Ecce homo! Here is a new, novel image of man. It is not a holier man or saint above a traditional wise man, but a
-F. Nietzsche, Translated by Tae-Hyun Kim, 『Pedigree of Morality/Ecce Homo』(Seoul: Cheongha, 2002), p. 176.
"Ecce Homo" were the words uttered by Pilate, the Roman governor, when he presented a scourged Jesus Christ to the crowd before his execution. From the portrayal of Jesus in numerous paintings or sculptures, I thought of the autobiographical prose of Nietzsche rather than any religious symbolism. It was the
Always carrying a camera, the images of homeless or beggars and various other people were captured in passing in everyday life, and images taken at certain places, such as Costco or Eunpyeong New-Town, to build the desired compositions, were combined within the canvas to form new stories. Particularly when shooting people, in order to capture their natural, as-is appearance, the images were captured candidly, as the expressions and motions of an accidental gesture naturally reveal the variety of tragic characteristics of the individual. Most works exhibit a contrasting structure, causing a more detailed discomfort by placing these tragedies on a single screen with backgrounds that are likely to connect, which sometimes inevitably reveals certain social issues.
In past work, the marbling, specifically in 'Planaria,' played a principal role in causing conflict, as the hidden pathos of modern people colliding with the social system in modern spaces such as the offices, cafes, or streets of downtown. In this series of works, however, the marbling pattern plays an auxiliary role, supplementing the contrasting structure formed by the principals of the people and the situation. While the characteristics visualize a certain emotion of humans that is either negative or positive, but depending on the content of the work, the pattern may take on a relatively important position, or not exist at all. For example, in
The results of the system of modern society are manifested in many ways, but the reality, standing naked in front of us, can easily be overlooked. Just like a swine that cannot raise its head to look at the sky, we keep betraying our own circumstances. The desire to soar, with the premise of despair, may only be the manifestation of a sort of defense mechanism, repeating the tragic dream. Despite the tragic ending implied by the wings, however, the gesticulation of Icarus and Lee Sang was not merely escapism. It was the utmost act of resistance, attempting to break off the bridle of self-betrayal by facing reality. Though it may only be a 'banal experiment,' if we persist, we will perhaps get to see a reality that is better than a 'failed beauty.'