In
the 1930s, Yoo Youngkuk (1916-2002) left the remote hinterlands of Uljin, North
Gyeongsang Province, where he had been born and raised, and went to study art
in Tokyo, one of the world's most modern cities. He returned to Korea in 1943,
amidst the tumult of the Pacific War. Through the ensuing years of Korea's
independence (1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953), he sustained himself by
working as a fisherman or by brewing and selling his own liquor. After 1955, he
fully resumed his art activities, becoming a leader of many early avant-garde
art groups in Korea (e.g., New Realism, Modern Art Association, Contemporary
Artists, and New Figures) and establishing himself as one of the true pioneers
of Korean contemporary art. In 1964, however, he announced the end of his
association with art groups and held his first solo exhibition. From then until
his death in 2002, he was devoted solely to working alone in his studio, day in
and day out, such that he left about 400 magnificent oil paintings.
In
Yoo's abstract works, basic visual elements - dots, lines, planes, forms, and
colors -emerge as the protagonists. Often in tension or competition with one
another, these elements maintain a certain sense of balance, which ultimately
amplifies their potent innate energy. Although his works are reminiscent of the
deep water, rugged mountains, clear valleys, and red sun of his hometown Uljin,
he makes no attempt to depict these aspects of nature realistically.
Nonetheless, the power of the abstract aesthetics themselves induces the viewer
to approach the essence of nature in a more direct way.
This
exhibition was organized to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
birth of Yoo Youngkuk. Looking at his modern works, it is almost impossible to
believe that he was born a full century ago. As an artist, Yoo had the rare
gift of combining an extraordinary aesthetic insight with a firm sense of
practicality. He is not a legendary artist who enjoys great popularity among
the Korean public. Somehow, during even the most turbulent times of the
twentieth century, he alone demonstrated an uncanny - almost surreal - ability
to avoid the worst of the trauma and adhere to his solitary and high-minded
life as an artist. We hope that this exhibition will help to renew people's
appreciation of Yoo Youngkuk, the consummate Korean modern artist who deserves
our remembrance and love.
Exhibition
Organization
1. Gallery
1
○ Tokyo,
Modern (1916-1943)
In
April 1916, Yoo Youngkuk was born the third son to a family of wealthy
landowners in Uljin, Gangwon Province (present-day North Gyeongsang Province).
He attended the prestigious Seoul Second High School, but dropped out one year
prior to graduation. Then in 1935, he went to Tokyo to study and practice art
at Bunka Gakuin University, a school famous for its liberal atmosphere. From
the beginning, he indulged his lifelong passion for abstract art, the most
avant-garde art movement of the time, even in Tokyo, one of the world's most
cosmopolitan cities. In 1938, he received the 2nd Association of
Free Artists Award, as well as membership in the association. He studied and
worked directly with the most influential leaders of Japanese abstract art,
such as Murai Masanari and Hasegawa Saburo.
Most
of the works that Yoo Youngkuk created in Japan are "relief" works, consisting
of simplified geometric forms made by cutting, connecting, and pasting veneer
plates. The objects are purposely uncolored, to highlight the natural grain of
the wood or the sleek gloss of the processed surface. He was also very
interested in photography, such that he studied at the Oriental Photography
School. When the Japanese government began suppressing works of abstract art,
he submitted photography works to exhibitions.
○ Toward
Abstraction (1943-1959)
In
1943, at the peak of the Pacific War (1941-1945), Yoo Youngkuk returned to his
hometown in Uljin. He began working as a fisherman, driving his boat far out
into the ocean in order to avoid the surveillance of Tokko, the "Special Higher Police" (a Japanese police force that
existed until Korea regained independence in 1945). After several years of
earning his living through fishing, Yoo supported his family through the bleak
years of the Korean War (1950-1953) by operating his own distillery. Despite
the desperate situation in Korea, Yoo seized every opportunity to continue his
work as an artist, creating new works and leading many different avant-garde
art groups, such as New Realism (1948), Modern Art Association (1957), and
Contemporary Art Exhibition(1958).
His
works from this period represent the gradual abstraction of ordinary natural
elements (e.g., mountains, valleys, sunsets), thus marking a return to the
fundamental principles of "painting." He simplified the natural forms and
sought an exquisite balance of colors, ultimately seeking to maximize the
surface texture.
2. Gallery
2
○ Encounter
with Sublime Nature (1960-1964)
By
the 1960s, Yoo Youngkuk had emerged as the most admired role model among young
artists of the succeeding generation, who were bringing abstract and
avant-garde art into the mainstream of the Korean art field. Inspired by the
April Revolution of 1960, there was a strong push for innovation and
experimentation in all cultural fields. Yoo remained active in the contemporary
art movement, serving as president of the Contemporary Artists Association, a
prominent group of the 1960s. Then, in 1962, he organized a group called New
Figures, which was devoted in part to providing more opportunities for young
artists through art contests. In 1964, however, he suddenly announced that he
would no longer associate himself with any art group, as he held his first solo
exhibition of fifteen new works at the Korea Press Center. This surprising
declaration sent an invigorating jolt through the entire field of Korean art.
Yoo's
works from this period resonate with power and confidence. Unfolding massive
landscapes, the large canvasses reveal vivid natural scenes of all seasons,
seen from a bird's-eye view. In particular, the new works that he produced for
his 1964 solo exhibition embody his intense spirit and focus, conveying the
illusion that the viewer is engulfed in a deep forest. Amazingly, these
overwhelming works were produced in his relatively small studio in Yaksu-dong,
which was just 23 m2. Within this confined space, Yoo confronted the
awesome power of nature and transferred the essence of that sublime energy onto
the canvas.
3. Gallery
3
○ Aesthetic
Experimentations with Form and Color (1965-1970s)
After
his first solo exhibition in 1964, Yoo Youngkuk quit his active participation
in art groups and took up a life of solitude. Each day, he religiously followed
the same routine: waking up at 7, painting from 8 until 11:30 am, eating lunch,
and then painting again from 2 until 6. He completely devoted himself to the
creation of art, with the duty and diligence of a manual laborer. He once said
that he thought that he would eventually return to the softer, more relaxed
style of his natural forms, but only "after studying the basics until the age
of 60." As we can see from his works, he did indeed persist in his diverse
aesthetic experimentations until he turned 60 in the mid-1970s.
In
these works, irregular forms gradually advance into geometric shapes. The
primary colors (yellow, red, and blue) are prevalent, but Yoo also plays with
different variations of purple and green. Even within a group of works
dominated by the color red, there are subtle differences in the shades:
slightly brighter red, thick red, murky red, deep red. The interaction of these
shades simultaneously yields a tangible tension and a superb balance. As such,
these sumptuous works approach the supreme level of beauty that a painting may
achieve.
4. Gallery
4
○ Working
with Nature (1970s-1990s)
Yoo
Youngkuk felt that he should study the "basics" of painting until he turned 60,
after which he could resume a softer approach through a "return to nature."
Unfortunately, around the time of this transition, his health began to
deteriorate. In 1977 he had a pacemaker installed. Then, from 1977 until his
death in 2002 (at the age of 86), Yoo suffered eight cerebral hemorrhages which
caused him to be hospitalized 37 times. Nonetheless, despite his poor health,
he continually produced serene and beautiful paintings, representing his desire
for a softer approach and a "return to nature".
His
final works convey the simple lyricism of the natural world that surrounds us:
mountains and trees, lakes and seas, horizons of land and water, and above all,
reflections of the sun and moon. All of these images reflect Yoo’s aspirations
for a perfect equilibrium with the supreme peace and harmony of nature. In his
later years, Yoo repeatedly returned from death’s door to his studio, and the
resulting paintings radiate with the warm consolation of life.
