Text about artworks
Recollection (Souvenir) carries a means of thought that allows us to dive deeper through a certain medium. The artist, Yujin Kang shares her own memory (Mémoire) in large volumes, in order to bring out the time and space from viewer`s individual façade of recollection (Souvenir). To unfold artist`s memory, she selects abstract painting as her artistic style. For instance, her paintings do not include the realistic description of objects that would lead to a facade of her own recollection, or, from time to time, they maximize the realistic description that coverts into a private image. Through this process, her work works as a catalyst to bring the viewer`s personal recollection into the present moment, and to face the connection of past and present: a method of catching a specific memory detail (Souvenir) in the from of a memory font (Mémoire).
In order to create a sensuous inversion of her glance (from the physical line of sight that she intends to capture on canvas), objective facts are excluded and subjective sensibilities are included. Through these artistic steps, the objects on the canvas are given the freedom to be transformed from being personal objects of the artist to them being public objects (of the viewer). For an approach of abreaction and the sheer focus on canvas configuration, she uses miscellaneous brush strokes and impressions of color.
For example, let`s say there is an object or scenery that we pass by unconsciously on our daily route. It contains our individual scene gaze, which is rooted as an everyday scenery without sheer recognition, even in changes of weather and seasons. The artist captures the memory from a past scenery and provides the moment that generates the common ground- not only for herself, but also for the viewer`s either direct or indirect experience.
The artist`s main technical painting style is the traditional Korean color method. Jangji, traditional Korean paper, which is used as the main material, was optimized to carry color layers of Bunche, traditional Korean pigment. The peculiar characteristic of water coloring takes plays a great role in the attainment of the intended color tone through various layers of colors. The unique advantage of coloring is to reach the final target color tone through many different shade layers in the screen. This process demands intensively long time, due to the fact each tint has to be completely dried to apply the next - so each layer can maintain it`s unique color at the end. Through such a process, the color from the finished screen creates a deeper and less murky result.
The physical method and subjectively sensible reflection that occur during the stage of work take place at the moment of action. To be more explicit, the extension and effect of association from fresh perspective happens rather in the most ordinary moments. This memory of the past is organically connected to the present and interconnected by the moment`s influence, which forms the image. At that exact moment, perception can proceed into a momentum of action. While at the same time, it has a tendency to replace the object with a new perspective by deleting the conventionally recognized moment, and by retroacting the font of memory, it summons the latent characteristic and depth of the object. Facing this new aspect of an object can be manifested every moment in the most mundane part of our everyday lives.