물의 이중적 의미를 추상화한 작품 표현 연구

Abstract

Anthropocentricism has created various environmental problems because the environment was disregarded in a rush for economic development. I wanted to focus attention particularly on water pollution and water shortage. For me, the most outstanding characteristic of water is that water has no form, so I wanted to express the form of water using the woodblock printing method. I chose this method because it could highlight progressive abstraction of my art works and allow for my rich imagination. Water was many characterics. The dual characteristics are fluidity and stillness. The others are transparency, reflectiveness, amorphousness, and an even surface. Lao Tsu's Tao Te Ching is composed of 81 chaptersand in which Lao Tsu consistently emphasizes that "Tao" is the same as water. Particularly, it attempts to prove this in Chapter 8 'Shang shan ruo shui' in where he explains this concept, "The highest good is same as water." by substituting the invisible Tao with thee visible. In the West, scholars argued that water is one of the elements and an essential part of "all" for Lao Tsu. Many philosophers augued that water is the root of all things even before modern science understood the scientific principles of water. The Greek theories of four elements, originally developed by Empedocles and expanded by Aristotle, have had a significant influence upon many traditions stretching into the 20th century - spiritual schools based upon alchemy, astrology, etc,. Before analyzing a selection of my works, I explored a few artists' works on water themes sush as Jang Yeongsuk's 'Water Drop', 'Swimming Pool' and 'Wave'; Choo Inyoup's 'Series of Oasis'; Oh Yi-yang's 'Finding the Wave of Existence'; I also examined Cho Cho Seoungho's '...in the Midst of' which used multimedia to express water, Bright Ugochukwu Eke's installation piece ‘Acid Rain', and finally the exhibition 'WATERwalks' at New York ISE Foundation Art Gallery in 2002. While these previous works generally assumed various concrete expressions of water in many genre, the works of Oh Yi-yang and some works in the exhibition 'WATERwalks' tended to be abstract. In my thesis, I analyze ten of my own works created for my Graduation Exhibition in 2010. From chapter 3, I approach my own works by focusing on the dual meanings of water. I tried to express to let thee hidden meaning of the beauty of water reveal itself. I chose to use the nearly extinct woodcut technique because after an image is carved into the block of wood, I can create a new image on the paper. The image signifies the birth, death, and rebirth of water. The characteristics and meanings of water in both the East and the West is that water has duality. This suggests that if we waste water, then there will be a water shortage. This situation is what I have attempted to show using the metaphor of art created by the woodcut method. This study is on water which symbolizes the meaning of life, but also can embody death and destruction. Thus, it is important for our society to recognize the value and importance of water. In conclusion, I think this study played an effective role in highlightening the importance of water for exhibition visitors, and it is thought that this study will affect the creation of more profound art works.