Arario Cheonan is pleased to present 'Between the Lines: Korean Contemporary Art Since 1970,' introducing 30 painting, video, installation works by 7 notable Korean artists in art history today. Especially, the exhibition will announce unpublished silkscreens by Kangso Lee and 'untitled'(1973) by Byung-so Choi for the first time. 

The title 'Between the Lines' implies the state of 1970s when 7 artists actively worked. While between 1950 and 60s 'Informel' was crated by the younger generation in extreme chaotic time of society, decolonization and modernization, 1970s was the time of monochrome painting and conceptual art created. Between tendency of abstract painting represented by monochrome and experimental art with denial of existing art trend and showing new installation and conceptual tendency, there was co-exist of desire for novelty and Korean aesthetics, and it was expressed as diversity of 1970s. This exhibition aims for shedding light on zeitgeist and looking for common points among these artists. 

In Korean art in 1970s, monochrome painting was led by Seo-bo Park and Jonghyun Ha, and Gulim Kim, the pioneer of Korean conceptual art, received the great attention with avant-garde and experimental artworks. Kang-so Lee showed performance with painting and sculpture, U-fan Lee manifested Mono-ha, the new art genre of the age combining Western minimalism with Oriental philosophy and emotion, and Hee young Ryu, who represents geometric abstraction, showed a model of modernism. In addition, Byung-so Choi presented the avant-garde of contemporary art and aspect of monochrome painting through own technique, and Jang-sup Kim added a new meaning to plane monochrome painting through solid painting techqniue revealing property of material. 

Even though tendency of each artist in the exhibition was different, but there is 'contemporary characteristic' in common among them. There were many trials and errors, and  restrictions according to social and political chaos. However, their new attempts and experimenting spirit hugely affected on Korean contemporary art, and it should be reevaluated as a starting point of Korean contemporary art rather than the past, and heritage. 

Artists: Ku-lim Kim, Myung-ro Youn, U-fan Lee, Hee young Ryu, Byung-so Choi,
Kang-so Lee, Jang-sup Kim

*image (left)
Hee young Ryu
Paintings of the Hunting 75–B, 1975,
oil on canvas, 100x100cm
courtesy of the artist and Arario Gallery