Choi Myoung-Young
b, 1941, Korea
Choi Myoung-Young is a leading figure in the Dansaekhwa movement and contemporary Korean art. Dansaekhwa, which translates as “monochrome painting”, was formalized in the 1970’s in reference to Korean artists who redefined abstract painting in reaction to a turbulent socio-political environment. At the heart of Dansaekhwa is the eastern philosophy of ‘無為 (Wu Wei)’; the concept of non-action, to exist in stillness and let things take their course.
Choi’s artistic practice began taking shape while studying at the Hongik University. In 1962 he graduated and co-founded the artist collective “Origin” with Suh Seung Won and Lee Seung Jio. Whilst each artist had a distinctive style, they were united in expanding the boundaries of Korean abstract art. Choi’s focus was the tactile experience of placing pigment onto the plane while letting go of all other intentions. With form, content and individual expression put aside, the artist was absorbed by subtle characteristics of his own actions. Using his bare hands, he would experiment with the quantity of colour, as well as the pressure, speed and motion when it was applied to the surface.
In his earlier series, Sign of Equality, the artist would repeat gestures side by side. The soft differences in contact between his fingertips and canvas would amalgamate, resulting in an organic and meditative sensation. He would continue layering gestures whilst experimenting with various tools and materials to explore different spatial properties. Ultimately, Choi arrived at the series Condition Planes, exhibited by Puerta Roja in Reflections (2018). In this series, the artist increases his contact with the surface to such an extent, that the individual marks are no longer visible and the surface appears as a void. Much like the vison of darkness, the eye adjusts to a monochrome plane, differences in tone and texture begin to appear uniquely to each viewer.
Choi has exhibited extensively in Asia, with numerous solo shows in Japan and Korea. Choi is in museum collections such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Total Art Museum (Seoul) and Korean National Museum of Contemporary Art. In 2016 Park Seo-Bo curated Origin an exhibition presenting Choi Myoung-Young, Suh Seung Won and Lee Seung Jio. Presented at Galerie Perrotin in Paris, the exhibition focused on the founding members artistic collective and their relation to the history of Dansaekhwa, solidifying Choi’s standing as one of the most influential artists in Korean contemporary art history.
Choi Myoung-Young is represented by The Page Gallery, and is proudly presented for the first time in Hong Kong at Puerta Roja’s 2018 collaborative exhibition, Reflections, in partnership with Soluna Fine Art.
