Jeong Jinyong has once using the 『Mirage of the City』 as the theme of the exhibition. Under his expression of the city, thoughts that the people have towards the environment have being shown. Although we are living in this kind of city, the city's sprit has certain degree of distance, which the past history is like a empty shell to left for the people to sympathize and imagine and most people recognize it just as the fragments of the history. But artist Jeong Jinyong overpass the distance and denied empty shell of the history by finding the living entrance, which is connected between current and the past. Just by the connection, he recovers the old perspective of the city, but also shown the finalized passed and so-called dying of the years from the history. Or, he is trying to use the mirror Image of the "Mirage of the City" title to inform people to face the necessary concerns that we are having right now. That is, no matter how much power and authorities are gained, it will finally become the past. It is like an artifact created by marble sand, not with, also like painting behind the clouds. It teaches people a lesson, a lesson about that we need to know how to precious what we are having right now. In the end, of course art can not provide a way to solve the history problems, but, it lets history contain "Fragrance". Apparently, Jeong Jinyong did It. ■ Gallery J.Chen

정진용_Vestige-A Red wall_먹, 유리구슬 등 혼합재료 채색_165×240cm_2008

모든 것이 속도화 되고 정보화 되어가는 현대산업 사회에서 현대 미술은 점차적으로 상업화되어 가고 있으며, 작품의 형식과 내용의 다양화와 함께 그 영역을 계속 넓혀가고 있다. 또한 작가들은 좀 더 다양한 재료와 기법의 실험과 탐구로 자신만의 독창성을 지닌 시각적인 언어를 창출해 나가며 현대미술에 새로운 표현의 가능성을 제시해 나간다.

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정진용 작가는 동양화의 전통적인 재료인 한지에 아크릴과 유화물감, 유리 구슬 등의 다양한 재료를 통해 실험적인 작품을 구성해 나간다. 작가는 한지에 먹이 스며드는 풍부한 시각적 매력과 한지와 먹 사이에 나타나는 다양한 표현 관계들을 자신만의 기법으로 완성시킨다. 특히 화면 전체를 얇은 유리구슬 막으로 감싸는데 이러한 효과는 전시장 조명 아래 작품을 더욱 빛나게 하며 작품 속에서 마치 시간이 멈춘 것 같은 공간성으로 표출되어 관람자의 호기심을 자극하고 있다.

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이번 전시에서 보여지는 정진용의 대표적인 작품으로 「Vestige-A Red wall」, 「Vestige-Parthenon 0802」, 「Vestige-Golden Sky G.Majesty0801」이 있다. 장엄한 아시아 건축물과 바로크 건축 또는 고딕건축 양식을 떠올리는 정진용 작가의 작품들은 과거 역사 속 건축물의 이미지를 자신만의 현대적이고 대담한 표현법으로 재현하고 있다. 이렇듯 그의 작품속 공간은 언제나 장중함으로 가득하며 강한 힘을 느끼게 해준다. 또한 정진용 작가는 자신의 작품을 통해 고정관념과 전통의 한계를 깨고 사상의 영혼을 가지고자 노력했으며 이는 곧 그의 작품이 가지는 순수성과 상징적인 의미로 설명된다.

정진용_Vestige_Parthenon0802_먹, 유리구슬 등 혼합재료 채색_130×162cm_2008

정진용의 작품은 독일 작가 발터 벤야민(Walter Benjamin, 1892-1940)이 제시하는 예술작품에서의 아우라(Aura)가 느껴진다. 아우라의 의미는 작품에 보이는 유일무이한 현상으로 매우 가까운 듯 보이지만 항상 일정한 간격을 유지한다 는 것이다. 작가들은 아우라가 발생시키는 거리를 좁히고자 부단히 노력하지만, 작품은 정지된 듯한 무관심으로 항상 관람자에게 시간과 공간의 일정한 거리를 느끼게 한다. 그러나 기술복제시대의 예술품은 공간을 소유할 수도 아우라의 효과를 발휘할 수도 없다.

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벤야민은 자신의 저서 『The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction』(1935)에서 기술복제시대의 예술품(The perfect fake paintings)은 예술작품의 원본이 가지는 시간과 공간의 유일한 현존성과 같은 요소들을 갖추지 못했다 라고 밝힌다. 작가의 작품에는 시간과 공간의 특징적인 요소들이 잘 드러나고 있다. 조명 아래 비춰진 작품은 유리 구슬들이 형성하는 막의 효과로 관람자로 하여금 매력적인 시각의 효과를 느낄 수 있도록 하며 작품과 관람자 사이에 느껴지는 묘한 거리감과 동시에 관람자를 끌어 당기면서도 신비로운 분위기를 표출해낸다. 즉 그의 작품은 관람자의 시선을 강하게 끌어당기지만, 작품과 관람자 사이에는 더 이상 접근할 수 없는 거리감을 형성하고 있다. 왜 정진용 작가의 작품은 관람자로 하여금 이러한 느낌을 주는 것일까? 이것은 시공간을 초월한 절묘한 결합 으로 작가는 가깝고도 먼(far and near) 개념의 이중성을 잘 사용하고 있는 것이다. 가깝고도 먼 이중적인 개념의 본질은 이번 전시의 작품들에서도 잘 나타나고 있다. 그의 작품은 관람자로 하여금 멀리 떨어진 과거의 어느 장소로 인도하며 동시에 신비로운 시간 속 여행으로 초대하고 있다. ■ 한지연

As the industry is developing, the works of the artists are gradually commercialized, and the forms of arts are diversified. Artists are beginning to find an effective boding point of the various media or material, they deepen into the visual language to approach the reality, at different point of view, they dreg up the possibility of the drawings. ● Jeong Jinyong was majoring in an ink painting when he was in the university. As is well known, Ink Painting is the typical example of the traditional painting. However, western painting has been insisting on the various themes and forms, trying to enlarge the connotative meaning of art. Although the Asian artists keep studying the materials and techniques of the ink painting, and they have got great achievements, yet there are rare artists who are internationally famous. The problem is not only in the limited material of ink painting, but also in the form of ink painting which is not get rid of traditional frame. With the development of the information technique, the material culture is pluralized, and the national concept and national characteristics are generalized, the one sidedness problem in the capital society exists at large, and Asia has not completed come out from the shadow of colonization by western culture. ● Through his studying and experience, he selects and uses the materials with the composition of Chinese drawing paper, such as paper and ink, acryloyl and oil, glass beads etc. The artist studies ink paintings through ink which is full of visual attraction. He gets his own special way of expression based on the various connections between ink and Chinese drawing paper. He applies the film of glass beads to his works, successfully expresses the curiosity of the modern people to the oddly connected space, as if time is frozen. ● His simulation city series includes City of Simulacrum-White, City of Simulacrum-Night Scenery/Black06-2, City of Simulacrum- destruction, Karajan and Kaplan. Except these works, there are Divinity ? describing the feature of modern east Asian construction and baroque style or gothic style, Majesty, A Structure Aura, A Gate, Gold Structure?-Notre Dame, Roar, Gold Structure?-HeeJungDang. Artists are always indulged in the Palace which is full of dignity. His works break the limitation of the ideas and tradition, try to get the spirit from event, through investigation demonstrate the direct object of thought or meaning, even already get the symbolic meanings. ● His work has a certain haughty which felt in Aura by German artist Walter Benjamin. Aura means the difficulty in access, that is an unique phenomenon which seams very close but keeps a certain distance . How tries to shorten the distance, the work still owns the coldness, make people feel unique distance of time and space which the fake work or machine produced work can not take the place. Benjamin narrated at his work mThe Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction n, The perfect fake paintings are always lack of one element, that is the work include the element of time and place, which decides its historical meaning. His work has the elements of time and place, under the different illumination, the painting with the film of glass beads produces different visual effects. Although the painting has some mysterious atmosphere, it attracts us, and gives us the feeling of spring distance, that is we are very close to the painting but keep a certain distance, and we are very far from the painting but we are close to it. Why does the painting give us such feelings? That is the odd connection with the time and space , the artist used the negative concept of far and near. The intrinsic quality of far and near is expressed in his work which has the similar expression in Kultbild. The film of glass beads on his work has various effects under the different illumination. As if we experience the unconscious memory, as if we are coming from a far distant place and going to a far distant place. The painting let us experience the strange time journey. ● Artists apply the glass beads to express the opacity of the society and symbol, connecting the features of the product, formative element and esthetic elements. Disclose the relationship with exterior through creative object, and search for the opacity of the social reality. Aura by Benjamin lays the bet of time, the aura disappears, which means the time crisis and necessity of sacrifice. The work by Jeong Jinyong opens a new possibility for the ink painting, the screen is cold and simple, the formative consciousness and spiritual experience are slightly changed, visual world is exceeded the illusion, the painting is full of inspiration, applied a new and daring technique, posing the question that is different from modern art. According to the art problem of studying another image language and social reality, human beings never stop fighting with penury of experience and time. ■ Han Jiyun

■ 2008 CHINA INTERNATIONAL GALLERY EXPOSITION MAPPING ASIA-33 Young Asian Artist Solo Shows, CIGE 2008_0425 ▶ 2008_0428 / Preview_2008_0424 China World Trade Center Exhibition Hall, Booth No. D32, Beijing, China

Vol.20080518b | 정진용展 / JEONGJINYONG / 鄭眞蓉 / painting