Zhang, Dong Moon 展
Creation_193x259cm_Acrylic on canvas_2010
SPACE WOMb
2010. 5. 21(Fri) ▶ 2010. 5. 30(Sun)
Opening : 2010. 5. 21(Fri) PM 5:00
2-48 Jackson Ave #1 Space Womb L.I.C., New York 11101
Creation_162x130.3cm_Acrylic on canvas_2010
Horse Iconography
Kim, Young Ho (Professor, Chung-Ang University & Art Critic)
Horse is the source that the painter Dong Moon Zhang took an interest in for many years. While painting horse for a long time, he developed his own unique pattern when it comes to the painting of horse, and the audience of the painting circle refers to him as the ‘painter who paints horse.’Now, horse is the trademark that shows his identity. While observing the formative process of horses, however, two questions came up in my mind. One pertains to the significance of horse painting in the modern art while the other relates to the characteristics of the formative method that embraces the meaning. ‘Why’ does Zhang paint horse and ‘how’ does he express it.
In fact, horse is the oldest source that the human beings painted. The fact that the origin of painting stems from the paintings of horse or cow is now an established theory in the art history circle. When the cases of the horse painting that are found in the ancient wall paintings, classicism and in the form of cubism in the romanticism, the trends of the art history are evident. In all times and places, the image of horse that appears in the study of history shows that the horse always journeyed along with the human history, and it was expressed using specific, unique formative language of the era and time. Given this form of expression, the painter is the producer and the recorder of the new formative language and the spirit of the epoch.
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Zhang’s painting is free from the binding nature of specific formative methods. He is not equipped with the primitive energy as in the case of wall painting. And his painting is not as factual or sensible as the paintings of animals during the classical and romantic eras. However, his painting includes traces of
modern art in different corners of the canvas. Among these characteristics, it is not difficultto discover that the cubic perspective and the derived format of geometricalabstraction have consolidated their position. Matiere of informelthat emphasizes materials’ physical properties is also evident. Moreover, drawing too that is expressed by colorful surface division and lines of diverse expressions is an element that cannot be bypassed in his paintings. His paintings that apply scratch with drill up to collage methodology are like watching dictionary of methodologies.
Zhang’s working pattern that leverages diverse methods proves that he continued to engage in formative experimentation. After entering into the art fieldrather belatedly, he developed his own unique formative method using action oriented method going beyondthe study of theories. As an engineer who
majoredin electronic engineering in college, he worked as a high school teacher during three years. His differentiated sense of mission when it comes to the art stimulates his inherent instinct to express, and it in turn led his work to a unique path. Grand Art Exhibition of Korea, which is the only gateway for honors for painters, rewarded him for his effort, by conferring four consecutive special selections. Later, he was able to build his only world by casting away the group oriented tendency of the group, "Gusangjeon" where he belonged for a while. In his paintings, the traces of his whereabouts are included as they are.
Creation_72.7x91cm_Acrylic on canvas_2010
Zhang’s paintings accommodate diverse methodologies, and assume unique patterns. The form of the horse bypass detailed description, while simple lining lines are leveraged. His perception towards horse, is not one, but multiple. In the case of cubists, they assemble multiple perceptions observed from the
front and on the surface level into one screen, which signifies that the painter transmutes the image of horse for the sake of the screen’s formative order. While undergoing disassembly and assembly processes, the image of the horse that is lined up on the screen is unfamiliar, while it looks as if certain reality is highlighted. The reality of the horse comes from the image where the muscles of the curved surface and clean cut mane form harmony. By emphasizing such characteristics, he creates the form of horse which was not experienced in the past. Likewise, Zhang’s unique characteristics that stem from the image of horse derive from the assembly of image that is captured from diverse points.
The shape of the horse that is transformedsimply with curved line and composite points emphasizes the ornamental undertone even more due to the body that is painted on the surface level without light and shade. Like the Trojan horse that looks as pieces are intertwined, the image of horse is partitioned into geometric sides. They look as if the satellite photo that is filmed from the air as when cities are filmed. At this time,the lines that show the lining of muscles conjure up the image of road network that is projected out to the land. Small sides that are partitioned include diverse Matieres from the colors that are uplifted thick. The pointsof the primal colors that are painted here and there add onto the visual enjoyment. Zhang’s painting looks as if symphony along with the simple sense of form and color sides that are partitioned complex.
Creation_130.3x94cm_Acrylic on canvas_2010
The elegant curve of the image of horse itself helps to feel musical melody, which is emphasized not only with formative rhythm that is granted by the form of muscles, but also emphasized by the introduction of musical instruments such as cello. This section helps to identify the iconographic interpretation when it comes to this painting.
In fact, his painting includes diverse shapesbesides the image of horse. Besides cello, images of bird, flower, and fruit as well as diverse materials such as watch, cloud and others are used as symbols to produce meaning. Besides detailed shapes, geometric symbols, such as the background of the lattice pattern, and the circle that is placed on the top, triangle and dotted lines all carry the potential for diverse interpretations. Symbolic meaning is bound to carry variable characteristic at all times. Despite the voluntary interpretation, shapes some timesproduce universal meaning that is found in specific situation and condition. Finding the meaning amidst the boundary of variability and universality is the beauty of his paintings.
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The meanings that surround his paintings are formed by the relationship between the formative beauty of the horse itself and the shapes that are placed at the vicinity. The diverse formative methods that are used by the painter and the rich Matiereare the stages for the production and interpretation of formative meaning. The painter places the horse, bird, cloud and flower and other actors such as cello on the artificial stage. Likewise, the painter plays the role of a producer who produces a drama. The audience who are exposed to his painting enjoy hide and seek while tracing down the intention of the producer not from the fixed sense of the word, but from diverse points.
At the end, the potential for the iconographic interpretation that is found in his paintings emerges anew from the boundary of modern art. His paintings can be considered as an aestheticlandscape painting that is perceived by the observatory spot called the modern. As examined previously, the image of the city where the geometry and curved line intersects, is evident and conjuresup the pattern of information image during the electronic period. The flower and bird that are unfolded at the vicinity of the horse that shows off healthy muscles, provide the potential for diverse interpretations along with the image of nature. Of course, the meaning is variable and continues to remain as the share of the audience.
(2007.7)
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■ Zhang, Dong Moon
19 Private Exhibitions
Group & Solo Exhibitions | MANIF and Grand Korea Conceptual Art Festival | India Triennale Invitation Exhibition | Bangladesh Biennale | French salon grandsJeune and salon JohndeneInvitation Exhibition | Korea Art Institute Invitation Exhibition | Conceptual Art Exhibition | Korea Pastel Exhibition Korea Catholic Art Association ExhibitionContemporary Istanbul Art Fair 2007, 2008, 2009 | Germany KARLSRUHE Art Fair 2007, 2008, 2009 | American LA FT Gallery Exhibition 2008 | Galerie Clauss & Palacios Germany 2009
Award | Grand Art Exhibition of Korea < 4 special prizes, 4 acceptances> | Superior Prize and Shinhan Prize at Conceptual Art Public Competition | Superior Prize at ConceptualArt Competition | Superior Prize at Japan Chung-Joo-Hwa | Speical Prize at Mok Woo Hoe
Judge | Grand Art Exhibition of Korea Operation Committee member and judge | Conceptual Art Public Competition | Danwon Art Festival | Korea Pastel Public Competition | Kyunggi Art Competition | La-He-Suk Art Competition | Daejeon City Art Competition | Daegu City Art Competition | Hangjoo Art Competition
Current | Chairman of Boondang Artists’ Association | Executive of Korea Art Association | Advisor of Korea Pastel Artists’ Association
vol.2010-Zhang, Dong Moon 展