, creates the depth on the flat surface. Such illusionistic character is amplified as an artificially translated image of the world through human eyes is again processed by painstakingly analogue activity, painting. Moreover, it becomes even greater from the conflicts as the illusion-soaked world disturbing the laws of nature such as the law of gravity. Likewise, Ham Myung Su’s paintings cast the pleasure and humor from ‘alienating’ the world. He, with his brush strokes, taunts this gigantic city, our conventional thoughts and senses.
Meandering, streaming down, wriggling and swinging brushes rather than customary brush works applications: it is the physicality of a brush. The artist also expresses the trembling of his body. Overall, evenly applied winding brush strokes transmit the calligraphic rhythm and musical waves. It is almost as if you can hear the sound from a painting. Also, the brush works reminds of peculiar textures. Everything is covered with unaccustomed textures; hence, the world depicted in the painting seems even more bizarre. Transformation of the crust or the skin reverses familiar memories and learned experiences. On the canvas’ surface, surface or skin of everything is overthrown. Brush strokes, which normally bringing up images like hair, grass, noodles, etc., now replace exteriors of familiar objects. Strange textures throw us in confusion; it lets us look at the world once again creating the transformation of sense. While senses in the traditional paintings have been mostly about the retina-centrism, senses in Ham’s paintings are different sensory organs. The world stirring up the transformation! Tools he uses are color paints and slender brushes as traditional as ever; he creates surplus painting or over-do painting for too long a time with such traditional colors and brushes.
Ham Myung Su’s recent works are the cityscapes. Alleys and areas around his work studio and urban scape are rendered as the aerial panorama. Narrow alleys outside his studio, old shabby mom-and-pops, walls, tiny old houses back-to-back that reminds of hard and tiring lives-the views are drenched with the average lower middle classes in the city. To the contrast, glamorous, spectacular scenery of the city also unfolds. Urban panoramic view is much more dramatic and fierce. The light-emitting sense from a blaze of lights in the fascinating city is transferred onto the painting through his brush strokes. Personally speaking, recent works are more well-suited and compatible than his previous series. Also more dynamic and vivacious urban scape is much more dramatic and effective. His paintings are now much fancier: techniques more refined and stories in the paintings more interesting. However, it worries me with the thought that such refined paintings become too much stylized.
The artist first makes a sketch in detail with the pencil, roughly paints the contours, volume and shadows with the acrylic paints, then paints with the oil colors. Some parts of sketch drawings are exposed but left as they are; another trace is derived. He pumps out the fun and imagination throughout the process. Left out pieces of sketches create different scenes; his interest in different times, speeds, and movements are laid on top. Brush strokes on the canvas’ surface suddenly acquire the volume and space; the strokes become noodle or yarn-like. They are simultaneously concrete object and traces of bizarre objects with ceaseless brush works and many colors. It is somehow like the glow of firefly or the starlight; spots and color spreads are abrupt throughout the canvas surface driving the viewer’s eyes. Focusing on an object at one point, suddenly the interest shifts to brush strokes and colors, and then the cityscape catches the eyes. Painting is rooted in such dilemma between the two: it is image and object, surface and depth, and it is inside and outside.
Ham Myung Su’s painting leads us to contemplate upon the painting of which various textures on the flat surface brings variations, also upon the brush strokes that causes all kinds of transformations and variations on the flat surface. Brush strokes may be another metaphor of a body. Borrowing an object and transforming into different sensors and organisms are like inhabiting on the surface of other sensors. And is it not like the transformation of one’s body surface?
Park, Young-Taek (Professor at Kyunggi Univ., Art Critic)