[비즈한국] There is a saying, "The value of being together." This phrase appeared in a corporate image advertisement about a decade ago. It is a brilliant tagline carrying the message that the power of togetherness can change the world. Being together signifies empathy or communication, and this power can create a new paradigm. Art also gains value when it resonates with people. Empathy stems from the spirit of the times and a universal artistic language. The "Korea Art Promotion Project" also seeks to showcase the thoughts of various people through an accessible artistic language. As we reach Season 10, we support artists who strive to practice the belief attributed to Confucius: "Great art must be easy to understand."
We live in an era of self-PR. Most people living in this time want to tell their own stories, and they hope that others will listen to those stories. The more people who empathize with or actively agree with the story, the higher the popularity. The measure of popularity soon becomes the scale of influence, which ultimately becomes power.
Those who demonstrate excellent ability in conveying stories verbally are politicians or broadcasters. Composers express what they want to say through musical notes, painters through colors and shapes, actors through performance, dancers through gestures, writers through text, and scholars through their academic work. In art, this is called "expression."
To "express," one must have a story to tell and the technique to convey it. Art genres are divided based on the techniques of delivery. The delivery techniques in contemporary art are incredibly diverse; materials are plentiful, and techniques are varied. There was a time when the delivery technique alone was considered art. In the art world, this was referred to as "methodology," with minimalist painting being a prime example. However, it did not last long. Because it was a delivery devoid of content, it failed to be welcomed by the public.
For artists, the important thing is to have a story to tell and to hone the skills to convey it effectively. In particular, when one develops a unique technique that only they can master, they are recognized by the world as an "original artist." This takes a lot of time. That is why artists dedicate their entire lives to developing their own unique techniques.
The stories artists want to tell have changed constantly throughout history. They have ranged from tales of deities to the achievements of kings or the values of specific groups.
The trend these days is mostly about one's own personal story. Therefore, it is extremely subjective. Fortunately, the technology for delivery has developed significantly, and thanks to the efforts of artists, even the most private stories have become somewhat communicable. Experts refer to this recent trend in art as "postmodernism."
Song In-hyuk is an artist riding this wave. He has a clear story of his own and a rich ability for expression, which is his delivery technique. He chooses his own life as the subject of his work. As is true for everyone, living honestly inevitably brings ups and downs. The artist incorporates his life into his work. He says that, much like circus acrobatics, there were crises, and he lived his life faithfully by overcoming them. That is why circus scenes often appear in his work.
His method of expression combines flat painting with miniature sculptures to create fairy-tale-like narrative scenes. Because of this, examining the details of his work is quite enjoyable. This is the charm of Song In-hyuk's paintings. The reason why the trajectory of his own circus-like life, as he sees it, resonates with ordinary people seems to be due to his open and accessible power of expression.