Yun Jeong Hong

Painterly Object

Opening Reception : Friday, 6 to 8, November 15th Open to the Public: November 15th - January 11th 2019

Exhibition statement

Yun Jeong Hong

Painterly Object (2019) explores the relationship between past rituals and the modern understanding of images and objects by combining traditional-style paintings with still life installation. The white ceramics have no color on their surfaces, but take the shape of the traditional subjects such as bowl, paper, fabric, and vegetables. Even though this installation exists in the real world, it is a “ghost”: mimicking Idea of things, as Plato assumed “all things in the state of reality are shadow of reflection from their Idea”. By mimicking the shape of bowls, instead of conversing into singular momentum of a function as a bowl, the ceramic pieces of still life questioning about the Idea of still life. The Iconographic visual languages of the paintings and ceramic installations reminisce rich fictional stories using archetype-symbols such as beheaded man, rabbit fur, Diana-the virgin and hunting goddess, wolf and rabbit masks, flowers for celebrating death and life. Painting of Bacchus and head of a man ceramic sculpture creates the connection between the life of Bacchus and Jesus/Socrates, as Nietzsche intends modernism and life. In contrast, “thinking/talking/loving bowls” series is the act of drawing to show how images, symbols, and letters on the surface of ceramics contain meanings and emotions. Unlike images on canvas, images on ceramic are imprinted on a three-dimensional surface and converged toward the inner space. Ceramic object resonates with the movement and the shapes of things, and contains a personal story, moments, and emotions.