Guel-Grim "stories of fans" by Banseog Kim

There is no winner and loser, or goodness and badness in the nature. If you say yes there is, then you would deny the nature. I believe the picture should recognize all beings as themselves. Even though looked rugged, it is my picture resembling myself, standing by myself without the vagueness. -  From the interview with the artist.

Banseog Kim is planning on the Guel-Grim(a picture of figurative letters) exhibition titled by “ a fan story” in Guel-Grim museum from October 10^th to October 24^th. His artworks visualize the shapes and meanings of Hangeul (Korean letter) and the images induced from them. They are formative languages representing the nature in terms of Yin and Yang and five elements and the creation and circulation principles of the all creatures in the universe. In this exhibition, his formative language enters a new phase. He tries to investigate the figurative characters of Guel-Grim based on five elemental colors and fan shapes and he contemplates the nature itself.

 Banseog Kim borrowed Hanguel for his art works as a material and a form. As announced in HunminJeongum Haeryebon(a book explains how Korean letter, Hanguel was made and used), creation principles and forms of Hanguel are based on the universe represented in Yin and Yang and five elements which he tries to show through Guel-Grim

 His art starts at the relieves emphasizing matiere of Korean Paper in 2002. His works includes wooden panels with annual rings emphasized by smoking and Guul-Grim engraved on inlayed with colored Korean paper, pottery art and metal collage works in 2006. Through these all, he had made 24 artworks for each item showing variations in the usage of materials according to the five elements principle as the 24 divisions of a year, the logos of the nature.

 As the nature circulates as spring goes to spring again, a fan story also circulates; Water to wood. Wood to fire. Fire to earth. earth to metal, metal to water, which is called positive circulation in five elements. And now, he is back to Korean paper.

 However, this comeback is not only in material.  Banseog Kim implicitly gives the meaning of creative combinations and cyclic principles between water and wood to < Fan Story> by colors and fan shapes with Korean paper matiere. Rounded shape means a tree having water. Also it means “start” and “circulation”. In other words, it is a spot made by ink when a brush touches paper before drawing or writing something, which means the moment of “start”. He vividly and delicately used five elemental colors to make variations in a 24 fan series, which implies 24 divisions of a year and a life cycle of four seasons.

Even though the form of Hanguel itself disappeared, the five elements implied in Hangul still remains essential to the pictures in terms of colors and rounded shapes. Also, he expands Korean nature and oriental nature to the nature, the cosmos. He uses the word “Fan” just for referring picture series instead for indicating materials themselves. A fan has been a sacred thing both in the western and the oriental world and from old ages to the recent times. A fan was believed to expel the evilness in folk believes. Banseog Kim named his artworks Buchae which means a fan in Korean and he projected the meaning of a fan into his arts.

Even though it looks rough, a fan story, Guel-Grim resembles the nature which gives the creations through the straightforward confliction of Yin and Yang. It will be a message of the contemplation of human itself as a part of the nature which is always new and changes and the reflection of the ranked and artificial society without the vigor.                   

 SONGE (Art Studies, Art Criticism), translated by Yeonjung Kim

Guel-Grim "stories of fans" by Banseog Kim

 Dream _ mixed material on Korean Paper _ 60x60cm _ 2009

Love _ mixed material on Korean Paper _ 60x60cm _ 2009

Korean folk skirt _ mixed material on Korean Paper _ 60x60cm _ 2009

Body _ mixed material on Korean Paper _ 60x60cm _ 2009

Body _ mixed material on Korean Paper _ 60x60cm _ 2009

 Wife _ mixed material on Korean Paper _ 60x60cm _ 2009

Dancing _ mixed material on Korean Paper _ 60x60cm _ 2009

 Smil _ mixed material on Korean Paper _ 60x60cm _ 2009

The conversation with the Artist 4 pm October 10th

 Guel-Grim museum

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  The conversation video script

Guel-Grim museum _ 4-2 Gumi-ri, Dudong-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, Korea  

glglim.co.kr                   Tel. 82_52_263_9930

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