
Suh Seung-Won
Simultaneity 81-116, 1981
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
63 3/4 x 51 1/8 inches
162 x 130 cm
63 3/4 x 51 1/8 inches
162 x 130 cm
One of the founding members of a group known as Origin, Suh Seung Won (b. 1941) is also celebrated for his major contribution to the formation of the A.G. (Avant-Garde...
One of the founding members of a group known as Origin, Suh Seung Won (b. 1941) is also celebrated for his major contribution to the formation of the A.G. (Avant-Garde Association) and the ongoing development of Dansaekhwa. Origin was founded in 1963 and exhibited together for decades thereafter. Along with Suh Seung-Won, the group’s founding members included Lee Seung-Jio and Choi Myoung-Young.
For over 50 years, Suh Seung-Won has consistently pursued a theory he terms “Simultaneity,” in which the artist seeks to distill his compositions to their most reductive state, while still maintaining a harmonious balance of form, color and space. The artist came of age in the context of post-war Korea, where there was uneven access to information about international movements such as Art Informel and Abstract Expressionism. It was in this dynamic environment that Suh sought to pioneer his own unique approach to geometric abstraction by synthesizing traditional formal vocabularies found in Korean culture such as the architecture of hanok (a traditional home), and its characteristic use of handmade paper as construction material.
In an effort to push the limits beyond the western art movements, Suh invented his own form of geometric abstraction that utilized dominant color relationships and pop-infused angular shapes. Exploring this novel interpretation of space and emphasizing form and color, the artist boldly composed his canvases arranging several geometric shapes in concert with one another. Simultaneity has recently evolved to dismantle forms in geometric abstraction while embracing a spirituality of oblivion and silence through the use of color field. A good illustration of this development is found in Simultaneity 22-801, where the canvas is permeated with a soft warmth that is similar to sunlight coming through a window. Warmth emanates from a harmonious clarity that has had its rough edges smoothed away.
For over 50 years, Suh Seung-Won has consistently pursued a theory he terms “Simultaneity,” in which the artist seeks to distill his compositions to their most reductive state, while still maintaining a harmonious balance of form, color and space. The artist came of age in the context of post-war Korea, where there was uneven access to information about international movements such as Art Informel and Abstract Expressionism. It was in this dynamic environment that Suh sought to pioneer his own unique approach to geometric abstraction by synthesizing traditional formal vocabularies found in Korean culture such as the architecture of hanok (a traditional home), and its characteristic use of handmade paper as construction material.
In an effort to push the limits beyond the western art movements, Suh invented his own form of geometric abstraction that utilized dominant color relationships and pop-infused angular shapes. Exploring this novel interpretation of space and emphasizing form and color, the artist boldly composed his canvases arranging several geometric shapes in concert with one another. Simultaneity has recently evolved to dismantle forms in geometric abstraction while embracing a spirituality of oblivion and silence through the use of color field. A good illustration of this development is found in Simultaneity 22-801, where the canvas is permeated with a soft warmth that is similar to sunlight coming through a window. Warmth emanates from a harmonious clarity that has had its rough edges smoothed away.
Provenance
The artistExhibitions
Dansaekhwa: Korean Monochrome Painting, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Korea, 2012Dansaekhwa: Korean Monochrome Painting, Jeonbuk Museum of Art, Wanju, Korea, 2012