Seung Yul Oh’s practice continues to explore and test the duality of the artwork object. Both the intrinsic character of the object itself and that which is given by the artist co-exist in the work. The main occupation of his current practice is to find material in his surroundings and to play with the material and imbue unexpected elements allowing for an expression beyond the inherent limits of the material itself. This coexistence results in an expansion and alteration of individual perceptions towards a specific object.
In Oh’s last solo exhibition,
See Saw, at ONE AND J. Gallery, the audience could experience various elements that were coming from various inflatables that he created. The inflatables created a sculptural encounter that, in some cases, required the interaction of the viewer to activate the work. The duality is seen in the set of colorful and playful balloons swallowing the viewer in a claustrophobic forest of color and light. The mundane becomes profound, the light becomes dark, the weightless becomes weighty, the playful becomes anxious but, in order to realize this duality, the viewer is required to initiate this transformation.
Oh’s works that are presented in
Left, Right reflects a continuation of this practice but with a new visual horizon of spatial activation creating yet another fantastical and imaginative realm through the use of diverse continuous lines.
Two different installation pieces and new photographic works are displayed in the exhibition
Left, Right. When viewers initially enter the gallery, myriad lines sprout in unspecific directions guiding our eyes to travel within the space. These lines resemble mundane electrical wires commonly seen over the streets. However, upon activating the lines due to the viewer’s movement, the vibrations create fortuitous patterns creating a space that is joyful and chaotic at the same time. Another installation,
Seam, consists of sharp but delicately spaced thin lines that connect the ceiling and the floor. By creating new divisions in the space, the tension from the slanted lines as seen in his
Lean series of paintings is given a more organic and inviting form.
The artistic procedure Oh pursues while actively travelling between New Zealand and Korea is closely connected to the multiple meanings the artist seeks to express through his works. His continued artistic expression utilizes sculptures, paintings, installations, and videos so much so that, in a way, he is without limit to a technique or medium of expression. He continues to further his projects with other professionals practicing in different fields in order to broaden the perspective of his work.
The diversified viewpoints can be seen in the photographic works in this exhibition.
Eye takes the form of an egg yolk but it is hard to define what the subject is at first glance. Different interpretations are explored and argued by the viewer when faced with the piece.
Spray is a close-up shot of dried seaweed - one of the most common side dishes for Korean meals. The audience is invited to interact with the material Oh has captured to expand the perspective of the presented artwork.
Curator Kyungmin Lee
Press release courtesy ONE AND J. Gallery.